F1 boss sets Dutch Grand Prix extension deadline with possible absence raised

F1 president Stefano Domenicali said he wants the future of the Dutch Grand Prix to be sorted by the end of the year with Zandvoort only having a deal until next season.

The sport has been keen to hand out long contracts to a number of venues in order to bring some stability but Zandvoort is one that could face the chopping block with the idea of rotation among some of the European races raised.

Dutch Grand Prix vulnerable to European race rotation

Zandvoort, thanks to the popularity of Max Verstappen, returned to the schedule in 2021 but its current deal includes just this year’s race and next season’s.

Keen to sort the long term future of the sport, F1 president Domenicali said he hopes for a resolution by the end of 2024.

“It will be no secret that we are looking at different options regarding the future,” he told De Telegraaf .

“It may be that this race will continue annually, depending on how the local organisation assesses it.

“Or maybe here they think it would be more interesting to rotate with another circuit. We are also looking at that. The goal is to have reached an agreement before the end of the year. I am convinced that this place has a future. They deserve that here.

“That’s why I say two options and not three,” he added before highlighting that is up to the organisers to ultimately choose a path and work from there: “Right now the ball is mainly in Zandvoort’s court rather than ours. There is certainly no deal yet, but I think we can continue to grow together.”

The Dutch Grand Prix is one of the best attended races with a large support coming for Verstappen from the local Dutch fans. It is also one of the most sustainable with the town mostly closed off to cars and 45,000 bikes to rent.

More on F1’s venues

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Speaking to select media in Zandvoort, F1’s head of environmental, social, and governance Ellen Jones told PlanetF1.com that sustainability was crucial to any circuit staying on the calendar.

“So when I first started in this role in January 2022, our promoters were the key stakeholder,” she said. “We said ‘let’s put in a new way of working. Let’s align, first and foremost, on our contractual requirements in terms of sustainability, but also in terms of our processes and how we work with our counterparts at each and every promoter.’

“So from a process perspective, it’s actually probably our most advanced when you talk about sustainability at events because what we have is six key metrics that we work across from fan, travel, carbon footprint, local community, plastic and waste. And with each of those, we have guidance and ladders that the promoters have to achieve.”

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