FROM ZANDVOORT, TO THE WORLD

As a boy from Zandvoort, I grew up with the sound of racing cars in my backyard. I raced here myself. I watched Formula 1 come and go. And decades later, I had the privilege of experiencing the journey from its historic return to this final lap from up close.

When we started working towards bringing Formula 1 back to Zandvoort, plenty of people thought we were crazy.
A Formula 1 race in Zandvoort? In this day and age? On that small circuit between the dunes and the North Sea?

But in 2021, there we were.
And so were you.

Hundreds of thousands of fans. A sea of orange. From the first train arriving in the morning until long after the final car had crossed the finish line. What happened here became bigger than even we could have imagined. Zandvoort became more than a race.

It became an image seen around the world. Orange grandstands. The dunes. The sea. The anticipation whenever Max took to the track. But above all, a crowd that showed the world just how powerful the love for motorsport can be.

Drivers and teams from around the world spoke about the atmosphere at Zandvoort. Not because we told them it was special, but because they could feel it themselves.
You made that happen.

After six editions, our Dutch Grand Prix now reaches its final lap. That feels strange. Because when something becomes this special, you want to hold on to it. But perhaps, more than anything, this is a moment to realise what happened here.

A small country brought one of the biggest sporting events in the world back to a place where many thought it could no longer be done. Almost two million visitors later, we know otherwise. It could be done.

Because so many people believed in it. Because thousands of people worked to make it happen. And because year after year, you came back. Now, the Dutch Grand Prix comes to an end.

But what was created here over the past six years will not disappear when the final chequered flag falls. The images will remain. The stories will remain.

And somewhere between the dunes and the sea, the sound of those Formula 1 cars and the roar of all of you who joined us will continue to echo for a long time to come.

To everyone who travelled to Zandvoort.
To everyone who watched from around the world.

To F1, the drivers, teams, partners, media and everyone who became part of our story:

Thank you for sharing this ride with us.
Cherish the memories.

And enjoy our final lap.
On behalf of the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix,

Jan Lammers
Sporting Director, proud Zandvoorter, former F1 driver and, above all, a racing fan.