Dutch Grand Prix: Race Preview

Zandvoort can trace its existence back to the 1940s, when the communication roads that were carved through the dunes during the Second World War were repurposed into a racing facility. Formula 1 held its first championship Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort in 1952 and the venue was a near-mainstay on the schedule through 1985. Zandvoort’s circuit was remodeled, with several sections removed and land sold, as it went through a period of crisis. Eventually motorsport returned to Zandvoort, with the circuit becoming known for its pinnacle Formula 3 event, welcoming some of the finest up-and-coming racers. The rise of Max Verstappen in the mid-2010s, becoming the first Dutch race winner, led to a boom in popularity in the Netherlands and the Dutch Grand Prix returned to Formula 1 in 2021.

Circuit Zandvoort is a tight and twisty venue just a short walk from the shore of the North Sea. Parts of the circuit are traceable back to its 1940s origins, other elements were introduced throughout the decades, while some sections were tweaked specifically for Formula 1’s comeback in 2021. The most striking of those are the two curves with banking, supplying an additional challenge for drivers, while also provoking multiple racing lines. Turn 3, known as Hugenholtzbocht, has 18-degree banking while the final turn, Arie Luyendykbocht, has 15–18-degree banking as drivers are catapulted onto the main straight.



MoneyGram Haas F1 Team returns from the summer recess in seventh position in the Constructors’ Championship, on 27 points, only seven behind sixth-placed RB. MoneyGram Haas F1 Team drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen both have prior Formula 1 experience at Circuit Zandvoort and are eager to start their final chapters with the team on a strong footing.

American racer Chloe Chambers will also be in action at Zandvoort in Round 4 of the 2024 F1 Academy season. Chambers, who competes for Campos Racing, currently holds third in the Drivers’ Standings, having claimed victory at the last round in Barcelona in June.




Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal:

“Zandvoort is an interesting circuit with a lot of undulation and cambers, and the last corner is pretty interesting. Its other characteristics are that it has a mixture of low- to medium-speed corners, it’s a high-downforce circuit and overtaking is pretty difficult. The atmosphere in Zandvoort is very unique, it’s more like a football stadium than a Formula 1 event really, especially before the race on the grid with the music and Orange Army. It’s quite special, and very unusual if you’re only used to Formula 1 events. I enjoy going there as it’s such a unique atmosphere and I’m looking forward to getting back to racing.”




Nico Hulkenberg:

“Zandvoort is a track I have a lot of history at doing many races over my junior career there; Formula BMW, A1 Grand Prix, F3, some really good memories actually. It’s a very familiar place from back in the day, also because where I’m from it’s very close to the Dutch border, it’s a special feeling and race for me there. It’s a great place with a great vibe, the Dutch Orange Army is out in force, and it’s one big party. It’s a short track which is very old school, narrow and short in length. It’s quite tricky to overtake. It’s quite a small track for the big modern Formula 1 cars, but it’s still fun and challenging to get it around.”




Kevin Magnussen:

“The Dutch Grand Prix has a crazy atmosphere with the Orange Army, which is about 99 per cent of the fans there. It’s a very cool track for Formula 1 as it’s super old-school and it hasn’t changed much since the seventies. I enjoy racing at Zandvoort as it’s a driver's track, when you push there, you really are pushing the limits. I’ll be rested and ready to charge for the second half of the season.”