No surprise about Zandvoort F1 departure: 'Verstappen was a temporary hype'

The Grand Prix of the Netherlands will take place two more times at Circuit Zandvoort. After 2026, the pinnacle of motorsport will definitively say goodbye to Max Verstappen's home race. Does this surprise F1 analysts? Not if it's up to Ralf Schumacher, at least.

"Yes, it's a pity, but that's just the way it is. Fair is fair: Max Verstappen has become a lot calmer over the years. This is because the fans get used to it and because he doesn't win as much anymore," judges the German analyst in the Backstage Boxengasse.

The underlying cause is clear, according to Schumacher: "This means that a hype like this is always only temporary. You also notice this in the revenue from the sponsorship." The worries about the profitability of the Grand Prix at Zandvoort led to the organization deciding to say goodbye to Formula 1 after 2026.

'Netflix and America make Formula 1 popular'

Schumacher came up with a fitting statement for those who might criticize this decision. "We mustn't forget that we have to look at ourselves before we criticize others. If I want to sell my bike and a nice person offers me 200 euros, but someone else comes with an offer of 400 euros, you know yourself what you would choose. And that's just Formula 1," he said somewhat frustrated.

Ralf Schumacher

Then he stated: "If someone else pays more, reaches a new audience, and attracts new sponsors then that's just the way it goes. We have to get used to the fact that Formula 1 is not just a European party. That's why it's so successful now."

"Netflix and America, no one thought ten years ago that it would blow up like this. That's the other side of the coin. But as you know, in ten years it could well be the case that Europe is economically stronger again. That remains to be seen," concluded Schumacher.