Circuit Zandvoort, which is now known as CM.com Circuit Zandvoort for sponsorship reasons, was referred to as Circuit Park Zandvoort until 2017. It is a 4.259 km circuit in the dunes of Zandvoort, the Netherlands, right next to the North Sea coastline. It will return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2021 as the venue of the revived Dutch Grand Prix for Formula 1 cars.
There were already plans for races at Zandvoort before the Second World War: the first street race was held on June 3, 1939. A permanent race circuit only appeared after the war. Connecting roads constructed by the Nazis were used. Contrary to popular belief, Hans Hugenholtz cannot necessarily be attributed the design of the Zandvoort circuit. He was involved as chairman of the Nederlandse Automobiel Ren Club (Dutch Auto Racing Club) before becoming the first circuit director in 1949. SCH “Sammy” Davis (winner of the 1927 24 Hours of Le Mans) was engaged in July 1946 as a consultant for the design of the dune course.
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Holes in the Formula 1 calendar
The first race on the circuit, the Prijs van Zandvoort, took place on August 7, 1948. The race was renamed the Grand Prix of Zandvoort in 1949 and then the Grand Prix of the Netherlands in 1950. The 1952 race was the first was run as a round of the FIA ​​Formula 1 World Championship. This GP was won by the Italian Alberto Ascari. Dutchman Jan Flinterman finished in ninth place and was the last finisher. The F1 Gand Prix of the Netherlands was also held on the Zandvoort circuit in 1953. There was no Dutch Grand Prix in 1954, 1956 or 1957, but the race did take place in 1955. The Dutch Grand Prix returned in 1958. It remained a fixture on the F1 calendar (with the exception of 1972) until 1985, when the event was held for the last time in the 20th century.
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Dutch Grand Prix back in the agenda and on the map
In November 2018, the Formula One Management (FOM) invited the owners of the Zandvoort circuit to make a proposal to host a Grand Prix race in 2020. In March 2019 it was confirmed that a letter of intent had been signed between Zandvoort and FOM for the organization of a Formula 1 Grand Prix of the Netherlands. On 14 May 2019, it was confirmed that Zandvoort would host the Dutch Grand Prix for 2020 and beyond. This is done for a period of at least three years, with the option to organize for another two years afterwards. Several changes were made to the circuit. These had to make it up to date with today’s F1 standards. Banks were added to turn 14 (Arie Luyendijk Bocht) and turn 3 (Hugenholtzbocht). The layout as a whole remained the same. The municipality of Zandvoort invested four million euros in the infrastructure around the circuit to improve accessibility.
The Grand Prix of the Netherlands was supposed to take place on May 3, 2020, but the covid pandemic put a stop to that. Ultimately, the race would still be held on September 5, 2021. Max Verstappen booked a historic victory, which completed the party in the seaside resort on the North Sea.
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How do you get to Circuit Zandvoort?
Normally it is fairly simple: you enter the address Burgemeester Van Alphenstraat 108 in Zandvoort in your navigation and you are on your way. There are several parking spaces around the circuit where you can go.
Everything will be arranged differently during the Formula 1 weekend in 2022. Then there are some options to get on the track:
- You park in the Q-Park garages Amstelveen Buitenplein or Mahler Amsterdam Zuid. Buses will then take you to the circuit. From Amsterdam you can travel with line 346 to Haarlem station from the Strawinskylaan bus stop (400 meter walk). Here you can transfer to line 81, 300 or 356 to the Zandvoort circuit. Line 356 only runs to Zandvoort on Saturdays and Sundays. From Amstelveen you walk 500 meters to Amstelveen Busstation. Then you take line 300 or 356 to the circuit. You do have to buy or reserve a P+R ticket for this.
- Park + Bike: you take your car to a parking lot within cycling distance of the circuit. From there you go with your own bike, or a bike that you rent, to the circuit.
- Public transport: You can travel from anywhere in the Netherlands to Zandvoort Station. Walk out of the station, turn right and after about a 10 minute walk you will arrive at the main entrance.
- There are coaches that drive to the circuit via certain routes. More information can be found on the website of the Dutch Grand Prix.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl