F1
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Zandvoort
Nuggets of knowledge about The Dutch Grand Prix that you can impress your friends with.
The 2021 Dutch Grand Prix ended a 36-year hiatus of Formula One being in Zandvoort, and wow, wasn’t there a party to show how happy everyone was to have it back?
We all know who won last year, but here are five things you may not know about the Dutch Grand Prix.
01
Royalty Won The First Dutch Grand Prix
Zandvoort held its first Grand Prix back in 1948 – before Formula One – and the race was won by Thai Royal Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, better known as Prince Bira of Siam.
Prince Bira was quite the man, he also competed in the Summer Olympics in sailing and flew himself from London to Bangkok in his own aircraft. He was also the only Thai driver to compete in Formula One until Alex Albon entered the fray in 2019.
Looking At That Crowd, It's No Wonder We Love Zandvoort
© Getty Images
02
A Local Gardener Has A Corner Named After Him
There are many stories about why certain corners are given their name, but legend has it that Tarzan Corner is named after a local man from the Zandvoort area.
Zandvoort is set in the sand dunes and when the track designers were laying out the track, it encroached on Tarzan’s vegetable patch. Tarzan – which we assume is a nickname – only agreed to give up his allotment if they promised to name the corner after him.
Charging On In Front Of A Sea Of Orange
© Getty Images
03
The Track Was Designed By Motorcycle Racers
It is often assumed that Dutch track designer John Hugenholtz (who designed Suzuka) was the man who came up with the layout for the Zandvoort track. However, it was actually designed by members of the Royal Dutch Motorcycle Association with help from the 1927 24 hours of Le Mans Winner Sammy Davis.
We Love Our Dutchies
© Getty Images
04
Still In The Top 10
Despite being missing from the calendar since 1985 before making a return in 2021, Zandvoort is still one of the most-raced tracks in Formula One, keeping its place in the top 10. Monza holds the record with 71 races and Monaco is in P2 with 68. But despite having a 36-year absence Zandvoort is still joint 10th on the list of tracks currently on the calendar that have held the most Formula One races , alongside Suzuka who have both held a Formula One Grand Prix 31 times (not including this weekend’s race). Zandvoort is also the only circuit to host the Dutch Grand Prix.
Giving The Orange Army A Show
© Getty Images
05
It’s Steep, But Not The Steepest In History
When Zandvoort was rebuilt, everyone was excited about the new banking that was going to be included at turn four, Hugenholzbocht, and the final corner, Ari Luyendyk Bocht. Both were given 18 degrees of banking to help improve overtaking opportunities.
Now, we’re not saying that 18 degrees isn’t steep, it is! And compared to modern day tracks in Formula One, it’s the steepest, but compared to older tracks, we’re making a mountain out of a molehill.
To give you a point of reference, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s four corners are at 9.2 degrees, so Zandvoort is certainly not shallow. Monza’s iconic banked oval section started out at 20 degrees, but in 1955 was rebuilt to be a monumental 38 degrees at its steepest. Avus, which hosted the 1959 German GP, blew everyone else away with a nosebleed-inducing 43 degrees of banking – and it didn’t even have a barrier at the top.
Zandvoort Is Iconic For A Multitude Of Reasons
© Getty Images