Max Verstappen has shared a farewell message to the Dutch Grand Prix, paying tribute to his loyal home fans after a premature end to his race in Zandvoort's final Formula 1 appearance.
F1's return to the Netherlands in 2021 was linked to the Red Bull driver's impressive rise in the championship, ending the venue's 36-year absence from the calendar.
Despite its immense popularity, the privately funded event faced long-term financial hurdles. As a result, the circuit's organisers decided not to negotiate a contract extension beyond the 2026 season.
"Zandvoort. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve had here. What once seemed impossible became something really special. It means a lot that I got to be part of it. I’ll always remember this. Thank you," the four-time champion shared on Instagram after the race.
Max Verstappen has a message for fans after the final Dutch GP: pic.twitter.com/1791SFHVoe
— Motorsport (@Motorsport) August 24, 2026Verstappen headed into his final home race on the back of signing a contract extension that will keep him at Red Bull until the end of 2030. But while he picked up three points with a sixth-place finish in the sprint race, he walked away with no points from the grand prix after he crashed on the opening lap.
During the first lap of the race, the track was still wet in some areas from rainfall earlier in the day. As the Dutchman, who had started from seventh on the grid, went around the banked final corner, he dipped onto a wet patch that sent him into the barriers.
Verstappen took responsibility for the crash after the race. "In the last corner, it was obviously still a bit wet. But in the end, I thought, 'OK, now there's a bit of a dry line.' And then, of course, I accelerated, but still had no grip. And that was quite a heavy impact, but everything is OK," he told Sky Sports Germany.
"It's obviously a pity, but generally speaking, I'm just a bit disappointed because we were simply too slow the entire weekend."
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