A Storied Past- From War to Wheels; the Circuit Zandvoort story.

Circuit Zandvoort holds a particular place in the hearts of motorsport fans the world over. The 4.259 km track, nestled in the dunes of Zandzoort west of Amsterdam in the Netherlands is perhaps most well known at present as the location of the Dutch Grand Prix since 2021.

With it's roots tracing back to the late 1930s, the popularity of the circuit comes partially due to it's reputation for fast corners such as Scheivlak and the infamous Tarzanbocht ('Tarzan Corner'), a hairpin located at the end of the starting and finishing straight and known for offering overtaking opportunities courtesy of a camber. Local urban legend makes many claims as to why the corner is so named, with the most popular being that a local man named Tarzan, unwilling to give up his vegetable garden for construction of the track, finally agreed to reluctantly after promises to dedicate an area to him.

While the Dutch Grand Prix is undoubtedly a major asset to the track, a look at the storied past of Zandvoort is the best way to truly appreciate it's significance.

Due to the Netherlands German occupation during World War II, many communications roads were built across the dunes, which understandably became both unused and unwanted following the end of the war. As Zandvoort had hosted street races as far back as 1939, thought turned to incorporating the leftover German infrastructure into a permanent and lasting race circuit.

The first official race, titled the Grote Prijs van Zandvoort, subsequently took place on August

7th 1948 and evolved through various changes and iterations into the Dutch Grand Prix, which remained in one form or another until 1985, when issues surrounding the quality and age of the track caused issues, including complaints around the noise pollution suffered by local residents.

By necessity, change was needed and a plan was formulated to move parts of the track away

from local housing to build a more compact track which, while approved, encountered issues

when the commercial operators of the circuit encountered severe financial difficulties which

resulted in bankruptcy. The devastating result of this was a complete closure of the track and

major issues for the owners, the municipality of Zandvoort, who feared the permanent loss of the circuit altogether.

Despite this major setback, a new operating foundation was eventually created and in the

summer of 1989 Circuit Park Zandvoort was remodelled with space used to create new housing as well as areas for local football and hockey clubs.

Major change came in 1995 when building started on an international Grand Prix Circuit which included further remodelling of the track as well as new buildings for pits and a new grandstand for spectators. Finished in 2001, Zandvoort hosted the RTL Masters of Formula 3 as one of it's first significant coups.

The period saw a significant boom in the popularity and status of Zandvoort, with large scale

notable events such as the first race in the 2006/07 season of A1 Grand Prix attracting large

levels of both media and fan attention, as well as prestige.

The resultant rise in the profile of the circuit culminated with invitations for the owners of

Zandvoort to submit formal application proposals to stage a Grand Prix race in 2020, something which was later approved and required alterations to be made in order to bring it up to the standards that F1 competition demanded. A 4 million Euro investment from the municipality of Zandvoort saw improvements to accessibility and changes were made to the banking of certain turns.

Despite inevitable cancellation of the 2020 Dutch Grand Prix due to the worldwide COVID-19

pandemic, the event happened in 2021 to widespread fan acclaim.

Whilst the reputation of Circuit Zandvoort is cemented and it's place in both the history books and the hearts of fans assured, what the future holds for the track remains somewhat

unpredictable at the moment. With the circuit's partnership with F1 set to end in 2026,

organisers have announced that the Dutch Grand Prix will not return in 2027, with reasons given centring around operational costs and shifting strategic priorities within the F1 organisation.

The final edition, set for 2026, is expected to feature the Sprint format, offering fans one last

high-octane weekend of racing at the beloved venue, for now. With the ever-changing world of motorsport always looking for progress, what lies next is currently unclear. Given Circuit

Zandvoort's long and eventful history however, we look to it's next chapter with interest and

excitement.