2026 Dutch Grand Prix Mercedes’ last chance to win at Zandvoort before it leaves Formula 1 Calendar

Mercedes have never won at Zandvoort ever since the Dutch venue returned to the Formula 1 Calendar in 2021, and Toto Wolff considers this weekend as his team’s final chance to change that.

The huge success of Max Verstappen was the main reason why Zandvoort returned to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021 for the first time since 1985, and the Dutchman managed to win three times (2021, 2022, and 2023) while finishing in the podium in 2024 when Lando Norris won. Verstappen also was on the podium in 2025 when Oscar Piastri won.

While Mercedes haven’t won in the Netherlands, 2026 will be their best chance to do so given the dominance of their W17.

Wolff said: “Zandvoort has been a unique challenge since its return. It is a difficult track to master, the fans create an incredible atmosphere, and it has become a race that the teams and drivers look forward to.

“We have come close but never won there in the modern era. This is our final opportunity to change that, and that’s a challenge we would like to meet,” he added.

However, the Austrian doesn’t seem satisfied with his team’s performance so far, as they struggled with reliability while their advantage over rivals has not been as big as it was in 2014, the start of the first Formula 1 turbo hybrid era.

The fact that Mercedes hasn’t rushed upgrades to their car like Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, and McLaren did has also been a factor in that regard.

Wolff commented: “We have left points on the table, our rivals have reduced the performance gap, and we know the second half of the year will demand more from us than the first. The championships will be decided by execution and the rate of development we can bring to the car across the next 12 races.

“Whilst we are slightly out of step with upgrades compared to our rivals, we have more performance to unlock and a clear development plan to do so,” Wolff concluded.

Mercedes lead the 2026 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship from Ferrari by 72 points. Kimi Antonelli leads Lewis Hamilton in the Drivers’ Championship while George Russell is third.