Attending an F1 race weekend has become a must in recent years amid the championship’s popularity boom - and the Dutch GP is no different.
The 2024 Dutch GP is set to take place on the 23-25 August, where fans will no doubt be treated to a uniquely vibrant atmosphere which will leave them wanting to return.
This is of course helped by the brilliant racing which usually takes place, as 2023 saw a manic start where heavy rain began falling on lap one forcing cars to pit at the end of the tour.
But the Dutch weather proved unpredictable all afternoon, as conditions became dry again during the 11th lap before rain returned for the final 10 tours.
It was the local hero Max Verstappen who coped best with the ever-changing conditions, as he claimed victory to match Sebastian Vettel’s then-record of nine consecutive wins.
The Red Bull driver only finished 3.7s ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso though, while Pierre Gasly claimed a shock podium for Alpine in third despite starting 12th.
If the 2024 season is anything to go by, then that unpredictability should be even greater at this year’s Dutch GP considering there have been seven different winners in the opening 13 races.
Each grand prix has so far been an absolute thriller, so here is why you should attend the Dutch GP which still has tickets available via Gootickets.
The close competition in 2024
What looked set to be a season dominated by Verstappen, who won a record-breaking 19 of 22 grands prix in 2023, is now one where four teams are all fighting for a win and that is exactly what the fans want.
Ferrari claimed victory in Melbourne and Monaco, McLaren in Miami and Budapest, while Mercedes won at both Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring. Verstappen, who has seven victories, was also pushed hard for many of his wins as the triple world champion beat Lando Norris by just 0.7s at Imola while the two drivers were separated by 2.2s when the Red Bull driver won in Barcelona.
There has also been a lot of drama: the Norris/Verstappen friendship was tested when they collided battling for the lead in Austria, Norris reluctantly let McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri claim the lead with two laps left in Hungary, which was the same race that Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton tangled once again.
So, not only is it now at the point where F1 is heading into weekends with it unclear who the favourite for victory actually is, but there is much drama happening which adds more spice to the action and the Dutch GP should be no different.
Max Verstappen may make history in 2024
Verstappen made history in front of his home crowd last year and he may do it again in 2024 should he win the Dutch GP.
If he does, that’ll be a fourth consecutive victory at Zandvoort which would put Verstappen level with Jim Clark for the most Dutch GP wins. The double world champion did it across a five-year spell in the 1960s when the event was also held at Zandvoort.
Verstappen has simply loved having the Dutch GP back on the calendar and drivers have struggled to match his excellence, so fans may witness yet another record for him should they attend this year’s race.
A wide variety of great grandstands to watch the racing from
Zandvoort offers a wide variety of grandstands to watch the action from. The most famous is the pit grandstand, which is situated by the start/finish straight and is often decked in orange while fans dance to the pre-race music acts.
But there are other great places to watch the racing too, as there are the arena grandstands in the final sector which offer a view of the uniquely banked final corner if sat in the right seat.
That area of grandstands is also known to provide a loud atmosphere because there are so many all tightly packed together so it is like its own stadium.
Wide range of tickets available
The grandstands are a great place to watch the racing, but there are still so many more ways to get closer to the action. Anybody with a ticket for the Dutch GP can also attend the Pit Lane Walk on Thursday afternoon that is available for either £84.10p or £168.20p, which is the upgraded hospitality experience.
Those with a Hospitality Pit Lane Walk ticket receive complimentary food and drink, as well as access to the corporate lounge for the ultimate experience. It offers fans the opportunity to watch teams prepare for the weekend, while spectators can also visit the pit gantries, the workspaces of race engineers or check out the safety car.
Hospitality tickets are also available for the racing and one popular package is the Race Home experience. With live music, an open bar and delicious Dutch delicacies, it’s like watching the F1 from one’s local pub with plenty of fans gathering in high spirits.
Hospitality tickets are available from £315.82p via Gootickets, while the cheapest grandstand ticket is for Friday practice at £71.59p.
The different kinds of racing makes it great value for money
A great benefit of attending the Dutch GP is its value for money, because a ticket treats fans to so much more than just F1. This year, Porsche Supercup and F1 Academy will serve as support events for the Dutch GP with both championships delivering excitement in 2024.
Alpine junior Abbi Pulling has emerged as a rising star this season, as the 21-year-old will head to Zandvoort leading the F1 Academy standings by 66 points having scored four victories and two runner-up finishes in the six races so far.
But Mercedes academy driver Doriane Pin, who also competes in the World Endurance Championship, has not given up hope just yet and the second-placed driver will need a big points-scoring weekend in the Netherlands. Having claimed a victory in Jeddah and two podiums in Miami, the pre-season championship favourite has shown she is capable of taking the fight to Pulling - so will she do just that at Zandvoort?
It is very tight at the top of the Porsche Supercup standings meanwhile, as championship leader Larry ten Voorde is just 10 points ahead of Harry King and the Dutchman is chasing his third Supercup crown.
So there will be a lot of racing at Zandvoort and the different championships all have so much still to play for.
The best grand prix for a party
The Dutch GP provides one of the best atmospheres of the year, with the celebrations occurring across the weekend. This starts with ‘Super Friday’, which features driver Q&A sessions before first practice and, when on-track action is done for the day, fans are treated to the Full Throttle Trackshow which is a musical entertainment show including dance acts.
In 2024, there will also be a concert featuring dance music from Dutch Hour, rock from DI-RECT and a set from DJ Armin Van Buuren.
The pre-race grid, meanwhile, is next level as it’s a huge party featuring a DJ to keep fans entertained with ‘Super Max’ being a popular song choice in honour of its world champion.
Last year also witnessed Dutch violinist Andre Rieu perform an exhilarating version of the Second Waltz, before DJ La Fuente finished the set by providing a house music style twist on the song - a genre that is popular in the Netherlands.
That atmosphere then carries right through the grand prix with pyrotechnics being set off along the pitstraight as the winner crosses the line.
Zandvoort has the feel of a true old-school circuit
Many street circuits have been added to the F1 calendar in recent years, as part of the championship's desire to hit urban areas. But Zandvoort is a reminder of how good the old tracks can be with its fast corners, several elevation changes and lack of runoff areas, meaning drivers are instantly punished for going off.
Perhaps the most famous part of the circuit is the challenging final corner, which is banked at 18 degrees. The bend is taken flat out and is an incredibly important part of the lap because the right exit can set a car up perfectly for the next tour - there are simply no other corners like it in F1.
So, Zandvoort is one of the most exhilarating circuits to drive on the calendar, but also one of the most historic given the track first opened in 1948 - two years before F1 even began. For any racing fan, visiting Zandvoort is an absolute must.
Zandvoort is very easily accessible
There are several reasons to visit Zandvoort, and its location is one of them. Firstly, it’s a coastal town so fans can also relax on the popular Zandvoort beach and when the sun is out, there is nothing better.
Secondly, something to consider when attending a grand prix is how close the circuit is to a nearby city. A train from Amsterdam-Centraal to Zandvoort lasts for just 30 minutes, making the town very accessible for many travellers. It also provides the opportunity for fans to go sightseeing in the capital, so those at the Dutch GP can see much more of the Netherlands than just the track.
Lastly, the circuit is only 16.3 miles from Amsterdam airport so once in the Netherlands, fans will not have to travel far. But the country itself is very accessible given its location in Europe, where a flight from London Heathrow only lasts for 1h15m while those in Barcelona can arrive in Amsterdam in approximately two hours.
The Dutch GP takes place during the school summer holiday
The Dutch GP is also a very family-friendly trip given the 2024 race will take place during the school summer holiday. This gives parents the opportunity to take their children for what should be a very memorable family holiday, where kids can watch the racing, partake in watersports on the beach or visit major Dutch cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam or The Hague when not at the track.
Lack of traffic entering the circuit
Many grands prix are plagued by huge traffic jams entering the circuit, yet that is not a problem at Zandvoort. In typical Dutch fashion, over 45,000 fans cycled to the venue in 2023 with the rest using trains or buses due to the closure of public roads - so traffic jams are very minimal.
This means fans shouldn’t have any problems entering the circuit while leaving should also be pretty straightforward. There is also the added benefit of it being better for the environment, which is in line with F1’s target to be net-zero by 2030.
And the only way to experience all of this is to visit the race yourself. Tickets are selling fast for one of the most electric grand prix of the year, so confirm your visit by clicking here.
