Wessel has one of the most beautiful spots along the Formula 1 circuit in Zandvoort this weekend. De Bosschenaar works there as a cook and his tent is located right at the start and finish place. So he can watch the Formula 1 races this weekend from the front row, work permitting.
“We’ve been here for six weeks now,” Wessel says early on Friday morning. “We cook for all the people who work here on the site. In the first weeks it was about 150 people a day and that increases to two thousand people a day during this so-called show weekend. Formula 1 Marshals to the thousand volunteers.”
“I’ve been following Formula 1 since I came here last year.”
“We really cook grandma’s pot,” says Wessel. “A lot of vegetables and meat, but also Asian and Italian. Every day something different, healthy and nutritious.”
He works for the Venlo company Crewfood. This is used at many events to provide food for all employees. “We go to a lot of places, ranging from the Invictus Games to the Volleyball World Cup. We mainly do a lot of sporting events.”
He sees working along the Formula 1 circuit as one of the absolute highlights. Until a year ago, he was not very fond of motorsport. “But since I came here last year and watched the whole circus pass by and watched the game from the paddock up close, I’ve started following it.”
“We have about 45 minutes to watch the game.”
At half past one on Friday afternoon, the first free practice session for the Formula 1 racers will take place on the circuit in Zandvoort. Before that, the free practice sessions in Formula 3 and Formula 2 were already on the program. But Formula 1 logically attracts the most attention. “140,000 people come here this Friday alone,” Wessel knows. “It’s gigantic!”
The third free practice session will take place on Saturday afternoon at 12 noon and the qualifying race at 3 p.m. The Grand Prix is next on the program on Sunday afternoon at three o’clock. With all the busy work, Wessel doesn’t have a lot of time to watch all those races. “But on the moment supreme Sunday afternoon, of course, everyone wants to see everything. Then there is little to eat, so then we have about 45 minutes to an hour to see the game, from the start. However, half an hour before the game is over, we have to quickly run back to our tents to get going again.”
“Days averaging twelve to fourteen hours a day.”
Whether Max Verstappen will triumph again in Zandvoort, he will not be able to see live along the course. No, I didn’t experience that last year and I certainly won’t experience that this year. But luckily we can also follow everything on TV.”
The Bossche cook makes long days. “Days of an average of twelve to fourteen hours a day, but it is a lot of fun. Sebastian Vettel just passed by! We also work with a very nice team, everyone goes through fire for each other. We eat together and we sleep together. We spend the night in different Center Parcs houses on an accommodation next to the circuit, so we are on each other’s lips for 24 hours, but we make sure that we also have a party ourselves.”
