Zandvoort 1716

Zandvoort

Holland’s leading motor racing circuit was a regular highlight of the Formula 1 World Championship until 1985.

Holland’s leading motor racing circuit was a regular highlight of the Formula 1 World Championship until 1985. Venue of a street race in 1939, designer John Hugenholtz used the communications roads adjacent to the North Sea coast that had been left by the retreating German army to create a new circuit after World War II. The combination of a fast final corner onto the long pits straight before the famous 180-degree Tarzan corner produced great racing with plenty of overtaking. Sand dunes act as natural grandstands around the circuit. Zandvoort struggled financially after losing the Dutch Grand Prix and it was taken over by the town council after falling into bankruptcy in 1988. Dutch noise pollution laws also led to alterations, including a manmade sand dune built between the town and a new, shorter circuit opened in 1989. The layout was extended ten years later, returning Zandvoort to F1 length while retaining the character of the original course. Sporadic talk of the GP returning was boosted by Max Verstappen’s success so the circuit was modified with banked corners to hold the first Dutch GP for 35 years only in 2020. That race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic but Verstappen won the 2021 edition from pole position amid a sea of orange.

Grand Prix Circuit

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Type

Permanent road course

Length

2.646 (Miles)

Change

Hugenholtz and Arie Luyendijk corners banked and selected turns reprofiled

Fastest Race Lap

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Benz F1 W12 E Performance), 1m11.097, 134.031 mph, F1, 2021

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Max Verstappen (Red Bull RB16B-Honda), 1m08.885, 138.335 mph, F1, 2021

Type

Permanent road course

Length

2.672 (Miles)

Change

Extension built using old Schleivak Corner

Fastest Race Lap

Felix Rosenqvist (Dallara F308-Mercedes-Benz), 1m31.534, 105.089 mph, F3, 2011

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Roberto Merhi (Dallara F308-Mercedes-Benz), 1m30.750, 106.348 mph, F3, 2011

Type

Permanent road course

Length

1.569 (Miles)

Change

New shorter circuit opened using pit straight, Tarzan and Hunserug

Fastest Race Lap

Michael Schumacher (Dallara F395-Opel), 1m04.196, 87.987 mph, F3, 1995

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Brian Smith (TOM's 036F-TOM's Toyota), 1m01.395, 92.001 mph, F3, 1996

Type

Permanent road course

Length

2.642 (Miles)

Change

Permanent Marlboro chicane built to replace “Scheckter” chicane

Fastest Race Lap

Alain Prost (McLaren MP4/2B-TAG Porsche), 1m16.538, 124.268 mph, F1, 1985

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Nelson Piquet (Brabham BT54-BMW), 1m11.074, 133.822 mph, F1, 1985

Type

Permanent road course

Length

2.626 (Miles)

Change

"Scheckter" chicane built after Scheivak in time for the Dutch GP. Circuit length officially unchanged

Fastest Race Lap

Gilles Villeneuve (Ferrari 312T4), 1m19.438, 119.006 mph, F1, 1979

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Rene Arnoux (Renault RE10), 1m15.461, 125.278 mph, F1, 1979

Type

Permanent road course

Length

2.626 (Miles)

Change

A new right-left corner built before Pulleveld

Fastest Race Lap

Niki Lauda (Brabham BT46-Alfa Romeo), 1m19.57, 118.809 mph, F1, 1978

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Mario Andretti (Lotus 79-Ford), 1m16.36, 123.803 mph, F1, 1978

Type

Permanent road course

Length

2.605 (Miles)

Change

Grand Prix circuit designed using communications roads from German World War II defences

Fastest Race Lap

Jacky Ickx (Ferrari 312B), 1m19.23, 118.364 mph, F1, 1970

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Jacky Ickx (Ferrari 312B2), 1m17.42, 121.132 mph, F1, 1971

National Circuit

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Type

Permanent road course

Length

1.724 (Miles)

Change

Final corner banked at 18 degrees and selected corners reprofiled

Type

Permanent road course

Length

1.724 (Miles)

Latest Races

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3,266

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18,910

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11,861

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