From the Second World War to the orange tide for Verstappen, the very rich history of the Zandvoort circuit

On the shores of the North Sea, a stone's throw from the very charming city of Haarlem and around twenty kilometers from the capital Amsterdam, the dunes erected by the wind form a protective barrier serving the historic Zandvoort circuit. The breeze, stronger than anything, still always ends up rushing in, blowing hot and cold over the 4,259 km of an old-fashioned route, narrow and unforgivable, the likes of which there aren't many on the calendar anymore. F1.

As in the last three years, more than 300 spectators will flock to this circuit in North Holland. The majority of them will be dressed in orange and will all push behind a man: the national hero, a certain Max Verstappen. The Batavian has also accustomed his fans to caviar, since he is undefeated on this track since his return to the calendar in 2021. Three Grands Prix for three victories. Before a fourth this weekend?

Zandvoort, the greatest have won

This character plot that the twenty pilots will try to tame has an undeniable soul and an important history. All the big names in F1 who played when the circuit was on the calendar established themselves there: from Ascari, to Moss, via Fangio, Brabham, Stewart, up to Cheers or Lauda. However, the rich history of this circuit has not been smooth sailing, with numerous interruptions to the F1 calendar. Established after the Second World War, the circuit, designed by John Hugenholtz in the same way as that of Suzuka a good decade later, was traced mainly on the bases of the communications routes built by the Germans during the war.

Jochen Rindt in 1969 in Zandvoort. © DPPI

Inaugurated in 1948, it underwent several route changes. First in 1973 when security work was carried out, extending the route by around thirty meters, before further changes were made in 1980 for an equivalent additional distance. From its first edition in 1952 won by Alberto Ascari until 1985, the Dutch Grand Prix was present on the calendar almost constantly (with the exception of 1954, 1956, 1957 and 1972).

Verstappen, a great reason to be happy for the Dutch

When F1 decided to no longer use the Zandvoort circuit from 1986, it was somewhat abandoned. Vendorado, a mobile home park company, bought part of it in 1987 and pushed the state to carry out a plan to safeguard the circuit so that club races could take place there. It was only in 1995 that Zandvoort began to become what we know it today. Benefiting from government support, the circuit is modernizing and expanding, with the creation of new stands, as well as a grandstand along the straight.

Max Verstappen is celebrated as a hero at Zandvoort. © Antonin Vincent / DPPI

The international reputation of what is today Max Verstappen's garden was made in particular thanks to the DTM, but especially with the Masters of Formula 3, since Zandvoort was between 1991 and 2006 then from 2009 to 2016 the unmissable meeting place for the best Formula 3 drivers, at a time when the category was divided into several championships. F1 ended up returning to Zandvoort in 2021, a year after what was normally planned, but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the deadline by a year.

For the occasion, new work was undertaken, and the famous banking systems were installed. Turn 4 is the most spectacular, especially as it allows several possible trajectories (even if the drivers mainly take it from the outside), and the last turn, which was raised by 18°. There F2 and F3 have also performed there since the return to business of the premier discipline, even if the two series will not be there this weekend. For three years, the enclosure has above all become a place of worship in which there is an army of faithful oranjes ready to pave the way for their prodigy. And to sing the now famous song that never leaves your head: “Max, Max, Max… Super Max…”

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