Formula 1: Dutch GP – where to watch, schedules and more

Formula 1 returned from summer break this Friday (21) for the Dutch Grand Prix, the 12th round of the 2026 season. The race is held until Sunday (23) at the Zandvoort circuit and marks the farewell of the Dutch track, which leaves the calendar after six consecutive seasons since returning in 2021.

The weekend has a sprint format, the first in the history of Zandvoort, and a different schedule from the conventional one. On Friday, the drivers had only one free practice before qualifying for the short race. Kimi Antonelli led the single session with a time of 1:12.949, 0.121s ahead of Lando Norris, while George Russell was third.

In qualifying for the sprint, however, the pole went to Russell, who set a time of 1min11s567 and beat Norris by 0s041. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri form the second row, ahead of Antonelli. Max Verstappen, who races at home, starts sixth, and Lewis Hamilton, seventh. Gabriel Bortoleto was ninth and secured the best starting position in a sprint in his career.

Antonelli leads by far

The fight for the Drivers’ World Championship reaches the second half of the year with Italian Kimi Antonelli, from Mercedes, in the lead, with 219 points. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton is second with 169, followed by Russell with 160, 59 behind his teammate. Bortoleto occupies the 14th position, with 10 points. Among the teams, Mercedes leads with 379 points, against 307 for Ferrari.

The grid also has occasional changes. Isack Hadjar is out of the race because of a wrist injury sustained during the break and will be replaced by Liam Lawson at Red Bull, according to a statement from the team. With that, reserve driver Yuki Tsunoda takes over Lawson’s car at Racing Bulls, alongside Arvid Lindblad. On Thursday (20), Verstappen announced the extension of his contract with Red Bull until the end of 2030, which ended rumors of retirement or a change of team. The previous contract was until 2028.

Rain could mark the farewell

On Saturday (22), the drivers will compete in the sprint, with 24 laps, before the classification that defines the grid of the main race, of 72 laps, on Sunday. The forecast for Zandvoort points to highs close to 18°C on both days, with about a 35% chance of rain on Saturday and 15% on Sunday. The weather on the North Sea coast, however, is unstable and could reserve a wet track for the circuit’s farewell.

Check out the schedule for the Dutch Formula 1 GP (Brasília time):

In Brazil, Sunday’s race is broadcast by Globo, on open TV. All sessions of the weekend, including free practice, the sprint and the two qualifying, will be shown on SporTV 3, Globoplay and F1 TV.