Formula 1 resumed its activities after the summer break this Friday, the 21st, to host the Dutch Grand Prix, which represents the 12th round of the 2026 season. The competition will take place until Sunday, the 23rd, at the Zandvoort circuit, marking the return of the Dutch track, which had been absent from the calendar for six consecutive seasons since its return in 2021.
The weekend will feature a sprint format, which is the first in Zandvoort's history, and will present a schedule distinct from the usual one. On Friday, drivers conducted only one free practice session before the qualifying session for the short race. Kimi Antonelli led this single session with a time of 1min12s949, finishing 0s121 ahead of Lando Norris, while George Russell occupied third place.
However, in the qualifying session for the sprint, Russell secured pole position with a time of 1min11s567, overtaking Norris by a margin of 0s041. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri positioned themselves on the second row, ahead of Antonelli. Max Verstappen, competing in his home country, will start sixth, and Lewis Hamilton will be seventh. Gabriel Bortoleto was ninth and secured the best starting position in a sprint in his career.
The battle for the world drivers' championship moves into the second half of the year, with Italian Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes currently leading with 219 points. Lewis Hamilton, representing Ferrari, holds second place with 169 points, followed by Russell, who has accumulated 160 points, meaning he is 59 points behind his teammate. Bortoleto is in 14th place, with 10 points.
In terms of teams, Mercedes leads with 379 points, surpassing Ferrari's 307 points.
There were also minor changes to the grid. Isack Hadjar will not participate in the race due to a wrist injury sustained during the break and will be replaced by Liam Lawson at Red Bull, according to the team's announcement. Consequently, reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda will take Lawson's car at Racing Bulls, alongside Arvid Lindblad. Furthermore, on Thursday, the 20th, Verstappen confirmed the extension of his contract with Red Bull until the end of 2030, ending speculation about retirement or a team change; his previous agreement was valid until 2028.
On Saturday, the 22nd, competitors will compete in the 24-lap sprint, followed by qualifying that will determine the grid for the main race, consisting of 72 laps, on Sunday. Weather forecasts for Zandvoort indicate maximum temperatures close to 18°C on both days, with a probability of rain of about 35% on Saturday and 15% on Sunday. Despite this, the weather on the North Sea coast is considered unstable and may result in a wet track for the circuit's farewell.
To follow the Formula 1 Dutch GP, the Sunday race will be broadcast by Globo on open television in Brazil. All weekend sessions, including free practice, the sprint, and both qualifying sessions, will be available on SporTV 3, Globoplay, and F1 TV.