F1 should 'find a way' to protect iconic races – Sainz

Dec.7 (GMM) F1 should help circuits like Zandvoort “find a way” to remain in the sport, according to Carlos Sainz.

Hot on the heels of the news that 2026 will mark the final Dutch GP for financial reasons, Formula 1 announced a new annual contract with Shanghai’s Chinese GP through 2030.

It’s just the latest sign, according to Sainz, of F1 gradually stepping away from its European roots. “Probably for economic and obviously political reasons,” said the Ferrari driver.

The Spaniard thinks a 20-race calendar with “six or eight of them” still in Europe would be his ideal schedule, “because that’s where the sport comes from”.

“Even if these old school circuits, European circuits, don’t have the big budgets of the ones outside of Europe, we should still find a way to give them the opportunity to keep coming back to the calendar now and then,” added Sainz.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri agrees.

“I think we need to be careful as a sport not to get rid of all the tracks that we all grew up racing on and loving. I think if you ask most of the drivers on the grid, their favourite track – maybe apart from Suzuka – is probably guaranteed to be in Europe somewhere.

“We need to be wary as a sport that a lot of the tracks that will disappear from the calendar are probably the ones that we all love a lot.”

Seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton also thinks it’s obvious that Formula 1 has gravitated to the big-money markets – rather than the most iconic ones.

“There are several races in the calendar – I’m not going to mention which ones, but you know which ones – which don’t have a lot of people that come, yet financially they can obviously cover whatever the cost is,” he said.

“I think the business is doing very, very well, but we’ve got to make sure we hold on to the heritage races, and Zandvoort, for me, is one of those.”

Finally, Lando Norris commented: “I always enjoy Zandvoort, even though all the fans cheer for Max (Verstappen). The atmosphere is always great, there is a lot of hustle and bustle, it’s loud.

“It is definitely higher on my list than many other tracks.”