Politicians 'listening' to Dutch GP money problems

Aug.24 (GMM) Dutch politicians are finally “listening” to warnings that the country could lose its Formula 1 race after 2025.

Zandvoort director Robert van Overdijk has been sounding the alarm for weeks that, at present, race promoters do not feel comfortable entering another agreement with Liberty Media.

“The interest is still very high,” he said on Friday. “The grand prix will remain great fun for at least two more editions. And then we will see what happens next.”

Van Overdijk clarified that he is not in dispute with Formula 1 itself.

“Let me just make one thing clear,” he said. “I think I can say that because Stefano Domenicali himself has already said something about it. We were not named promoter of the year for nothing. So the choice is ours.

“It is not the case that FOM still has to make a choice, that is clear.”

So what’s the problem? Money, pure and simple, van Overdijk explained.

“Sometimes it is good to put it very simply,” he said. “Three years ago we took a huge financial risk. The cost estimate is now around 75 million euros for a weekend event. Is it ok to seek a bit of comfort before you sign again?”

The Dutch GP is one of very few on the current race calendar that receives no government funding.

“We are not asking the government for anything, let that be clear,” van Overdijk insisted. “We have shown in recent years that we can perfectly stand on our own two feet.

“Incidentally, I am now finding a listening ear among party leaders, and this is the first time. That may sound very strange if you have been organising the largest event in the Netherlands for a number of years, but we did not have that with the previous cabinet.

“This cabinet is listening. That does not mean anything and we are not asking for it either. But it is quite nice that a number of party leaders are showing their faces this weekend,” he concluded.

F1 CEO Domenicali declared at Zandvoort that a new rotation scheme, where two European hosts annually alternate a single calendar spot, could rescue the Dutch GP.

“It is no secret that we are looking at different options for the future,” he told De Telegraaf.

“It could be that this race will continue to exist annually, depending on how the local organisation assesses that. Or maybe they think it is more interesting to rotate with another circuit? We are also looking at that,” the Italian added.

“The goal is to have an agreement before the end of the year. I am convinced that this place has a future. They deserve that because they have been an example for many other grand prix organisers, and we won’t forget that.

“The ball is more in Zandvoort’s court than ours,” Domenicali concluded.