Bernie Ecclestone believes Max Verstappen was the key reason Formula 1 was able to bring the Dutch Grand Prix back to Zandvoort after the race had disappeared from the calendar following 1985.
A return to Zandvoort once appeared highly unlikely after an absence lasting more than three decades. However, Verstappen's rapidly growing popularity transformed the Netherlands' position within Formula 1 before the Grand Prix eventually returned in 2021 in front of huge crowds.
Verstappen's rise through Formula 1 was central to that momentum. His maiden victory in 2016 strengthened his status as the Netherlands' leading F1 star, while in 2021 he won the first race after the championship returned to Zandvoort and later secured his maiden world title in the same season.
Zandvoort director Robert van Overdijk has also underlined how important Verstappen was to making the project possible. “As far as timing goes, everything fell into place. It all starts with the fact that you have a hero,” he said in the Viaplay documentary Dutch GP: Against All Odds.
According to Van Overdijk, discussions over bringing the Dutch Grand Prix back may never have started without Verstappen's emergence as a major Formula 1 figure. “Everything can be traced back to that. If that rising hero hadn’t been there, we would never have sat down at the table with Formula 1,” he said.
Verstappen's role carries additional significance because the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix will be the final edition for the foreseeable future. The race is scheduled to take place after Formula 1's summer break, bringing to a close the modern run that began with Zandvoort's return in 2021.
The modern Dutch Grand Prix era is therefore closely connected to Verstappen's career. His rise created a powerful domestic fan base, generated demand for a home race and helped turn Zandvoort's return into a realistic project after decades away from the Formula 1 calendar.
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