Officials at Circuit Zandvoort were forced to release a statement clearing up some ‘fake news’ about damage to the track. It is due to host the Dutch Grand Prix on the final weekend of August, the penultimate race until it leaves the calendar in 2027. However, a period of heavy rainfall in the local area sparked concern that it may not be ready in time.
A storm battered the northern coast of the Netherlands on Monday, with reports of 50 centimetres falling at the start of the week. Streets in the centre of the town of Zandvoort were flooded, forcing the fire department and police to pump the excess water. Concerns were raised about the state of the circuit after a worrying image was posted on social media.
It showed a huge channel of water flowing through a gravel trap and across the circuit, near the iconic banked turn in the final sector. However, organisers were quick to issue a statement explaining that no lasting damage had been caused.
On Instagram, they said: “Yesterday’s heavy rain sparked some fake news about damage to the circuit. Early this morning our team inspected the entire layout and found no damage, no delays.
“The surface is dry, clean, and 100 per cent race-ready. In fact, since this morning the F1 Academy has been out on track for their scheduled practice sessions without any issues. All sessions are running exactly as planned.”
The weather did prevent a group of local students from using the circuit on Monday. A team from the Delft University of Technology was supposed to be testing a hydrogen-powered car on the track, but were unable to do so.
Renzo Bootsma, one of the students, told NH News: “Our car runs on hydrogen, but it can’t handle that much water. It’s a shame because we were supposed to do our first longer test drive tonight.”
Meanwhile, it was reported by RacingNews365 that Tuesday’s running was delayed by 25 minutes to allow for additional sweeping to clear the circuit. The end of the session was extended by the same length of time to make up for the late start.
There is nothing to suggest that next month’s Dutch Grand Prix will be affected by the rain that has fallen at Zandvoort this week.
Back in December, it was confirmed that organisers had signed a new contract until 2026. They decided against extending it any further, citing their desire for the event to end on a positive note.
Robert van Overdijk, director of the Dutch Grand Prix, said: “We are a privately owned and operated business and we must balance the opportunities presented by continuing to host the event against other risks and responsibilities.
“We have decided to go out on a high with two more incredible Dutch Grands Prix in 2025 and 2026. We wanted to take this step while our event is adored and supported by passionate fans, residents and the Formula One community.”
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