Dutch Grand Prix History, facts and stats

Zandvoort previously hosted the Dutch Grand Prix between 1948 and 1985. It was set to return to the calendar in 2020 after a 35 year-absence thanks to huge local support for Dutch driver Max Verstappen, but the plan was put on hold by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

History:

Located in sand dunes near a popular seaside resort town, Circuit Zandvoort hosted the Dutch Grand Prix between 1948-1985 and made a very welcome return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021, the Zandvoort circuit is situated 40km west of Amsterdam on the North Sea coast. The track was the sole host of the 30 previous Dutch Grands Prix. Dutch track designer John Hugenholtz, who designed the Suzuka circuit, is often wrongly attributed as being responsible for the Zandvoort track. Although he had ties to the circuit, it was actually a group of Dutch motorcyclist enthusiasts who designed the track with assistance from Sammy Davis, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1927.

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The track made use of communications roads built during the Second World War by the occupying German army. The 1952 and 1953 races were held to Formula 2 specifications, so it wasn’t until 1955 that F1 machinery first took on the challenges of the Zandvoort circuit. The original 4.2km track had multiple elevation changes, and featured fast, sweeping turns, such as the fearsome Tarzan corner.

After months, if not years, of speculation, the return of the Dutch Grand Prix was finally confirmed in May 2019. The meteoric rise of Max Verstappen is the driving factor behind the event’s comeback. Verstappen is Formula 1’s youngest Grand Prix winner and Dutch fans have boosted attendance figures at races across Europe since his debut in 2015. Though the circuit only has a capacity of just over 100,000, it was reported that over a million fans applied for tickets to the comeback event. 

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In Image: Dutch Grand Prix Circuit Map (Circuit Zandvoort)

Facts:

• The first Grand Prix at the track, during the pre-F1 era in 1948, was won by Prince Bira – the only Thai driver to race in Formula 1 until Alexander Albon made his debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix.

• Jim Clark holds the record for the most wins at the Dutch Grand Prix, having won at Zandvoort on four occasions – in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967.

• In the track’s first stint on the calendar, Carel Godin de Beaufort and Gijs van Lennep were the only Dutch drivers to have scored a point in their home race, after finishing sixth in 1962 and 1973 respectively.

• Max Verstappen gave the Netherlands their first home winner at the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix. The nation became the twelfth to have a home winner in Formula 1. It was the first time a new country has joined that particular list since Fernando Alonso won his home race for the first time at the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix.

• During its 31 F1 races so far, 52 different drivers have finished on the podium at Zandvoort.

• Local legend has it that the infamous Tarzan corner is a homage to a man who would only relinquish his vegetable garden on the plot of land where the circuit was to be built if the track had a corner named after him.

• In 1985, Lauda took the final victory of his Formula 1 career in the last Dutch Grand Prix until 2021.

• Graham Hill took the first podium finish of his career at the 1960 Dutch Grand Prix.

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Stats:

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