Dutch Grand Prix

2021 Dutch Grand Prix

3-5 September

Zandvoort, Holland

Number of Laps: 72

Circuit Length: 4.252km

Race Distance: 306.144 km

Lap Record: Null

After a 36 year hiatus, Formula 1 racing will return to Zandvoort in 2021, where drivers will take on the infamous banked turn on Tarzan corner.

What date is the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix?

The 2021 Dutch Grand Prix will be held from 3-5 September, 2021, in Zandvoort Holland, where a capacity crowd will fill the stands after recent government approval.

How much are tickets to the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix?

Tickets for the 2020 race sold out in record time, with thousands of fans eagerly awaiting the return of Formula 1 racing at Zandvoort, and eager for a glimpse of local driver Max Verstappen racing on his home circuit.

With most tickets carrying over to 2021 and only a few tickets remaining, getting in could be a challenge for many. Tickets are available through Motorsport Tickets.

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Where is the Dutch Grand Prix circuit?

Circuit Zandvoort is located on the west coast of Holland, approximately 35km from Amsterdam.

The region is expecting over 100,000 people per day to visit the seaside town, and with accommodation at a premium, a dedicated camp site has been set up for race goers.

How do I get to the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix?

For those in the Zandvoort and Bloemendaal aan Zee areas, the best way to get to the circuit is on foot!

While it will be possible to get to the circuit via train, coach, car, or bike, there will be an exclusion zone close to the circuit, meaning all guests will need to walk the final few hundred metres in what is being described as a ‘sea of orange’.

You can plan your journey via the Dutch Grand Prix website.

How can I bet on the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix?

You can bet on individual races throughout the 2020 Formula 1 season, the qualifying head-to-head battle, and the Driver’s and Constructor’s Championships at beteasy.com.au

Where is the best place to watch the Dutch Grand Prix?

Since it was announced that Formula 1 would return to Zandvoort, all eyes have been on how Formula 1 cars would handle the 18-degree banking of Tarzan, which will definitely be an awe-inspiring sight come race day.

If you can’t get a spot there, then your next best bet is to aim for the final corner, Arie Luyendijkbocht, or Hugenholtzbocht.

When was the first Dutch Grand Prix?

The Dutch Grand Prix which is set to happen from 2020 and onwards is an event that is anticipated by many after the last race that happened in 1985. The automobile race is going to be held at Circuit Zandvoort, North Holland, Netherlands the same circuit used for races from 1948 to 1985. Zandvoort is a town in Holland located in the sandbanks of the North Sea, west of Amsterdam, the Dutch Capital.

The Dutch Grand Prix is part of F1 history. It has hosted the World Championship in 1952 and in the years 1962 and 1976, the said race was hailed as the European Grand Prix, a title of honorary designation given to one Grand Prix race in Europe. It is therefore no surprise that there are high levels of anticipation and excitement since a Dutch Grand Prix to be held in Zandvoort’s circuit for the year 2020 and onwards was announced last May 14, 2019.

When was Circuit Zandvoort constructed?

It is interesting to note that the construction of the roads that would serve as the circuit where several F1 races happened were because of the efforts of Zandvoort’s Mayor to stop his townspeople from being sent to Germany to work during the German invasion. He successfully convinced the Germans that his townspeople could build a straight road through the sandbanks and was a beautiful spot for Germans to hold grand parades once they have triumphed. The constructed roads then served as entry to coastal defense positions during the war.

After the war ended, the roads were broadened and linked to other roads which eventually led to the designing of a racing circuit by officials from the Royal Dutch Motorcycle Association and with advise from Le Mans 24 Hours in 1927 winner Bentley Boy Sammy Davis.

The first F1 race held in Zandvoort, North Holland, Netherlands was in the year 1948. It was called Zandvoort Grand Prix that time and Prince Bira of Thailand won in an old Maserati. The races in 1950 – 1951 were won by Louis Rosier. 1952 was F1’s 3rd World Championship, wherein Alberto Ascari won the championship and the same also won the race the year after that. The Dutch Grand Prix was temporarily put to a halt in the year 1954 due to insufficient funds, but a year after, another race was witnessed and Mercedes-Benz dominated the scene with Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss leading the way. The years 1956-1957 saw another cancellation of F1 races, the Suez crisis was said to be one of the indirect factors affecting the lack of funds needed for the event to run. The Dutch Grand Prix resumed in 1958 and was won by Stirling Moss in a Vanwall. Swede racer Jo Bonnier won the 1959 race, the only F1 championship event he won. The next year, 1960, Jack Brabham who drove a Cooper triumphed, but this was also a tough year as Dan Gurney one of the F1 racers competing encountered an accident that resulted to the death of one of the spectators.

Jim Clark, a Briton racer, won all three Dutch Grand Prix races in the years 1963-1965. In 1967, the Lotus 49, a new racing car, which was another innovation to the racing industry was introduced. It was built around the Cosworth DFV engine. During its debut that same year, the DFV won with Jim Clark on the wheel. The engine was most celebrated then and became the preferred engine of most private teams until 1985.

The 1970 race witnessed tragedy and victory side by side. It was this year that the Lotus 49 was then succeeded by Lotus 72 and Jochen Rindt won the race driving it. But the race was also met with tragedy when Piers Courage, a Briton, driving a Frank Williams crashed near the Tunnel Oost when a wheel that came off hit him in the head causing his death. Courage was still in the car when it caught fire and was burnt down. During the 1971 championship, the race was a tight battle between Jacky Ickx who was with Ferrari and Pedro Rodriguez with BRM. Ferrari and driver Jacky Ickx emerged as that year’s winner though.

Although originally there was supposed to be a race in 1972, F1 drivers refused to take part in it as Zandvoort’s facilities and the circuit’s conditions that time did not meet with the standards of Grand Prix racing, therefore the cancellation of that year’s scheduled F1 Dutch Grand Prix.

When was Circuit Zandvoort redeveloped?

Efforts into renovating and modifying the Zandvoort circuit took place during their absence from the Grand Prix races. Several changes were put into effect like Armco crash barriers lining the circuit. Protection from sand dunes and trackside obstacles were also put in place. Additional pits and a chicane before Bosuit were also part of the changes implemented.

In 1973, the Dutch Grand Prix was held at the Zandvoort circuit. Organizers of the event were especially happy seeing how prepared they were for the race. Spectators and just about everyone sensed that that day was quite special. This was supposed to be what was considered Grand Prix’s most organised racing event, but a sudden turn of happenings changed everything.

One of the racers, a Briton, Roger Williamson, had his car crash near the Tunnel Oost. While the driver did not incur injuries during the crash, the inability to free himself from the car that caught fire leading to suffocation cost him his life. Fellow countryman and F1 racer David Purley tried desperately to pull Williamson from the burning car but it was to no avail. Marshals who were not in fireproof overalls when they arrived the scene were hesitant to help because the heat was so intense. Blame was put in the lack of clear communication and disorganisation. Even during all that commotion, the race continued and Tyrell’s driver, Jackie Stewart won and also beat Jim Clark’s record of most career Grand Prix winnings. It was not a time of celebration though and that year’s race was considered F1’s darkest moment.

Despite the tragedy, the Dutch Grand Prix continued. In 1974, Ferrari won the race with Austrian Niki Lauda as the race driver. The following year, 1976, it was Briton’s James Hunt in his Hesketh who won the F1 race championship, which was also his first win. It was followed again by another victory in the 1976 race, wherein during that time, Niki Lauda was still recuperating from the Nürburgring crash. The 1977 race was remembered for what happened between Andretti and Hunt during the race where Andretti ambitiously tried to surpass Hunt in the Tarzan corner, which was a 180° turn. The attempt resulted in Andretti and Hunt’s cars touching each other, removing both of them from the race. The Dutch Grand Prix in 1978 was Andretti’s final race and win. The year after, 1979, a change was implemented to slow down cars entering the Tunnel Oost. It was also during this year that Giles Villeneuve demonstrated exceptional car control when he crashed into Australian driver Alan Jones, damaging his car’s left-rear suspension and forced into the muddy run-off area.

Instead of quitting, he wowed the audience when he went into reversed gear, driving the Ferrari out of the muddy area back to the circuit. This almost seemed like an impossibility especially because the left rear rim and the wheel’s crushed suspension were already being dragged while driven. Jones emerged as the winner of that year’s race.

Other significant changes to the Dutch Grand Prix’s circuit was the replacement of a slower chicane just before Tunnel Oost in 1980. 1981 witnessed the battle between Renault’s driver Alain Prost and Jones who drove for Williams, wherein the former won. In 1982, Didier Pironi, a Frenchman, and a Ferrari driver won the Dutch Grand Prix. F1 driver and Pironi’s countryman Rene Arnoux crashed at the end of the pit going into Tarzan but was without flaw despite of the accident. It was in 1983 when F1 competitors Prost and Nelson Piquet who was of Brazilian descent challenged each other on the circuit during the championship race. Prost made an effort to pass Piquet at Tarzan, resulting to Piquet sent out of the circuit, but not long after Prost crashed.

1985 saw Niki Lauda take his 25th and his final victory. But it was also the Dutch Grand Prix’s final run since the company that managed Zandvoort’s circuit decided to stop their business’s operations. Half of Zandvoort’s circuit was sold to Vendorado in 1987 and then underwent some restructuring. Other forms of motorsports still use the track as of today.