Formula 1 will not have track activities this weekend. After the Hungarian GP, the category entered the traditional European summer break and will only return between August 21 and 23 for the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort. The race is scheduled for Sunday, the 23rd.
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The break marks the end of the first half of the 2026 season. So far, 11 rounds have been contested in a championship that arrives at the summer break after an intense sequence of races, including the Belgium and Hungary rounds on consecutive weekends.
The break happens with Kimi Antonelli comfortably leading the Drivers’ World Championship. The Italian Mercedes driver has 219 points and opened a 50-point lead over Lewis Hamilton, second with 169. George Russell is third with 160, while Charles Leclerc (138) and Lando Norris (128) complete the top five. Among the constructors, Mercedes leads with 379 points, followed by Ferrari with 307, and McLaren with 220.
During the break, factories enter a mandatory partial shutdown period, known as *shutdown*, when teams suspend most development activities. The measure aims to reduce costs and ensure a rest period for employees before the final stretch of the championship.
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Formula 1 will return in Zandvoort, one of the most characteristic circuits on the calendar. The Dutch track is narrow, has banked corners, elevation changes, and few overtaking opportunities, making qualifying a decisive factor for the race result.
Weeks without activities also represent an opportunity for teams to analyze the performance shown so far. With the new generation 2026 cars still evolving, the expectation is that some teams will use the break to prepare important updates for the second half of the season.
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