ZANDVOORT PREVIEW: Talking points ahead of Round 4

The summer break might be over, but the seaside is still calling our name! The Circuit Zandvoort hosts Round 4 of the 2026 season and every millisecond and point counts more than ever before as the battle to become the 2026 Champion continues to take shape.

Before the action-packed weekend gets underway, we're here to debrief the main points that are getting the paddock talking here in the Netherlands.

DANKJEWEL ZANDVOORT!

That means thank you! Zandvoort always brings the party atmosphere and this time is no exception. The track has been the only mainstay on the calendar since the inaugural season in 2023 but now prepares for its final appearance at the Dutch Grand Prix.

It has played a pivotal part in many title races over the years. In 2024, Abbi Pulling moved one step closer to glory, extending her lead to 71 points over Doriane Pin with her win and podium finish. Last season, Maya Weug bounced back from her Montreal disappointment and revitalised her fight with a double podium on home turf, including the Race 2 win.

PALMOWSKI AND FELBERMAYR GO HEAD-TO-HEAD ONCE AGAIN

Speaking of title fights, the 2026 battle will be reignited in Zandvoort, and Alisha Palmowski and Emma Felbermayr have firmly established themselves as the leading protagonists.

Standings leader Palmowski netted her third win of the year at Silverstone and is the only full-time driver on the grid with a pole position this season. Her 30-point advantage gives the Red Bull Racing driver a comfortable buffer over Felbermayr, but Palmowski won’t be content with that.

READ MORE: THE 2026 SEASON SO FAR: The biggest talking points and the storylines still to come

The signs are looking very positive for Palmowski and her Campos Racing squad, who hold a 53-point lead in the Teams’ Standings — the largest advantage at the halfway mark the series has ever seen. In 2025, the Briton was only 0.039s off pole and she dominated this year’s in-season test, with Campos recording eight top 10 times across their trio.

Meanwhile, do Felbermayr’s hopes rest on continuing her points-scoring streak? In all likelihood, yes. The lead has slipped further out of her hands as the rounds have progressed, going from six points in the Audi driver’s favour after Shanghai to a 25-point deficit after Montreal.

Dropping a further five points back after Silverstone, Felbermayr has to try and outscore her rival in both races. However, she can take heart from the fact that on race day, Zandvoort hasn’t been Campos’ strongest venue with only three podiums achieved there in three seasons.

COME RAIN OR SHINE

Zandvoort is a track that is demanding at the best of times, combing high-speed corners, undulations and banking that is tricky to master. However, all eyes will be on the radars as the weather could throw a spanner in the works, with downpours looming large in the forecasts.

Wet conditions in Montreal Race 3 favoured the likes of Palmowski, Felbermayr and Nina Gademan, who either held position in the case of the Red Bull Racing driver or gained two places. Meanwhile, Ella Lloyd was in her element, climbing up seven places from P16 to P9.

READ MORE: IN STATS: How every teammate head-to-head stacks up at mid-season

The crucial difference being that the rain fell prior to the session, leaving the track slippery but improving as the laps went on. There have been no showers in-race all season, the last occasion being Race 1 in Las Vegas, leaving the rookies to face another uphill battle to catch up to their more experienced rivals.

QUALIFYING AND CLEAN AIR KEY TO SUCCESS

The statistics don’t lie, pole is the place all the drivers will want to be this weekend. Six of the seven races at Zandvoort have been won by the driver starting from first on the grid.

Nailing Qualifying will be vitally important, but fortunately for those who don’t, overtakes are still possible. It isn’t the easiest circuit to make a move on, so the field will need to muster all their courage if they’re going to pull one off. Turn 1, also known as Tarzan, is a prime overtaking spot as the wide bend is also the heaviest braking zone on the track.

The heavily banked Turn 3 (Hugenholz) has also seen its share of overtakes over the years. Featuring an 18-degree angle, the turn offers two different racing lines, allowing cars to exit the corner alongside each other in a drag race down the short straight.

GADEMAN'S HOME CONNECTION

It’s a warm welcome home for Nina Gademan, who has many happy memories at the Dutch track. Her debut at Zandvoort in 2024 saw her become the first Wild Card driver to score points and her P4 finish in Race 1 was the best finish by a Wild Card until Chiara Bättig’s podium at Silverstone last time out.

Last year, the Alpine driver claimed her maiden single-seater win on her 22nd birthday, converting her reverse grid pole into victory on her third attempt. Returning to the site of that momentous achievement, Gademan will be eyeing up even more silverware. Sitting third in the Standings on 50 points, closing in on Felbermayr is a realistic target and one that could allow her to throw herself into the title fight for the final two rounds.

READ MORE: MID-SEASON REPORT: How are the class of 2026 rookies getting on?

CAN LARSEN'S BRITISH F4 PODIUM HERALD AN F1 ACADEMY BREAKTHROUGH?

Expectations were high for Alba Larsen’s second F1 ACADEMY campaign, not least amongst the fans as 30% of them predicted she’d win the title this season. However, the Ferrari driver’s promise has failed to materialise so far.

Ninth in the Standings, Larsen is a long way away from the title fight, 84 points adrift of Palmowski. Podiums haven’t been forthcoming either. Initially finishing third in the Reverse Grid Race in Montreal, the Dane was given a post-race penalty for contact with Felbermayr on the opening lap, which demoted her to 11th.

However, a breakthrough moment could be on the cards. Ahead of in-season testing, Larsen scored her first British F4 podium, finishing second in the reverse grid Race 2 at the same track she’s racing on this weekend. That boost of confidence translated on to the timesheets, with two second-fastest times across the four sessions. Could this weekend be the moment Larsen delivers the silverware fans expected from her?