Zandvoort says goodbye to Formula 1 after 2026, Spa alternates from 2027

Two circuits from our features lose their permanent Formula 1 slot at the same time. The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix was the last race at Zandvoort, and from 2027 Spa-Francorchamps rotates with Barcelona, with no race in 2028 and 2030. For the venues it is not an ending, only a different rhythm of the year.

Zandvoort: a planned farewell

In Stefano Domenicali's August review Formula 1 describes the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix as the circuit's final event. The circuit in the dunes thus returns to its pre-2021 state, but with infrastructure built for Formula 1: a new paddock, banked corners and grandstands. Zandvoort stays on other series' calendars; in 2026 it hosted a round of the ADAC GT Masters, among others.

Spa: every other year, and a fight for more

From 2027 Spa-Francorchamps shares its calendar slot with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya; there will be no Belgian Grand Prix in 2028 and 2030. The organiser does not treat this as the end state: it is publicly lobbying for a return to an annual race and a long-term contract.

What it means for an amateur driver

A Formula 1 weekend blocks a circuit for weeks: build-up, tests, race, dismantling. A year without a Grand Prix means free windows in the venue's calendar, which operators usually fill with customer series and open days. Whether that happens at Zandvoort and Spa will be shown by the 2027 calendars. The history of both venues is told in our features, linked below.

What we are watching

Zandvoort's announcements about its calendar after Formula 1, including the number of days for drivers in their own cars, and Spa's official confirmation of which years will have a race. The timelines in both features will be updated together with this story.