Verstappen prepares for special Zandvoort farewell as Honda set to bring PU update

After the 2026 season, the Dutch Grand Prix will disappear from the Formula 1 calendar for the foreseeable future. Max Verstappen, who has won his home race three times, has a final opportunity to match Jim Clark's record this year, which would also give him his first race win of the season.

Verstappen has already shared his special helmet for the weekend, while Red Bull Racing drivers will also wear special race suits.

Still, the Dutchman will visit the circuit in the future. "So, yeah, it’s a shame, but on the other hand, the track’s still there and I’m sure I will do more laps around there. So, it is what it is."

Honda's Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer, Shintaro Orihara, previously explained that the goal was to have the updated PU in the car at Zandvoort.

Ahead of the summer break, Honda also tested its updated engine at the Hungaroring, with Aston Martin completing a filming day at the circuit near Budapest. This came after the Silverstone-based team introduced a major package for the AMR26 and Fernando Alonso qualified for Q2 for the first time in 2026.

Not only Honda, but Alpine also has an update package planned for this weekend. Pierre Gasly told GPblog, among others, after the Hungarian Grand Prix that the package will be key for the team as it looks to challenge Racing Bulls for P5 in the constructors' standings.

According to the weather forecast, there is a real chance of seeing the first truly wet competitive session with the 2026 Formula 1 cars.

While drivers completed practice sessions in pre-season and filming days on a wet track, it has yet to happen during a race weekend this year. The closest we came to witnessing it was in Canada, where the two McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, started on intermediates, but it proved to be the wrong decision.

Entering the first race after the summer break, Kimi Antonelli has a comfortable lead in the drivers' standings. The young Italian is 50 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton, and 59 points ahead of his teammate, George Russell.