Max Verstappen will sport a striking special helmet design, paying homage to his home country for the final Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.
F1 will move on to the iconic Zandvoort Circuit for what is to be the final Dutch GP race weekend.
Returning to F1 in 2021, for the first time since 1985, the event was a fan favourite, and especially a special affair for the four-time World Champion given the immense support from the ‘Orange Army’.
With the event moving on from the calendar, Verstappen has unveiled a special helmet design for the 2026 edition.
Revealing the striking design – a white overall decked in royal blue stylings and sporting his trademark ‘Unleash the Lion’ decal – the 28-year-old expressed his intention to pay tribute to the iconic circuit and the Netherlands during the race weekend.
“An iconic Grand Prix. Unforgettable memories that will last a lifetime,” he wrote on social media.
“Final home race, a special helmet, a homage to The Netherlands and Zandvoort.”
Max Verstappen hopes to be back at Zandvoort soon, whether in F1 or not
The Dutch GP has been a happy hunting ground for Verstappen since its return.
In the modern era, the race has been run five times, with Verstappen finishing on the podium on every single occasion – with a three-race winning streak between 2021 and 2023.
Naturally, he hopes for his final race on the track to be a happy memory, though he is aware that the RB22 won’t make it that easy.
“It’s my home Grand Prix, so for sure I’m going to enjoy it a lot,” Verstappen had said after the Hungarian GP.
“I hope, driving-wise! Hopefully a bit more than I did this weekend, at least.”
That said, while F1 might not host the circuit in the future, Verstappen aims to still keeping returning to the track.
“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,” he added.
“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.”
The 72-lap race is scheduled to be run on the 23rd of August, in almost a week.
READ MORE – Max Verstappen offers theory on potential Fernando Alonso F1 exit
Discussion about this post