May 15th, 2019

May 15th, 2019

Formula One drivers, including Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo, have reacted with caution to news the Dutch Grand Prix will return to the calendar in 2020 after an absence of 35 years.

The historic Zandvoort circuit, 40 minutes from Amsterdam on the North Sea coast, was part of the world championship until 1985, when the company that ran the track ran into financial difficulty.

But taking advantage of the incredible support for Max Verstappen, F1 will return to Holland in 2020, possibly in the slot prior to Monaco that normally hosts the Spanish Grand Prix. Speculation was rife during last weekend’s race in Barcelona that the event will drop off the calendar after this year.

“It's significant, all you have to do is go to Austria and see the Verstappen village. The passion the Dutch have for him is great,” F1 chairman Chase Carey told Sky Sports.

“But I actually think the passion they have for the sport overall is important. He certainly adds a dimension to it, but there is a real passion for the sport in general here and it makes it incredibly attractive to be able to bring a race to Holland.”

Nelson Piquet leads the field during the 1984 Dutch Grand Prix. (AAP)

While the Zandvoort circuit has been praised by Formula One drivers as fun to drive, they’ve been quick to point out that it’s unlikely to produce an entertaining race, with passing options limited on the narrow track.

“I raced there in F3 and I remember it keeps your eyes open,” Ricciardo said.

“The track to drive on is pretty awesome. It is high-speed, it is old school.

“From a driving point of view it is fun. But how fast it is, and how narrow some places are, I don't think it would be that exciting for overtaking. Just my initial feeling, I think with the speeds we go now, following another car would be very difficult. So that is my reservation with it, I think it could be a very processional race.

“Otherwise the track is cool, but we will see. I'm a bit torn because to drive on it would be fun but to race on it would be ... with the width of the cars now, it is probably like a street circuit through some of the places, and then all high-speed through the middle ... we will see but I think it would be tricky to make an exciting race.”

World champion Lewis Hamilton was another to express doubts about the track.

“It was a great circuit when I last drove there. It was just hard to overtake on. I don't know if that's changed now or whether something will change,” he said.

The Dutch Grand Prix joins the Vietnam Grand Prix in Hanoi as confirmed additions for 2020. While the future of the Spanish race remains unclear, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Mexico also need to sign new contracts after this season.