THE HISTORY OF THE CIRCUIT ZANDVOORT

The Circuit Zandvoort is where F1 history has been made, with exceptional battles and many tragic accidents that have gone down in history. Take a look at the highlights from the history of Circuit Zandvoort.

The beginning

The first race on the Circuit Zandvoort, known as the Prijs van Zandvoort, kicked off on August 7, 1948. It later transformed into the renowned Grote Prijs van Zandvoort (Zandvoort Grand Prix) in 1949 and then the Grote Prijs van Nederland (Dutch Grand Prix) in 1950. In 1952, it became a World Championship round under Formula Two regulations. The Dutch Grand Prix saw its first Formula One race in 1955, part of the Drivers' Championship. Except for 1972, it remained on the F1 calendar until its final race in 1985.

The most touching story

During the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix, disaster struck when a suspected tyre failure caused Roger Williamson to lose control of his car. The vehicle crashed into the barriers, flipping upside-down and bursting into flames. In a courageous act, David Purley halted his own race and bravely attempted to turn the car back on wheels and rescue Williamson, but his efforts were in vain as nobody helped him. The shocking incident shed light on the inadequate safety measures at the circuit, where a scarcity of fire extinguishers proved detrimental.

The new era

In November 2018, Formula One Management (FOM) invited Zandvoort race track owners for a potential Grand Prix race in 2020. By March 2019, a letter of intent was signed between Zandvoort and FOM, pending private funding. On May 14, 2019, Zandvoort was confirmed as the host for the Dutch Grand Prix, starting in 2020 for a minimum of three years. Track modifications were made to meet F1 standards, while the municipality invested four million euros in infrastructure improvements. The 2020 race was cancelled due to the pandemic, but F1 finally returned to Zandvoort on September 5, 2021. Additionally, Zandvoort was announced as the venue for the FIA Formula 2 Championship and FIA Formula 3 Championship in September 2019, replacing Circuit Paul Ricard.