Formula 1 resumed after its summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, headlined by news that four-time champion Max Verstappen will remain in the sport, alongside Williams confirming it will retain both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Despite the contract clarity, all three drivers endured underwhelming race weekends, and the wider story of the round was the intensifying rivalry between teammates across the grid, since beating one's own stablemate in identical machinery is often the fiercest fight in the sport.

On track, McLaren's Lando Norris overhauled championship leader Kimi Antonelli to win by almost 12 seconds, underlining McLaren's strength in developing its car through the season. Mercedes, which won the first six races of 2026 on the back of a strong power unit, has since been hampered by reliability issues affecting George Russell more than Antonelli, and team boss Toto Wolff admitted the $215 million cost cap limits its ability to fund further upgrades. Elsewhere, Aston Martin continued to close the gap after a new Honda engine upgrade, with Fernando Alonso citing a three-second improvement over two races and a ninth-place finish, though teammate Lance Stroll flagged remaining issues.