Stay informed on all the biggest stories in Formula One. Sign up here to receive the Prime Tire newsletter in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday morning.

Formula One is back in session after a lengthy summer break, where drivers and the rest of the paddock recharged for the final 10-race stretch that lasts into early December.

The Dutch Grand Prix marks the start of that run in the beachside town of Zandvoort, the Netherlands, roughly a 30-minute train ride from Amsterdam. And while most grandstands feature an array of colors, this race’s grandstands are a sea of orange-clad fans. It’s the home race for Dutch hero, Max Verstappen.

Track position is crucial given how the narrow Circuit Zandvoort limits overtaking opportunities, but passing is not impossible. Banked corners provide avenues for drivers to employ different lines and battle tactics.

“Undulating” is a widely-used term to describe the nature of the circuit, as the ebbs, flows and banking create a rollercoaster-type feel. The twisty track is hard on the tires, so it’s likely safe to expect a multi-stop race — that’s if it stays dry. Precision is required as drivers navigate the technical track that is threaded through a sea of sand dunes, leaving little room for error. And as a beachside venue, sand and dirt will drift onto the track throughout the weekend, creating another obstacle for the drivers.

Key Specs
Circuit length: 4.259 km (2.646 miles)
Number of laps: 72
Race distance: 306.587 km (190.504 miles)
Lap record: 1:11.097 (Lewis Hamilton, 2021)
First world championship GP: 1952

Around the dunes

Circuit Zandvoort has a challenging, old-school vibe. Qualifying is a crucial session given the limited overtaking opportunities, and concentration is crucial as drivers navigate fewer long straights and the steep banking (some of which rivals that of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway).

The track originally was a mix of public roads and a permanent circuit, and the Dutch Automobile Racing Club had 1927 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Sammy Davis consult on the original layout. Like Silverstone in the United Kingdom, Zandvoort was part of the post-war motorsport wave. From 1952 to 1985, it became one of the most used circuits, though F1 raced at the track on and off. F1 legends including Juan Manuel Fangio, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Niki Lauda and Jackie Stewart have all won at this track. One of the most iconic moments came during the 1979 race, when Gilles Villeneuve completed a three-wheel lap.

F1 went on a 36-year hiatus from Zandvoort before the circuit returned to the calendar in 2021 (but the COVID-19 global pandemic delayed its planned 2020 return). The track has been modernized since its creation. The first half still uses the corners from the 1948 layout, but the second half (introduced in 1999) was remodeled.

 

 

The turns that define Zandvoort

Turn 1: Tarzan

This is one of the most famous corners at Zandvoort, due to its banking angle. The wide bend after the track’s main straight presents drivers with a rare overtaking opportunity.

Turn 2: Gerlach

The left bend is named in honor of Wim Gerlach, a Dutch driver who died following a wreck during a 1957 sports car race.

Turn 3: Hugenholtz

Hello, again, banking. Drivers take as high a line as possible through this long, sweeping left turn to create a maximum-speed slingshot. They’ll brake relatively late, looking like they will collide with the barriers atop the sequence, as they avoid an orthodox corner apex.

This corner was named in honor of Hans Hugenholtz, the track’s first director. He designed numerous circuits, including part of the Hockenheimring in Germany, as well as Japan’s Suzuka circuit, but he did not design Circuit Zandvoort.

Turn 5: Slotemaker

This is another portion of the track named after the death of a driver. Rob Slotemaker, a Dutch racer, died at this fast left-hand turn during a touring car race in 1979.

Turn 6-7: Scheivlak

According to the circuit’s website, this is “the turn where the heroes distinguish themselves from the regular drivers.” It starts at the top of a dune hill and slopes dramatically to the right, creating a rather fast challenge. Some changes were made during the 2020 track upgrade, including the addition of new FIA fences on the left-hand side; however, Scheivlak’s original shape remains.

Turns 11 and 12: Hans Ernst Bocht

This chicane provides another overtaking opportunity to drivers as they near the end of a lap, approaching it at high speeds after a short blast down a straight through the track’s first DRS zone, before braking to nail the right-hand element first.

This sequence was added in 1989 and originally was named Nissanbocht. However, in recent years, it has become known as Hans Ernst Chicane in honor of another former circuit director. The second portion of the chicane has been widened over the years, allowing different racing lines to be taken.

Final corner: Arie Luyendyk

This name may ring a bell for IndyCar fans — Arie Luyendyk is a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner (1990 and 1997). Turn 14 features banking nearly twice as steep as Indianapolis at 18 degrees (32%), but not nearly as strong as the likes of the original Monza layout. Drivers zip around the right-hander and exit into the long main straight (again with DRS).

Strategy calls

In the 2024 race, McLaren’s Lando Norris dominated. Circuit Zandvoort features many of the medium-speed corners, where McLaren remains the car to beat in F1 in 2025. Last year, Norris used a one-stop strategy as he comfortably beat home hero Verstappen — despite losing the lead initially at the start. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc held off Oscar Piastri’s charge in the other McLaren to secure third place.

As the title contenders in 2025, Piastri and Norris should again be the favorites, given that McLaren has made its car even stronger in those medium-speed corners. But Verstappen can never be counted out, as he is a three-time winner here.

F1 tire supplier Pirelli has, however, introduced softer tires this year, with its C2, C3, and C4 compounds used as the hard, medium, and soft compounds, respectively, compared to the C1, C2, and C3 range used in 2024. This could mean more strategic variety, as the softer rubber will be less durable on a track that ranks amongst the highest on the F1 calendar for tire stress overall, given the banking and dirty surface challenges.

But the weather could spring even more of a surprise, with much of the upcoming weekend predicted to be wet.

Circuit curiosities
The circuit fell into financial trouble and went bankrupt in 1987.
The first race at Zandvoort (before the F1 world championship days) was won by a royal — Thai Royal Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh (aka Prince Bira of Siam).
The most pole positions at Circuit Zandvoort is three, a record first established by Rene Arnoux that Max Verstappen has equaled.
Jim Clark still holds the most wins (four), but Verstappen isn’t far behind, sitting at three victories.
Ferrari is the winningest constructor at Circuit Zandvoort (eight wins).

(Lead image: ANP via Getty Images; Design: Drew Jordan)