Summer break might be over, but racing resumes with a trip to the seaside this weekend. Zandvoort hosts the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, with this being the last trip to this iconic circuit for the foreseeable future.
Steeped in history, this racetrack has plenty of facts and fun stories behind the sand dunes that the town was named after.
This circuit has long been a part of racing history, with its first official appearance on the F1 World Championship calendar being in 1952. Since then it’s hosted 35 Grands Prix, and made a return to the schedule back in 2021 after a 36-year absence.
Part of the comeback campaign to bring Zandvoort back to modern F1 was the doing of Prince Bernhard Lucas Emmanuel of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven, who was a joint shareholder of the Zandvoort circuit until only recently. Yep, that’s right, a member of the Dutch royal family, who is also a racing driver too!
The royal links don’t stop there as when the circuit was first opened in 1948, Prince Bira of Siam won the Zandvort Grand Prix that year. The member of the Thai royal family was an avid racing driver but also enjoyed sailing and flying, and was good at it too. He started 19 Formula 1 Grand Prix, including the very first Formula 1 World Championship event at Silverstone in 1950, and is one of only two Thai drivers to have raced in F1 – the other being Alexander Albon.
Upon my first visit to Zandvoort, I had one objective: find myself a Stroopwafel. These delicious Dutch snacks are made from thin sweet waffles and stuck together with a caramel-rich syrup and served warm. They’re such a hit with the paddock, there’s previously been a Stroopwafel bar serving them all weekend, as well as someone on a bike that delivers them to guests and drivers.
The waffles are made from sweet buttery dough, then squished in an iron press to cook and whilst still warm carefully cut into two. The stroop syrup is added with hints of butter, cinnamon and vanilla, and the sooner it’s consumed the better, but they are still delicious cold.
Nobody has a definitive answer on who invented the Stroopwafel, but the first were made in the city of Gouda, the same place the cheese originated from with Bakery Kamphuisen claiming to have been making them since 1810.
One of the best corners for overtaking at this track is Turn 1, Tarzanbocht or abbreviated to Tarzan. Rumour has it that this corner was named after a man, nicknamed Tarzan, who had to sacrifice his vegetable garden for the construction of the circuit, and only let them build over it if they named the area after him!
Mercedes have only won once here as a constructor, when Juan Manuel Fangio took his Silver Arrow to the top step of the podium in 1955. However, our non-executive chairman Niki Lauda won here three times during his time in Formula 1, including for his last Grand Prix victory.
Niki took his 25th and last win at the 1985 Dutch Grand Prix, as the triple World Champion started in 10th and battled his team-mate Alain Prost for the win in the final stages of the race. At the time it equalled Jim Clark’s victory total and placed him just two off Jackie Stewart’s record.
Excuse the terrible pun, but the banking at Hugenholtzbocht is the steepest on the current F1 calendar at 18-degrees. Named after the circuit designer, Jon Hugenholtz, who is also the genius behind Suzuka, the corner is unique and lets drivers take a high or low line to try and make a move on their competition.
The steepest banking ever seen in Formula 1 was AVUS in Germany, which was 43 degrees at its steepest and only hosted one championship event in 1959. Looking at photos, it’s easy to see why as the circuit and its banking is pure madness.
Of course, a notable mention must also go to Monza and the old banking that still exists for fans to explore today which was 38 degrees at its steepest!