F1 News
How the Dutch Grand Prix must change in order to stay on the grid
- Ludo van Denderen
The organisers of the Dutch Grand Prix have been holding back for weeks. According to them, it is not a foregone conclusion that the Zandvoort race will remain on the Formula One calendar beyond 2025 because the financial risks are too great. However, Stefano Domenicali, the CEO of Formula One Management (FOM), assumes that the Dutch Grand Prix will 'just' continue to exist. This is what the organisers of the Dutch Grand Prix need to do to secure their future.
On the Friday of the race weekend in Zandvoort, Domenicali and the organisers of the Dutch Grand Prix sat around the table again as the future of the race was discussed. There are two main options for Zandvoort: remain an annual event or rotate with one or more Grand Prix - making the Dutch Grand Prix every other year, for example.
For Domenicali and FOM, a third option is actually not an option, namely stopping the race. The Italian hopes to have reached an agreement on a new commitment with Zandvoort before the end of the year so that the Grand Prix will remain on the F1 calendar beyond 2025. An adjustment in the organisation's approach is to be expected then, though.
The Dutch Grand Prix must become more international
Since its return to the F1 calendar, the Dutch Grand Prix has profiled itself as a truly 'Dutch' event, almost entirely focused on the Dutch market. In the run-up to the Grand Prix, it was announced that of the 13,000 entry tickets intended for the foreign market, only 5,000 had been sold by a Monegasque ticket seller.
So, how can organisers attract more foreign visitors to Zandvoort? Track management is discussing with Formula 1 how to make the event more international, so that more visitors from abroad also want to come, thus increasing its financial scope and strengthing its chances of staying on the calendar.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
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