F1 vacation's over. The schedules of the Dutch GP

Tthe summer break that lasted about three weeks, the Formula 1 World Championship starts again this weekend (august 21-23) with the Netherlands GP.

The historic coastal circuit of Zandvoort welcomes the Queen category, which will be the farewell of a race that had returned to the agenda in 2021 – taking advantage to a large extent of the success of the sport in the country thanks to Max Verstappen.

GP with Sprint race

For the first time, the Netherlands GP will have the Sprint format, so there will be more points to assign: to the top eight of the Saturday Sprint race and, as usual, to the top ten of the Sunday main race. Both will have their own qualifications.

This will be the fifth day of the season to have Sprint race, and the penultimate before the Singapore GP applies this format to the race that will host in mid-October.

Antonelli posted in front

Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) has been the protagonist of 2026, with the six victories he has already achieved. The pilot leads the championship with 219 points – 50 more than Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), who before the interregnum surpassed George Russell (Mercedes) to put himself second. The youngest of the British is 59 points from the front.

Later, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), already 22 points from George Russell and only ten more than Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes). The championship champion reached his first victory of the year even before the break in the Hungarian GP and follows fifth.

Verstappen attacks first win in the home run

Max Verstappen, who this Thursday (20 August) renewed with Red Bull until 2030, competes at home. The pilot will try to do what he has not yet succeeded in 2026 – to win, so he can say goodbye to his home rounds in the best way. Remember that he won consecutively in Zandvoort between 2021 and 2023.

Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes) is seventh to 17 points in Dutch and with more 24 points than Isack Hadjar. The other Red Bull man is announced absence due to wrist injury, being replaced by Liam Lawson... that follows right behind, in ninth, and can try to take this sporadic opportunity to add many points and approach the eighth position.

The New Zealander will be replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, on a punctual return to Formula 1 by the Japanese service to Racing Bulls. He will double with the Rookie Arvid Lindblad, which is in a sequence of six straight races to score and is in 11th of the championship between the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.

It should also be noted that the Dutch GP is the first since Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz renewed for Williams. Already aston Martin faces Zandvoort with hopes placed on the evolution of Honda driving unit when Fernando Alonso remains responsible for the team's only point in 2026 so far.

The timetables

As Grand Prix with Sprint race that is, the Netherlands stage will only have a free workout before the start of the competition even on Friday with the qualification for Sprint. Saturday is for the sprint race and for qualifying, while Sunday will always have as the main race.

The hours are by the time of Continental Portugal (less one in the Azores).

• Friday, August 21
  • 11:30-12:30: Free training
  • 15h30-16h14: Sprint Qualification
• Saturday, August 22
  • 11:00: Sprint race (24 laps or one hour)
  • 15h00-16h00: Qualification
• Sunday, August 23
  • 14h00: Race (72 laps or two hours)