The Dutch Grand Prix (Dutch: Grote Prijs van Nederland) is an annual Formula One World Championship auto racing event, held at Circuit Zandvoort, North Holland, the Netherlands, from 1950 through 1985, and after a 35 year hiatus, from 2021 onwards.

Dutch Grand Prix
Circuit Zandvoort
(intermittently; 1950–1985, 2021–present)
Race information
Number of times held36
First held1950
Most wins (drivers)United Kingdom Jim Clark (4)
Most wins (constructors)Italy Ferrari (8)
Circuit length4.259 km (2.646 miles)
Race length306.587 km (190.504 miles)
Laps72
Last race (2024)
Pole position
Podium
Fastest lap

It has been a part of the Formula One World Championship since 1952, and was designated the European Grand Prix twice, in 1962 and 1976, when this title was an honorary designation given each year to one Grand Prix race in Europe.

History

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Original circuit

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The town of Zandvoort is located on the North Sea coast of North Holland, close to the Dutch city of Amsterdam.[1] There were minor races on a street circuit in the town in the 1930s but during the German invasion of the Netherlands a straight road was constructed through the dunes for the Germans to hold victory parades. The road was later connected to other roads opening access coastal defence positions.[1]

After the war some of these roads were widened and linked together and a racing circuit was designed, not as legend has it by John Hugenholtz, but rather by a group of officials from the Royal Dutch Motorcycle Association, with advice from Bentley Boy Sammy Davis, who had won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1927. The first race took place in 1950.[1] The edition, along with the 1951 event, was held as non-championship Formula One races, with Louis Rosier winning both years.

1952 was the year the Dutch Grand Prix was part of the third Formula One World Championship; this and the next year's races were won by Italian Alberto Ascari. The race was not held in 1954 due to a lack of money to hold the race,[2] and 1955 saw yet another demonstration of Mercedes-Benz's dominance, with Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio and Briton Stirling Moss dominating the proceedings; Moss followed Fangio closely all the way. The 1956 and 1957 races were cancelled because of apparent lack of money, which was indirectly caused by the 1956–1957 Suez Crisis. The 1958 Dutch Grand Prix was won by Moss in a Vanwall. 1959 saw Swede Jo Bonnier win his only Formula One championship event and 1960 saw Dan Gurney have an accident and a spectator was killed; the race was won by Jack Brabham in a Cooper.

From 1963 to 1965 saw Briton Jim Clark win all three events, and 1967 saw the introduction of the Lotus 49 with its brand new Ford-Cosworth DFV engine. The DFV won on its debut with Clark driving; this engine became the most successful and widely used engine among private teams until 1985. The 1970 event saw the 49's successor, the 72, win comprehensively with Jochen Rindt behind the wheel. However, tragedy struck during the race: Briton Piers Courage, driving for Frank Williams, crashed heavily near the notoriously fast Tunnel Oost corner after a wheel came off and hit him on the head, which killed him. The car, with Courage still in it, then caught fire and burned to the ground. The 1971 event saw Jacky Ickx win in a Ferrari after a spirited battle with Mexican Pedro Rodriguez in a BRM in rain-soaked conditions. There was no 1972 race. It was originally on that year's calendar, but the drivers refused to race at Zandvoort, because the facilities and conditions of the circuit were out-of-date with Grand Prix racing at that time.

Redeveloped circuit

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Zandvoort had been extensively modified during its absence from the Grand Prix calendar. It had been lined with Armco and the cars were protected from the sand dunes and track-side obstacles. New pits were built, and the circuit also saw a chicane placed before Bosuit, the very high-speed corner that went into the pit-straight. For the 1973 race, in an indirect celebration of the efforts put forth, there was a special atmosphere at that weekend and everyone was happy, especially the organizers. But in a cruel twist of fate, that race was to be yet another black mark on Zandvoort's history and reputation. In a race that was thought to be one of the most well organized Grands Prix yet seen, it was actually disorganization and a total lack of clear communication that would be ultimately responsible for what was to happen. On the eighth lap of the race, Briton Roger Williamson (in only his second ever Formula One race) crashed heavily near Tunnel Oost and his car caught fire while scraping along the tarmac. Williamson was uninjured during the crash; but time was running out; he could not free himself from the car. Williamson's countryman David Purley stopped alongside, crossed the track and ran over to the burning March. Purley tried in vain to turn the car upright. There appeared to have been ample time to right the car and pull Williamson out, but as desperately as he tried, Purley was unable to do it by himself, and the marshals, who were not wearing flame retardant overalls, were unable and unwilling to help due to the intense heat. Race control assumed that it was Purley's car that had crashed and that the driver had escaped unharmed. Many drivers who saw Purley waving them down to stop assumed that he was trying to put a fire out from his own car, having safely exited it, and thus did not know that a second driver had been involved. As a result, the race continued at full pace while Purley desperately tried to save the life of Williamson. Due to a group of race officials standing around Williamson's burning car doing absolutely nothing to help and even hindering the situation (by throwing away the fire extinguisher Purley was using over the Armco and down a slope), this did not work, and Williamson died not of skin burns but of asphyxiation. Purley was later awarded the George Medal for his actions. The race was won by Tyrrell driver Jackie Stewart (who broke Jim Clark's record for the most career Grand Prix victories that weekend) and his teammate François Cevert finished 2nd; but no one felt like celebrating; it was one of the darkest moments in the history of the sport.

1974 saw the re-emerging Ferrari team dominate with Austrian Niki Lauda winning; and 1975 saw Briton James Hunt win his first championship Formula One race in his Hesketh. 1976 saw Hunt win again while Lauda was recovering from his dreadful crash at the Nürburgring. 1977 was probably remembered for an incident between Hunt and American Mario Andretti. Andretti attempted ambitiously to pass Hunt at the 180-degree Tarzan corner; the two cars touched and both were out of the race. Andretti won the 1978 running; his last Formula One victory. 1979 saw a change to the circuit to slow cars coming into Tunnel Oost; there was a high-speed temporary chicane put there. Canadian Gilles Villeneuve had crashed there while battling ferociously with Australian Alan Jones and damaged his left-rear suspension. Though he carried on, at the start of the next lap he went off again at Tarzan. Refusing to give up, Villeneuve, to the shock of many, went into reverse gear and drove his Ferrari out of the muddy run-off area and back onto the circuit. About halfway around the next lap, the car's left rear rim, wheel, and suspension totally shattered and was dragged by the car as it went along, making the Ferrari nearly impossible to drive. Villeneuve, displaying his now legendary car control, made it back to the pits without crashing or going off and retired from the race; the Grand Prix was won by Jones. 1980 saw the chicane removed and replaced by a slower chicane before Tunnel Oost. 1981 saw a big battle between Frenchman Alain Prost in a Renault and Jones in a Williams; Prost came out on top to win. The 1982 event was won by Frenchman Didier Pironi in a Ferrari; his countryman René Arnoux had a dreadful crash at the end of the pit straight going into Tarzan; his front suspension failed on his ground-effect Renault and he went head on into the barriers; fortunately he was uninjured. 1983 saw a battle between championship contenders Prost and Brazilian Nelson Piquet. Prost attempted to pass Piquet at Tarzan but the Frenchman punted Piquet off and Prost crashed soon afterwards. Prost won from pole in 1984. In 1985, Lauda took his 25th and final Grand Prix victory while holding off his charging McLaren teammate Prost near the end of the race.

1985 was the race's final running, as the company that ran the circuit (CENAV) went out of business, marking the end of the old Zandvoort circuit. The track, owned by the municipality of Zandvoort, was not used for some time and part of the grounds and approximately half of the track was sold in 1987 to Vendorado, a bungalow park developer at that time.[3] The track was eventually redesigned and is still used for other disciplines of motorsport.

2021–present

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On 14 May 2019, the Dutch Grand Prix at the Zandvoort track was announced for the 2020 Formula One calendar.[4] In March 2020 the return of event was postponed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; it was later cancelled altogether with the event's return slated for 2021, where home favourite Max Verstappen took the victory. Verstappen won the 2022 and 2023 races, with his streak of pole positions and victories at the Grand Prix since its return in 2021 being broken in 2024 with Lando Norris both taking pole and winning the race. The Dutch Grand Prix is contracted to be held at Zandvoort until at least 2025.[5]

Winners

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Repeat winners (drivers)

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A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.

Wins Driver Years won
4   Jim Clark 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967
3   Jackie Stewart 1968, 1969, 1973
  Niki Lauda 1974, 1977, 1985
  Max Verstappen 2021, 2022, 2023
2   Louis Rosier 1950, 1951
  Alberto Ascari 1952, 1953
  Jack Brabham 1960, 1966
  James Hunt 1975, 1976
  Alain Prost 1981, 1984
Source:[6]

Repeat winners (constructors)

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A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.

Teams in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.

Wins Constructor Years won
8   Ferrari 1952, 1953, 1961, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1983
6   Lotus 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1978
4   McLaren 1976, 1984, 1985, 2024
3   Red Bull 2021, 2022, 2023
2   Talbot-Lago 1950, 1951
  BRM 1959, 1962
  Matra 1968, 1969
  Brabham 1966, 1980
Source:[6]

Repeat winners (engine manufacturers)

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A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.

Manufacturers in bold are competing in the Formula One championship in the current season.

Wins Manufacturer Years won
10   Ford * 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980
8   Ferrari 1952, 1953, 1961, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1982, 1983
4   Climax 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965
2   Talbot-Lago 1950, 1951
  Mercedes 1955, 2024
  BRM 1959, 1962
  TAG ** 1984, 1985
Source:[6]

* Designed and built by Cosworth, funded by Ford

** Built by Porsche

By year

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All Dutch Grands Prix were held at Zandvoort.

 
Zandvoort from 1948 to 1971
 
Zandvoort from 1973 to 1979
 
Zandvoort from 1980 to 1985
  • A pink background indicates an event which was not part of the Formula One World Championship.
Year Driver Constructor Report
1950   Louis Rosier Talbot-Lago Report
1951   Louis Rosier Talbot-Lago Report
1952   Alberto Ascari Ferrari Report
1953   Alberto Ascari Ferrari Report
1954 Not held due to budgetary reasons
1955   Juan Manuel Fangio Mercedes Report
1956

1957
Not held due to budgetary reasons following the Suez Crisis
1958   Stirling Moss Vanwall Report
1959   Jo Bonnier BRM Report
1960   Jack Brabham Cooper-Climax Report
1961   Wolfgang von Trips Ferrari Report
1962   Graham Hill BRM Report
1963   Jim Clark Lotus-Climax Report
1964   Jim Clark Lotus-Climax Report
1965   Jim Clark Lotus-Climax Report
1966   Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco Report
1967   Jim Clark Lotus-Ford Report
1968   Jackie Stewart Matra-Ford Report
1969   Jackie Stewart Matra-Ford Report
1970   Jochen Rindt Lotus-Ford Report
1971   Jacky Ickx Ferrari Report
1972 Not held due to out-of-date facilities and circuit conditions
1973   Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford Report
1974   Niki Lauda Ferrari Report
1975   James Hunt Hesketh-Ford Report
1976   James Hunt McLaren-Ford Report
1977   Niki Lauda Ferrari Report
1978   Mario Andretti Lotus-Ford Report
1979   Alan Jones Williams-Ford Report
1980   Nelson Piquet Brabham-Ford Report
1981   Alain Prost Renault Report
1982   Didier Pironi Ferrari Report
1983   René Arnoux Ferrari Report
1984   Alain Prost McLaren-TAG Report
1985   Niki Lauda McLaren-TAG Report
1986

2019
Not held due to no race contract
2020 Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021   Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda Report
2022   Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-RBPT Report
2023   Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT Report
2024   Lando Norris McLaren-Mercedes Report
Source:[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Grand Prix Circuits: Dutch Motor Racing". www.grandprix.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2002. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Grands Prix which were cancelled - The Nostalgia Forum". The Autosport Forums. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Track description on www.autoevolution.com". Archived from the original on 18 May 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
  4. ^ "Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix to return at Zandvoort from 2020". www.formula1.com. Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  5. ^ "F1 to race at Zandvoort until 2025 as Dutch Grand Prix seals new deal". Formula 1. 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d "Dutch GP". ChicaneF1. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.