The all-terrain vehicle among wheelchairs, that’s how you could call the vehicle on which Bastiaan Toorenent moves. The theater maker suffers from a nerve disorder, which causes his legs to fall out at unexpected moments. Thanks to the ‘balance wheel chair’ – a compact cart with fat tires – he can simply walk his two dogs on the loose sandy paths in the dunes behind his house.
Until three weeks ago, when suddenly there was a fence. The Kraansvlak, as the dune area behind Toorenent’s house is called, was no longer accessible. Reason: the Dutch Grand Prix, of which the second edition in this century will be held this weekend. The circuit is one kilometer away.
Toorenent leads the reporter through the dunes, on his balance wheelchair. After about 200 meters we come across the fences. “I understand that they want to prevent people from sneaking in on the weekend of the race, but why does the area have to be closed so long in advance?” Toorenent is not the only resident of his neighborhood who is upset about the cordoning off of this public area, he says. “I have spoken to several local residents, including Formula 1 fans, who wonder: what is this?”
Zandvoort is looking forward to the second Dutch Grand Prix. After last year’s successful edition – glorious weather, smooth organisation, victory by Max Verstappen – the self-confidence in the country’s oldest seaside resort is high. You see it immediately when you enter the village: the white-and-black checkered Grand Prix flag flies on countless facades.
“Phenomenal”, thought Peter Tromp last year’s edition. The chairman of the local entrepreneurs’ association and – until recently – manager of a cheese shop had “the worst weekend of the year”, he says in the storage room of his former shop. Since then, just like the other traders, he has ‘really reaped the benefits’ of all the international attention for Zandvoort. “I’ve never had such a good season since 1981.”
Put on the map
The return of Formula 1, says Tromp, “has put Zandvoort on the map in a fantastic way.” While residents and entrepreneurs were a bit hesitant last year, they are letting go of all reserves with this edition. Next weekend’s Grand Prix will be even bigger and busier than last year, when the organization had to cancel a third of the tickets plus the entire peripheral programming due to corona restrictions. From Thursday to Sunday (the day of the race), around 400,000 visitors are expected on the circuit alone. In the village there are stages with live music, a Ferris wheel and a go-kart track for children.
Adding to the local anticipation is that the conservationists are keeping a low profile this time around. Last year, five days before the race, summary proceedings were filed against the organization of the Dutch Grand Prix, about the nitrogen emissions during the event. This year, the Duinbehoud Foundation, one of the procedural parties, will not go to court, director Marc Janssen said. Instead, Duinbehoud is awaiting the appeal of two cases to the Council of State.
Zandvoort has collectively rallied behind the Grand Prix, it seems. The residents who have nothing to do with Formula 1 or would rather get rid of the crowds than be rich, strategically keep their mouths shut at the moment.
Basically against car racing
That does not apply to Bastiaan Toorenent. As a GroenLinkser, he is fundamentally opposed to car races: bad for the environment and nature. He also knows that in Zandvoort he is fairly alone in that opinion – and he wishes the other Zandvoort residents their party. He even understands that the local GL faction, for which he has been supporting work since last year, voted in favor of a municipal subsidy for the Grand Prix at the time. “The pressure was so high that if they voted against they would not have been able to get anything done in the council.”
What he does not understand is that apparently you cannot say out loud in Zandvoort that you are against Formula 1. After he posted pictures of the fences in the dunes on two private Zandvoort Facebook groups, he said he received numerous verbal abuse in the comments and in his mailbox – including “threats with a beating”. Still, he has no intention of keeping his mouth shut, Toorenent says. “I’m not concerned with what others think of what I say.”
What about the fences on the Kraansvlak? A spokesperson for the Zandvoort municipal council says that “many kilometers of fences will be placed in the dune area”, “and you can’t do that in a few days”. Organizer Dutch Grand Prix says that placing fences three weeks in advance is “not extremely early” “at such a mega event”. The fences, a spokesman said, are also “a signal” to people who would secretly want to sneak onto the track on race day. “They need to know they can’t go there.” Both the municipality and the Dutch Grand Prix find it “very annoying” if Zandvoorters experience nuisance from the fences.
A solution has been found for the latter. Bastiaan Toorenent takes the reporter to a clandestine opening in the fence. Thanks to a rebellious local resident and his toolbox, he says. The dog owners and other walkers from New North can still enter the dunes. “There is another opening further up the road,” says Toorenent as he slips through the gate in his wheelchair. “Wrench number seventeen.”
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of September 1, 2022