Lammers: We cannot compete with the Saudis

The Dutch Grand Prix returned to the championship calendar in 2021 and has been a success ever since. The Max Verstappen Factor ensures a full house and the organizers of the Dutch round get creative with the cultural program, so that the race weekend in Zandvoort takes place in the atmosphere of a real holiday. This is not only seen and appreciated by the fans, but also by the leadership of Formula 1.

But the contract for this Grand Prix expires in 2025 and further prospects are not yet visible.

According to Jan Lammers, former Formula 1 driver and winner of the 24 hours of Le Mans and current sporting director of the Grand Prix of the Netherlands, there is no guarantee that the contract with Formula One Management (FOM) will be extended. In the first place, this has economic reasons: in terms of budget, it is difficult for Dutch promoters to compete, for example, with the countries in the Middle East, which are willing to pay almost any money for the right to organize races. .

“FOM knows what they want, but we also know what we want. If you look at countries like Saudi Arabia, which signs a ten-year contract to organize the Grand Prix and pays 900 million euros for it, we cannot compete with it,” Lammers admitted in an interview with Viaplay. – But the decision depends on the FOM.

However, now we are fully focused on the upcoming weekend and will continue to organize and run our Grand Prix for a while. It is still too early to say what will happen after 2025.”

The promoters of the Dutch World Championship really have nothing to worry about in the near future: firstly, while Verstappen is winning races and titles, the stands in Zandvoort will invariably be filled with his compatriots, and secondly, Formula 1 president Stefano Domenicali believes that the Dutch Grand Prix – an example of excellent organization of the race weekend, which should be led by the rest.

“I would like to congratulate the Dutch promoters for doing an excellent job of adding fresh air to the European atmosphere,” London newspaper The Mirror quoted Domenicali. “Although Zandvoort has a short track and the circuit infrastructure was a bit old, they were able to take a new approach and organize everything incredibly well.

Here you feel both the passion of the fans and the support of the local community, there is a complete order with the entertainment program, and all this is buzzing with energy. It demonstrates the level of passion that all promoters should aspire to.”