Max Verstappen reveals key aim for Zandvoort as last F1 race approaches

Max Verstappen has declared he 'just wants to enjoy' the Dutch Grand Prix with his home fans as Zandvoort makes its final Formula 1 bow.

The Dutch Grand Prix will drop off the calendar following this weekend's sprint event, with Verstappen and Red Bull marking the occasion with special Dutch-inspired helmet designs, while the iconic national sporting colour of orange features heavily on the team's race suits.

Verstappen has been victorious at the circuit three times, but without a win yet this term, his focus is more on taking in the moment one last time. 

"It’s my home Grand Prix, so for sure I’m going to enjoy it a lot," he said. "I hope, driving-wise! Hopefully a bit more than I did this weekend [Hungary], at least. 

"It’s going to be great to see the fans. Okay, we won’t have a Formula 1 Grand Prix there, but there are a lot of other series that still race there, and if you want to have a track day, the track is not going to disappear. So, for me, I’ll still have my fun driving around there, just not in Formula 1, but that’s okay. 

"I mean, I just want to enjoy it with the fans."

Returning to the calendar in 2021, Zandvoort went against the trend by adding a European venue to the F1 schedule, at a time when races in America and the Middle East were mounting up, moving the championship away from its traditional heartland.

Although certain changes were made to adapt to the needs of F1, the track remained relatively true to itself, with the high-speed but narrow layout again not conforming to the wide swathes of asphalt that had become the norm. This was also true of the lack of run-off areas, with gravel and grass waiting to punish any mistake.

Verstappen added: "It’s incredibly impressive what they have done to bring it back, and I think, at the time when they hosted the first one, it was a great example for a lot of other Grands Prix as well of how to host and entertain."