7 moments you might have missed at the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix
The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix featured off-track highlights including celebrity interactions, playful paddock antics, and a ceremonial lap with Spyker C8 Spyders, alongside on-track drama.
Reigning World Champion Lando Norris secured back-to-back victories at Zandvoort with a strategic race and decisive overtakes, sharing the podium with Championship leader Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who won Saturday’s Sprint. Max Verstappen’s home race ended early after a heavy opening-lap crash, though he engaged with fans and cycling star Demi Vollering, who signed his shirt and joined him for a hot lap. The paddock embraced lighthearted moments, from McLaren’s rubber duck puddle challenge to Haas drivers Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon racing go-karts in wet conditions, while Nico Hulkenberg celebrated his 39th birthday with an Audi Lego steering wheel gift.
Formula 1’s return to Europe coincided with the start of the 2026/2027 Premier League season, prompting British drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to test their football knowledge and skills. Russell predicted the entire Premier League table’s finishing order, while Hamilton competed in a one-touch football challenge outside the Ferrari motorhome. Meanwhile, Dutch cycling champion Demi Vollering, a four-time Grand Tour winner, signed Verstappen’s shirt and joined him for a track lap, adding a unique cross-sport element to the weekend.
The Dutch Grand Prix marked Zandvoort’s final appearance on the F1 calendar, celebrated with a ceremonial lap featuring 22 Spyker C8 Spyders, a 2007 F1 entrant. Track marshals added to the spectacle by wearing inflatable dinosaur costumes during the parade, referencing the Trix tyrannosaurus rex fossil in nearby Leiden. Norris’s victory in the Netherlands followed his Hungary win, bookending a productive summer break that included a meeting with DJ Martin Garrix, who performed a post-race set to bid farewell to the track.
Off-track entertainment extended beyond the race, with playful challenges and tributes defining the weekend. McLaren’s rubber duck activity in the rain drew attention, while Verstappen’s interactions with fans and Vollering highlighted the event’s community spirit. The ceremonial lap with Spyker’s historic cars and the marshals’ dinosaur costumes underscored Zandvoort’s legacy, blending nostalgia with the sport’s evolving culture ahead of future calendar changes.