Zandvoort admits Dutch GP could disappear after 2025

Jun.17 (GMM) Zandvoort boss Robert van Overdijk admits a cloud hangs over the future of the highly-popular Dutch GP.

Recent reports suggest the event might have to alternate a single annual calendar spot with the Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps.

“We know that FOM wants to move towards a situation with fewer races in Europe and may start working with a rotation schedule from 2025,” van Overdijk told Dutch media.

“But we don’t know what that will look like,” he added.

“It is certainly not self-evident that we will remain on the calendar every year after 2025, although that is of course our ambition.”

Complicating the situation even further for the Dutch GP organisers is that local authorities are set to impose a EUR 900,000 tax on the event to cover associated costs.

“We do not agree,” van Overdijk said, “because we think we bring a lot of money in with this event and the municipality can live on that for years to come.

“But if it’s introduced, we’ll have to swallow it.”

As for F1’s idea about a sort of ‘Benelux GP’ rotating between Zandvoort and Spa each year, van Overdijk suggests the ball is very much in Formula 1’s court.

“What happens after 2025 is not for us but for FOM to determine,” he insisted.

“We have not yet had any discussions about this, because FOM has not yet decided. Many contracts with circuits expire in 2025 and FOM will have to figure out how many races they still want in Europe.”