F1 Dutch Grand Prix 2026: Predictions and betting preview

By Klimentijs Konevs | Published: 21 August, 2026, 11:05

The summer break is almost over, and Formula 1 is getting ready to return with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. The last time we saw the drivers in action was in Hungary, where Lando Norris took P1 and Max Verstappen finally returned to the podium.

Sadly for Dutch fans, this will be the final Dutch Grand Prix for the foreseeable future, as Zandvoort is due to drop off the F1 calendar at the end of the season. Let's get into our predictions and take a closer look at what to expect from the upcoming race.

Zandvoort is a very interesting challenge for both the drivers and the teams. It is a bit of an anomaly on the F1 calendar because the circuit is bumpy, tight and twisty. The corners come one after another, and some of them have a lot of camber. It really does make the track feel a bit like a roller coaster for the drivers.

There are also no real long straights or heavy braking zones to slow the cars down from high speeds, which makes overtaking difficult. The tyres take a beating around Zandvoort, and the circuit is also pretty abrasive, putting even more stress on them throughout the race.

This will also be a Sprint weekend. That means instead of having several practice sessions to work on the car, teams get just one hour of practice before competitive sessions begin. That makes preparation much more difficult. Engineers must quickly find the right setup for the car, balancing top speed, stability and tyre management. 

The Sprint format also means teams will have extra race laps on Saturday, which provides valuable tyre and strategy data before Sunday's Grand Prix. However, once qualifying begins, major setup changes are no longer allowed. If a team gets the setup wrong early in the weekend, drivers may have to live with it for the rest of the event.

Red Bull

This will be Max Verstappen’s final home race at Zandvoort, and he will be going all out to get the best possible result in front of the Dutch fans. He did the same in Budapest before the summer break and was rewarded with a podium finish.

However, the balance of the Red Bull car is still a big question mark. With Zandvoort's high-speed changes of direction and corners coming one after another, we are going to see Red Bull's balance put to a serious test this weekend.

McLaren

It was a victory for McLaren in Budapest. The latest McLaren upgrade has really brought the team back to life. Norris was stuck behind his teammate Oscar Piastri at first, but as soon as he managed to get ahead, it was all over for Piastri. The Australian then suffered a gearbox failure.

However, that race could be the beginning of McLaren really starting to put together a run of victories. They have one of the best overall power units with Mercedes, and the latest aero package has brought the car back into serious competition.

Ferrari

Budapest was a race Ferrari could have won, especially after their strong qualifying result, but they were beaten by McLaren. Rumour has it that the team had to compromise their setup after Charles Leclerc suffered reliability-related issues during practice, which may have affected their performance in the race.

Heading to Zandvoort, this has never been a particularly strong circuit for Ferrari. However, they were competitive at Silverstone and Barcelona, which are both high-speed tracks, so there is a chance of a good result here. Lewis Hamilton also needs to stop picking up silly and avoidable penalties, as they could eventually cost him in his championship fight with Kimi Antonelli.

Mercedes

The Hungarian Grand Prix was Mercedes' toughest race of the season. George Russell struggled to get the car off the line at the start, and Kimi Antonelli also had a more difficult weekend than usual. However, he still managed to beat both of his championship rivals and extend his lead over Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

At the Dutch Grand Prix, it will be interesting to see whether Mercedes can maintain their pace in the title race, as McLaren and Ferrari are slowly getting closer and putting more pressure on the championship leaders. That is why Mercedes are bringing upgrades to Zandvoort this weekend, hoping to regain some of their advantage over their rivals.

Qualifying and Pole Position

Our pick for pole position is Lando Norris. After taking pole in Hungary, we expect the McLaren driver to make it back-to-back pole positions at Zandvoort.

Podium Prediction

1st place: Kimi Antonelli

It may be a boring choice, but Antonelli has been the most consistent driver this season. With Mercedes bringing new upgrades, we expect him to take the win.

2nd place: Lando Norris

We saw McLaren's upgrades working well in Hungary, where Norris took the victory. The improved package should help him secure yet another podium at Zandvoort.

3rd place: Lewis Hamilton

Hamilton is our pick for the final podium spot. We expect him to have better pace than teammate Charles Leclerc and fight near the front throughout the race.

Dark Horses

Our dark horses for the Dutch Grand Prix are Racing Bulls. The team continue to improve slowly and showed more signs of progress in Hungary, where both drivers managed to finish in the points. Zandvoort could give them another opportunity to fight inside the top 10.

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