Zandvoort to replace Barcleona in 2020?

[Drew106]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/143079/zandvoort...

Interesting. I've not been the biggest fan of the Barcelona race, but I think I'd feel a little sad to lose it. Might not have the best racing, but it's an amazing facility.

[chunder27]

This will be forced through simply coz of the Verstappen factor, even if the track is maybe not the best. They will find the money to make it right, thought it will probably ruin the place!!

[37chevy]

This race will be crap. Hardly any straights, lots of fast corners and a really narrow track. It was great for F1 back in the day but I suspect it will be a procession. I can see why they’re doing it but the long circuit at Assen might have been a better choice

[HustleRussell]

I wonder if this means for testing. If they keep testing at Barcelona or Jerez that'd remove the 'boring race because everybody's done thousands of kms in testing' issue. However a move to Bahrain has long been mooted due to warmer drier weather in February (which'd probably make the Bahrain race more predictable).

chunder27 said:

This will be forced through simply coz of the Verstappen factor, even if the track is maybe not the best. They will find the money to make it right, thought it will probably ruin the place!!

Have you been round Zandvoort? It's an exciting circuit with big elevation changes and cambers everywhere. I only hope they can achieve the necessary safety standards without sanitising it.

[RB Will]

I know F1 used to go there but I think a modern car would be too fast. Nowhere to overtake even with DRS. Not sure there is the infrastructure required to host either? Not many hotels and facilities etc.

I've only been there for Dutch Time Attack stuff so nothing like the crowds of F1 but it seemed a pretty small quiet seaside town that just happened to have an ace track on the end.

[37chevy]

Can anyone explain where F1 cars will overtake? Great circuit but not for modern F1 cars

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DEC1lYtXEJQ

This would have been a better proposition, but still don’t think it would create great racing

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qkiSVJV8ET0&t=28...

[The Surveyor]

I visited Zandvoort back in 2010, it's going to need a massive investment in both the track and facilities to get it ready for the modern F1 circus IMHO



It felt like a clubmans track compared to Spa and Monza

[FourWheelDrift]

They are both terrible for F1. Only places to overtake are into T1, but at least Zandvoort has a reasonably long straight before it, just like Barcelona.

[chunder27]

My issue with the track is not one of layout, it is a great track layout wise, more of modern F1q and their obsession with safety, I fear if F1 goes there, the track will have to be mullered for safety.

Much like Assen was in 2002 for MotoGP, totally ruined. Still good, but not a patch on the original.

[thegreenhell]

Max already has his home race at Spa, and it's not far for all the cloggys to travel. Zandvoort is too small for modern F1. Lap times will be not much more than one minute.

[Mark-C]

Third GP (and first outside of UK) I ever went to was Zandvoort in '81 and been a few times since for various events. Hard to see them being ready for next year and hard to see how they won't ruin it making it ready for modern F1 cars.

[RB Will]

thegreenhell said:

Lap times will be not much more than one minute.

If I’m remembering right Max did a demo run there in an old Red Bull and I think did a 1.19 so probably 1.10-15 a lap on a race weekend. So similar, slightly longer than Austria.
I just can’t see any overtaking if using the current layout

[StevieBee]

I've always though of Zandvoort as the Dutch Brands Hatch. Great circuits. Were once great for F1 but the spirit of both would likely be broken to make them suitable for F1 today.

[Drive Blind]

Do the F1 organiser not just do this every few years to keep the established circuits like silverstone, monza and now barcelona on their toes?

[chunder27]

You have to counter in the Verstappen factor, f1 venues like having a local driver, and especially the Dutch as no matter what the guy does, good or bad they get giddy about him.

Look at Silverstone, woeful dump of a venue, hugely expensive but the sheep doll it oout every year incessantly.

Zandvoort will be an immense money spinner

[MikeyC]

37chevy said:

This race will be crap. Hardly any straights, lots of fast corners and a really narrow track. It was great for F1 back in the day but I suspect it will be a procession. I can see why they’re doing it but the long circuit at Assen might have been a better choice

I watched the Euro F3 race from the track yesterday (on Youtube) and it was a procession, no overtakes that I can recall, can't think F1 will be any different.

Regarding the track width, it's actually wider than I originally thought.
Run-off - or lack of them - will be an issue for F1

[Teddy Lop]

37chevy said:

This race will be crap. Hardly any straights, lots of fast corners and a really narrow track. It was great for F1 back in the day but I suspect it will be a procession. I can see why they’re doing it but the long circuit at Assen might have been a better choice

the mention of F1 at assen was touted last year, the motorbike fraternity pretty much had a full on spaz attack at the idea of the track being sanitised to F1 standard. Can't really blame them TBF.

[chunder27]

Assen would surely not be long enough, it was shortened awfully for no real reason other than commercial 15 years ago. and although still a great track any more softening would make it worse.

Zandvoort has history, and a great layout, bit short obviously but no worse than Austria.

[Ian974]

As good as zandvoort is, I'd agree that the layout probably isn't great for modern F1 cars.

However with regards to lack of runoff, while it does seem like the case I'm trying to think how that tallys up with the newer street circuits.

Other than a few escape roads, they seem to have zero room for error, yet any fixed circuit needs acres of runoff.

[Bullitt Five-Oh]

Ian974 said:

Other than a few escape roads, they seem to have zero room for error, yet any fixed circuit needs acres of runoff.

It is ironic isn't it. They killed the final section leading onto the front straight in Barcelona because there's not enough run off when Baku consists mostly of such fast sections with 0 run off.