Today is day three of the Dutch Grand Prix. Race fans flock to Circuit Zandvoort again for the race. But there is much more to do. Follow all the news about the spectacle in this live blog.
Due to the heavy rain, a break has been inserted. It remains to be seen when the game will resume.
It comes pouring out of the air in Zandvoort and the track is extremely slippery. Will this bring about change or will Max stay in the lead? 10 rounds to go.
After the American Sargeant had retired, Leclerc also had bad luck with his car, which meant that he also had to leave the race. Max Verstappen is still in first place with the fastest time so far. 24 more rounds.
Verstappen’s lead is getting bigger and bigger. 38 laps to go in Zandvoort.
The race has finally started with Verstappen on pole position. Will he do it again?
André Rieu and his Johan Strauss Orchestra just played the Dutch national anthem. Hopefully it will sound again later after the race: then Max Verstappen will have won the Dutch Grand Prix for the third year in a row.
The young Dutchman, just like his colleagues, watched the party in the pit lane and in the stands. It’s still dry. The engineers of the Formula 1 teams also keep a close eye on the weather radar. “It does hang nearby,” says Verstappen, “But it can also go just along the circuit.”
Ten more minutes and then the spectacle finally begins.
Another half hour and then the Dutch Grand Prix starts. At the moment, the VIPs are walking through the pit lane, where the twenty Formula 1 cars are already lined up. King Willem-Alexander also reported in the pits. “To the top”, he praised the organization of the Grand Prix. “This is the Netherlands at its very best. All those people who came by public transport or bicycle. An example for the whole world.”
Queen Maxima with a big smile: “Yes, my husband is a big fan.” When asked whether people always look at home, the answer is very honest: “I’m afraid so.”
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and the princesses Amalia and Alexia have arrived at Circuit Zandvoort. Darts player Michael van Gerwen, martial artist Rico Verhoeven and Ajax player Steven Bergwijn are also present. Another 45 minutes and then the Dutch Grand Prix will start.
No fewer than 50,000 people took the train to Zandvoort today. That is a record, says a spokesperson: “Never before have so many people traveled by train to the Grand Prix in Zandvoort.”
The NS had expected to transport 40,000 to 45,000 race fans to Zandvoort on Sunday, but that has become more. Due to the predicted bad weather, more people may have taken the train. At the moment there is a faint sun shining above the circuit.
André Rieu skipped the drivers’ parade at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands on Sunday. With his Johan Strauss Orchestra, the violinist concentrates on the Wilhelmus, which he will perform together with DJ La Fuente. That happens at 2.45 pm. The Formula 1 race in Zandvoort starts at 3 p.m. There is no official reason for the cancellation, but it may have to do with the rainy weather. The drivers’ parade, in which the drivers are driven around the circuit on a flat cart, did continue. Some riders carried an umbrella.
The twenty Formula 1 drivers are currently presenting themselves to the public during the Drivers Parade. Because bad weather has been predicted, André Rieu’s planned performance has been canceled from the program. That was just announced on the circuit.
German Haas driver Niko Hulkenberg addressed the packed grandstands in Dutch. His partner is Dutch, so he has a good command of the language. The race starts at 3 p.m.
The Dutchman Loek Hartog won the feature race in the Porsche Supercup this afternoon. At the ceremony, the 20-year-old driver was therefore on the highest step and the Wilhelmus sounded. It is to be hoped for the Dutch public that the national anthem will be heard at least twice this afternoon: before the start of the race and afterwards. That means that Max Verstappen has won the race.
In the meantime, the big question is whether the Formula 1 drivers and the public will keep it dry. Forecasts say most showers will fall before 3pm, but the chance of rain during the race is still around 60 percent.
The Formula 2 feature race was won by France’s Clément Novalak. He finished ahead of Zane Maloney from Barbados and American Jak Crawford. Dutchman Richard Verschoor started fourteenth, but managed to fight well forward. Just not good enough for the podium: the 22-year-old Van Amersfoort Racing driver finished the race in fourth place. The sprint race was canceled yesterday because of the rain, this morning the entire race distance could be ridden.
Bus operator Connexxion has already brought more than 2,000 passengers to the Dutch Grand Prix this morning between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Because it can rain heavily, more people take the bus, a spokesperson thinks. Yesterday about 7,000 people were driven to Zandvoort, today there are about the same number, it is expected. The atmosphere in the buses is cozy and atmospheric: “It’s really nice, there’s a good mood. Everyone likes to have a party.”
Mayor David Moolenburgh of Zandvoort looks back with satisfaction on the second day of the Dutch Grand Prix, yesterday. “It was a beautiful day, with rain, but it seemed that people were not much bothered by it. There were still 10,000 people in the center last night. There were some arrests, but those were minor things. Very clear.”
“The organization of the Dutch Grand Prix can be satisfied with the visitor flows. That is going well,” continues the mayor. “Last night the weather was fine. Not too hot, so people get worked up. That also contributed a lot to the atmosphere.”
Moolenburgh is also satisfied with the measure to curb alcohol sales. For example, no alcohol may be sold by supermarkets from 3 p.m. Emergency services saw that there were a lot fewer people on the street with cans or bottles of alcohol.
On the second day of the Dutch Grand Prix, five people were arrested on Saturday. Two people were caught on a stolen moped, one was arrested for shoplifting, another for public intoxication, the last for threat, Mayor of Zandvoort David Moolenburgh just informed me. Fifteen people were also fined for urinating in public.
The mayor looks back on a successful second day. “It was busy, cozy but under control,” says Moolenburgh. After qualifying, 10,000 people remained in the village, many had gathered in and around the Haltestraat near the station. There are several cafes and restaurants in that street.
On the first day of the Dutch Grand Prix, two people were arrested for public drunkenness and rowdy behavior.
Around 9:00 this morning, about 10,000 people had already arrived in Zandvoort by train. A spokesman for the NS says that it is now getting busy on the train. “The atmosphere is good everywhere. There is a healthy competition tension.”
Most people who go to the Grand Prix by train have yet to come “At a certain point, just like the past few days, you will get queues at Amsterdam Central or Haarlem.” The waiting time can be up to 25 minutes between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., the spokesperson expects.
Anyone who goes to the circuit in Zandvoort today would again do well to bring a poncho. But will we also get a rain race? According to NH weatherman Jan Visser, there is a chance, but most rain falls in the course of the morning. It can also storm quite a bit. Some hail may also fall locally.
The KNMI has declared code yellow. This applies to North Holland until about 3 p.m., when the race should start. The afternoon temperature will be 19 to 20 degrees.
The Dutch Grand Prix starts this afternoon at 3 p.m. The finish is expected just under two hours later. But of course there is more on the program on the Zandvoort asphalt.
The feature race in Formula 2 starts at 10 a.m. The sprint race was halted yesterday due to heavy rain. In the end, the race was not resumed. The second race of the Porsche Supercup will then start at 11.55 am.
Welcome to the live blog of the third and final day of the Dutch Grand Prix. We will keep you informed of all developments regarding the Formula 1 race at Circuit Zandvoort. Max Verstappen will start the race this afternoon at 3 p.m. from pole position. Will the Dutchman win for the third year in a row?
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