Formula 1 to Return to Zandvoort Starting Next Year

The Dutch Grand Prix returns to FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Formula 1 Group announced recently.

Starting next year, 2020, the agreement signed by Formula 1 and Dutch Grand Prix--a partnership formed by SportVibes, TIG Sports, and the Circuit Zandvoort--will run for at least three years.

Zandvoort Circuit will be rebuilt soon through the help of its own town council and a few other partners.

Furthermore, Heineken, one of the longstanding Global Partners of Formula 1, will be the Title Sponsor of the event in 2020.

According to the FIA website, the track and the infrastucture will be modified to meet the standards "in order to host a Formula 1 World Championship event."

The hosting will be the 31st Dutch Grand Prix that count as a round of the World Championship.

The first race was first held in 1952 and the last occurred in 1985. The return will be dubbed as 'Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2020'.

Chase Carey, chairman and chief executive officer, Formula 1 Group, said that they are pleased on the return of Formula 1 at the Zandvoort track.

"From the beginning of our tenure in Formula 1, we said we wanted to race in new venues, while also respecting the sport's historic roots in Europe. Next season therefore, we will have a brand new street race that will be held in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, as well the return to Zandvoort, after an absence of 35 years; a track that has contributed to the popularity of the sport all over the world. In recent years, we've seen a resurgence of interest in Formula 1 in Holland, mainly due to the enthusiastic support for the talented Max Verstappen, as seen from the sea of orange at so many races. No doubt this will be the dominant colour in the Zandvoort grandstands next year," Carey was quoted in the FIA report.

Meanwhile, FIA president Jean Todt shared Carey’s sentiments.

"I am pleased to see that Zandvoort will be part of the proposed calendar for the 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship, and thankful for the hard work of Formula 1 to bring the sport back to the Netherlands. It is a circuit with a long and impressive history of competition and is a great challenge for drivers, and with the popularity of Max Verstappen I’m sure there will be a huge number of fans in attendance," he said.

"There is now a lot of preparation needed to bring the circuit up to the required safety standards to host a Formula 1 race, and we will work towards this together with Formula 1, KNAF--the Dutch ASN--and the circuit ororganization Todt added.