The Dutch Grand Prix takes place at the historic circuit outside the town of Zandvoort, not far from Amsterdam.
Apart from the legendary track, the little coastal resort on the North Sea is also famous for its scenic locations, such as the Zuid-Kennemerland, one of Holland’s twenty national parks.
All thirty Dutch Formula 1 Grands Prix have been held at Zandvoort and the first one, in 1952, was won by Alberto Ascari. The last time F1 raced there was back in 1985, when Niki Lauda won. The most successful driver at this track was undoubtedly Jim Clark, with four wins to his name, while Rene Arnoux was the pole specialist, starting from the number one slot three times.
This year, there’s no doubt for whom the crowd will be cheering, their local hero, Max Verstappen. Ever since his F1 debut, thousands of Dutch fans have followed him around the world. This year, the “orange army” get the chance to flock to its home track!
“It’s been a great summer break. I got back to Australia to see some friends and family, so I’m feeling recharged, fit and healthy. I’m looking forward to getting back to Zandvoort. Obviously last year it’s where my year turned upside down, but until the accident with Oscar, I was really enjoying the circuit, the car was great around there. I’m confident we can continue where we left off before the break, our momentum was strong and we’re definitely in the fight for some points.”
“I enjoyed the break and now I’m all set to go racing again. I went back to Japan and had a great time catching up with friends and my family, something I don’t get the chance to do very often during the season. After that, I’ve been back in Italy, doing a training programme, with plenty of cycling and even some wakeboarding. Now it’s time for Zandvoort, a unique challenge with its tight, twisty track and its banked corners. We had a strong finish to the first part of the season, so I want to keep that momentum going from now on.”
