The first day of the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort went smoothly. The event, called Super Friday, revolved around the free practice sessions of Formula 1. A large part of the fans was able to purchase tickets for this day with a discount via retailer Jumbo. The supermarket chain has been a sponsor of Max Verstappen for many years and makes racing sport accessible to young and old in this way.

Furthermore, today the inflow and outflow of visitors appears to be manageable, many people came by train and bicycle to the CM.com circuit Zandvoort and the Dutch entertainment provided a festive atmosphere.

Verstappen enjoyed himself despite problems in first free practice
“It was not a great day in terms of results, because we lost a lot of time in the first free practice. We are going to analyse everything tonight so that we are more competitive in the third practice on Saturday. We can still make a lot of progress towards qualifying,” said Max, who noticed the large crowd present. “It’s only Friday, but the atmosphere here is already fantastic. It’s great to drive at Circuit Zandvoort anyway, especially with that orange sea along the track. It’s great that, thanks to Jumbo, tens of thousands of fans could be there on Friday. That is also enjoyable for me.”

Influx of fans
The second return of the Grand Prix to the Netherlands got off to a relaxed start on Friday morning with almost 95,000 visitors. A large part of the racing fans came by train. The Dutch railway company NS provided extra trains during the day to accommodate all visitors. Traveling by bicycle and coach was also popular.

The inflow and outflow of race visitors went smoothly and without significant incidents. This year, the Heineken Dutch Grand Prix is​​running at full capacity for the first time after the visitor restrictions due to COVID-19 last year. More than 300,000 race fans are expected over the entire weekend.

Ultimate racing experience
Also this edition, the Dutch GP has invested in entertainment for young and old to optimize the racing experience. Today Dutch artists Antoon, Emma Heesters, Mental Theo and, as a surprise act, Guus Meeuwis performed. There was much to experience for everyone in the so-called ‘fan zone’. This year visitors could also view the racing spectacle with general admission in the dunes for the first time, which provided unique viewpoints.

Local involvement and accessibility
Jan Lammers, sporting director: “We are very excited that everything went well today. Wonderful to see Zandvoort turning orange again and to immediately experience that festive feeling. It is also unique that Friday is so popular. It’s great that we can do this through the collaboration with Jumbo.” Lammers also recalled the residents’ day for 14,000 people that took place on September 1. “The local involvement is very high and we cannot do all this without the support of the people of Zandvoort”, Lammers says.

To further promote the accessibility of the event, various programs have been set up for vulnerable groups. For example, there is a ‘special care platform’ for people with disabilities in one of the best spots on the circuit and underprivileged and disabled children and refugees can also come to the event through the ‘Grid Kids’ program.