APEX RACEWIRE Newsroom
Zandvoort Forecast Threatens First Wet Running for 2026 F1 Machinery
Rain is forecast ahead of Saturday's sprint race at Zandvoort, setting up a potential first wet session of the 2026 season as the grid heads to the Dutch coast.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-08-17T14:09:57.000Z - 3 min read
Eleven race weekends have come and gone in the 2026 championship without Formula 1 staging a single collective session in wet conditions. That remarkable stretch of dry weather faces its first serious test at this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix, where an unsettled coastal forecast looks poised to challenge the field as Zandvoort prepares to bid farewell to the calendar.
Precipitation has loomed over multiple events throughout the first half of the campaign, only to dissipate before competitive running began. The start time for the Miami Grand Prix was brought forward by three hours to dodge incoming thunderstorms, while the Canadian Grand Prix was officially designated a Rain Hazard event, yet both ran completely dry. Similar patterns unfolded in Belgium, where rain fell during the weekend but never coincided with an official on-track session.
As a consequence, the majority of the paddock has zero real-world experience operating the new 2026 technical regulations in wet weather. Aside from limited mileage completed by a few teams during the pre-season shakedown in Barcelona, engineers and drivers have not evaluated the current cars in spray or mixed track conditions during an official race weekend.
That lack of baseline data could prove pivotal by the North Sea coast. Following a relentless sequence of European events contested during intense summer heatwaves, conditions at Zandvoort will drop to markedly cooler levels. Friday practice is expected to feature a slight risk of thundery showers, accompanied by ambient highs of around 19 degrees Celsius.
The primary window for rain falls on Saturday morning, with forecasts showing a 60 percent chance of showers ahead of the 12:00pm local sprint race. Although the probability of precipitation drops later in the afternoon with temperatures peaking near 18 degrees Celsius, any early morning downpour would leave teams tackling the sprint on a green or damp track.
Sunday's main grand prix is currently forecast to escape the worst of the weather, with sunny and dry running predicted alongside temperatures of 17 degrees Celsius when the race begins at 3:00pm local time. Even so, the proximity of the coastal dunes means conditions can fluctuate rapidly across a race weekend.
Zandvoort has previously illustrated how quickly changing weather can scramble the order. During the 2023 race, a cloudburst on the opening lap triggered divided tyre strategies before a torrential late deluge led to a crash for Zhou Guanyu and extensive disruption. Max Verstappen ultimately navigated the chaos to take pole to victory for a third consecutive year, offering a clear reminder of how swiftly coastal rain can transform a grand prix.