WILLIAMS RACE DAY HOSPITALITY: Dutch F1 GP 2023
On 27th August 2023 we were back at the Williams Experience Centre for ‘Race Day Hospitality’. This week was for the Dutch F1 GP.
Located in sand dunes near a popular seaside resort town, Circuit Zandvoort hosted the Dutch Grand Prix between 1948-1985 and made a very welcome return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021.
Zandvoort previously hosted the Dutch Grand Prix between 1948 and 1985. It was set to return to the calendar in 2020 after a 35 year-absence thanks to huge local support for Dutch driver Max Verstappen, but the plan was put on hold by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Unusually located among the sand dunes in a popular seaside resort, the Zandvoort circuit is situated 40km west of Amsterdam on the North Sea coast. The track was the sole host of the 30 previous Dutch Grands Prix. Dutch track designer John Hugenholtz, who designed the Suzuka circuit, is often wrongly attributed as being responsible for the Zandvoort track. Although he had ties to the circuit, it was actually a group of Dutch motorcyclist enthusiasts who designed the track with assistance from Sammy Davis, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1927.
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The circuit opened in August 1948, hosting the “Zandvoort Grand Prix”. That became the Dutch Grand Prix in the following year, and the event joined the F1 calendar in 1952, only two years after the advent of the Modern World Championship. The track made use of communications roads built during the Second World War by the occupying German army. The 1952 and 1953 races were held to Formula 2 specifications, so it wasn’t until 1955 that F1 machinery first took on the challenges of the Zandvoort circuit. The original 4.2km track had multiple elevation changes, and featured fast, sweeping turns, such as the fearsome Tarzan corner.
The Dutch Grand Prix was not held every year between 1950 and 1985. Notably, the race fell off the calendar in 1972. There was a push to improve safety at Formula 1 events at the time, especially following Piers Courage’s fatal accident at Zandvoort in 1970. Dutch Grand Prix organisers lacked funds to improve safety, so drivers refused to race there and the event was dropped from the calendar. F1 returned to a much-improved Zandvoort the following year, but tragedy struck as Roger Williamson was killed after his car caught fire following a heavy crash. Despite this, Formula 1 continued to visit the track until 1985, when the company which owned the circuit went out of business.
Although the track fell into disuse – and half of the track was sold to a bungalow park company in 1987 – it was modified in 1989 as a 2.6km layout, which became known as “Circuit Park Zandvoort”. By 2001, the track had been extended to 4.3km with new facilities, including a new pit building and new grandstands. Zandvoort has since become a regular fixture in junior categories; many current F1 drivers have experience at the circuit.
After months, if not years, of speculation, the return of the Dutch Grand Prix was finally confirmed in May 2019. The meteoric rise of Max Verstappen was the driving factor behind the event’s comeback. Verstappen became Formula 1’s youngest Grand Prix winner in 2016 and Dutch fans have boosted attendance figures at races across Europe since his debut in 2015. Though the circuit only has a capacity of just over 100,000, it was reported that over a million fans applied for tickets to the comeback event.
An estimated €4 million was spent on Circuit Zandvoort to prepare for the return of Formula 1, with half of the funds earmarked to improve access to the circuit. Some corners, including Tarzan, Scheivlak and Kumho have extended run-off areas. Other corners were widened and the start/finish line was moved to improve the spectator experience. The final corner, Arie Luyendijkbocht, is slightly banked to allow more overtaking opportunity.
The return of the Dutch Grand Prix was postponed due to COVID-19, but was rescheduled for September 2021. Despite the venue running at two third capacity due to the pandemic, the grandstands were awash with a sea of orange as Verstappen’s fans were out in force. For the partisan crowd, the race was well worth the 36-year wait, with the Red Bull driver victorious on home soil.
Verstappen delighted the home fans once more in 2022 with a second successive Zandvoort win. 305,000 attended the first Dutch Grand Prix weekend to run at full capacity since 1985. The attendance figure was a new record for the event.
Zandvoort re-joined the calendar on a three-year deal and signed a two-year contract extension in December 2022. Under the new deal, the Dutch Grand Prix will remain on the Formula 1 calendar until at least 2025.
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Williams Racing welcomes you to enjoy a Grand Prix Race Day at the Williams Experience Centre. The day includes a review of qualifying with an exclusive live link up to one of the drivers, live control room link up, VIP guest appearance with interview, refreshments and lunch followed by the live race screening. There is also the opportunity to browse the Williams Grand Prix Collection with a tour guide, as well as testing your speed on our 20 x F1-style driving simulators, our Super-Size Scalextric Track and other activities on the day.
WHAT’S INCLUDED DURING ‘RACE DAY HOSPITALITY’:
ACTIVITIES
- Unlimited use of the Esports lounge, with 20 state of the art simulators
- Our Think Scalextric Bespoke Super-Size Scalextric Track (click the link for more info about out track)
- Batak
- Museum Tour
- In addition you will have the opportunity to browse their shop with exclusive merchandise and 20% off
FOOD
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Unlimited soft drinks
Why not book up on a ‘Race Day Hospitality Experience’ at the Williams Racing Experience Centre. For info visit: williamsf1.com/experience-centre.
LEARN MORE (click below to open pdf)
Below is a video of the Giant Williams Racing Bespoke Track from our YouTube channel.