Max Verstappen has insisted it is a "shame" that the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix will be the last, at least for the foreseeable future, with it marking the end of the Dutchman having a home race.
The Netherlands, and particularly Zandvoort, has a long history in Formula 1, dating back to 1950, although its first race as part of the world championship took place in 1952.
It has fallen off the calendar several times over the last 76 years, although it returned in 2021 following a 36-year hiatus.
Verstappen is the reason it returned, and over the last five years, it has become one of the most atmospheric races of the season.
Unfortunately, it will drop off again after this weekend, with Verstappen having one final chance to put on a show for his beloved supporters. He has won three of the last five races in Zandvoort and will miss the event, but intends to continue driving there.
Asked for his thoughts on the final Dutch GP, Verstappen told select media, including RacingNews365: "Yeah, of course, we’ve known this now for a while. It’s my home grand prix, so for sure I’m going to enjoy it a lot. I hope, driving-wise!
"Hopefully a bit more than I did in Hungary, at least. But, yeah, 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. 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.
"So, yeah, it’s a shame, but on the other hand, the track’s still there and I’m sure I will do more laps around there. So, it is what it is."
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