The first race since the renovation was held on Saturday at the renewed Circuit Zandvoort. After the four-hour race, which was held in the run-up to the Grand Prix of the Netherlands, most drivers still had no idea where to find the fastest line on the circuit.
The vast majority of riders who participated in the Final 4, the last race in the Winter Endurance Championship, have been running at Circuit Zandvoort for years. Although the character of the circuit has been retained – most of the bends have remained the same – many drivers struggled to keep their cars on track.
“It feels like a totally new circuit for everyone,” said Michael Bleekemolen, who participated in five Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends in the 1970s.
“The curbstones have changed and the guardrails and fences are in different places. Normally I know where to find the ideal line after four rounds on a new circuit. That didn’t work out here.”
The most discussed changes on the circuit are the Hugenholtz bend and the Arie Luyendijk bend. Both bends have been converted into side bends and go up diagonally. Cars can drive several lines here, so the number of overtaking options should increase.
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Tom Coronel had to get to know Circuit Zandvoort again. (Photo: Pro Shots)
“Catch-up options are definitely improved”
Tom Coronel was overflowing with enthusiasm when he got out of his car. “The catch-up options have certainly improved,” was his firm conclusion. “Where I sometimes had doubts about catching up, I now have the confidence to put my car right next to it in those turns.”
Coronel, who has been racing at Zandvoort for around 35 years, also needed time to get used to the circuit. “I know every bump, every pebble and I have scored every crash barrier. But I, too, just had to start again.”
“The fastest line in the Hugenholtz curve in particular is incredibly difficult to find. I drove about fifty laps, but I still don’t know which line is the fastest.”
Finding the fastest line will also be quite a challenge for Formula 1 drivers in the first weekend of May. The teams do not yet have the required data from Circuit Zandvoort that can be used to simulate the Grand Prix in the simulator. The drivers have four hours of free practice to explore the circuit prior to qualifying for the Grand Prix.
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In a major crash midway through the race, a Porsche ended up behind the crash barrier. (Photo: NU.nl/Patrick Moeke)
The crash occurred halfway through the race
The race was startled halfway through a huge crash by Huub van Eijndhoven. The Van Eindhoven Porsche crashed several times in the Hunzerug, the section after the Hugenholtz curve, and ended up behind the crash barrier. The driver remained intact, the car was badly damaged.
The safety measures around the circuit will be further tightened in the coming weeks. For example, different fences must still be placed around the track. The circuit must therefore meet the safety requirements of the FIA motorsport association in May.
“Circuit has become safer thanks to adjustments”
According to driver Sebastiaan Bleekemolen, Zandvoort has also improved its safety with the modifications to the asphalt. “Because of the many different cars it was today a race with many speed differences,” said Bleekemolen, who drove the same car with his father Michael.
“In the old Arie Luyendijk turn, that often led to dangerous situations, because drivers often wanted to put their car in between at the last minute. With the adjustments that have now been made, it is much easier to take the two side by side through the turn to go.”
The Grand Prix of the Netherlands will be held on 3 May. The first and second free practice are scheduled on May 1, while the qualification is held on May 2. The new Formula 1 season starts on March 15 with the first race in Melbourne, Australia.
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