Circuit Zandvoort 🇳🇱

·August 7, 1948

What: Circuit Zandvoort
Location: Zandvoort, North Holland, Netherlands
Opened: 7 August 1948
Circuit Type: Permanent road course
Current Grand Prix Layout: 4.259 km (2.646 miles)
Corners: 14
Primary Events: F1 Dutch Grand Prix, DTM, GT World Challenge Europe, historic racing and national motorsport events

OVERVIEW

Circuit Zandvoort is one of Europe’s most distinctive traditional racing circuits. Located among the sand dunes immediately behind the North Sea coast west of Amsterdam, the circuit combines elevation changes, fast corners, narrow sections and limited runoff with the variable wind and track conditions created by its coastal setting.

Opened in 1948, Zandvoort became the principal home of the Dutch Grand Prix and hosted Formula One World Championship races from 1952 through 1985. Following extensive redevelopment, Formula One returned to the circuit in 2021. The modern configuration retains much of Zandvoort’s historic character while incorporating heavily banked versions of the Hugenholtzbocht and Arie Luyendykbocht.

HISTORY

Motor racing at Zandvoort dates to the late 1930s, when the Dutch coastal resort began staging races on temporary street courses. Mayor Henri van Alphen promoted the idea of a permanent racing circuit as a means of attracting visitors to the town, although World War II delayed its construction.

The permanent circuit opened on 7 August 1948 with an international race won by Prince Bira of Siam. The original approximately 4.2-kilometer course used the natural landscape of the dunes, producing the elevation changes and flowing character that would become defining features of Zandvoort.

Formula One arrived in 1952, when Alberto Ascari won the first World Championship Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort for Ferrari. The circuit remained a regular, though occasionally interrupted, part of the Formula One calendar through 1985.

Zandvoort subsequently underwent substantial changes, including a shortened layout following redevelopment of portions of the original property. A longer Grand Prix circuit opened in 1999, restoring much of the character of the historic course.

Ahead of Formula One’s planned return in 2020, the circuit underwent another major renovation. Most significantly, Hugenholtzbocht and the final Arie Luyendykbocht were reconstructed with banking of approximately 32 degrees. The postponed Dutch Grand Prix finally returned in 2021.

AUDI AT ZANDVOORT

DTM

Zandvoort became one of Audi’s most successful circuits during the modern DTM era.

Beginning with Mattias Ekström’s victory in the Abt-Audi TT-R in 2002, Audi accumulated 11 DTM victories at Zandvoort through the final manufacturer-era event there in 2018.

Audi’s DTM victories at Zandvoort:

2002 – Mattias Ekström – Abt-Audi TT-R
2004 – Mattias Ekström – Audi A4 DTM
2006 – Tom Kristensen – Audi A4 DTM
2007 – Martin Tomczyk – Audi A4 DTM
2008 – Mattias Ekström – Audi A4 DTM
2011 – Mike Rockenfeller – Audi A4 DTM
2012 – Edoardo Mortara – Audi A5 DTM
2014 – Mattias Ekström – Audi RS 5 DTM
2016 – Jamie Green – Audi RS 5 DTM
2017 – Mike Rockenfeller – Audi RS 5 DTM
2018 – René Rast – Audi RS 5 DTM

Mattias Ekström was particularly successful at the Dutch circuit, winning four times with three generations of Audi DTM machinery: the TT-R, A4 DTM and RS 5 DTM.

Zandvoort also played an important role in Audi’s championship history. In 2013, Mike Rockenfeller finished second at the circuit in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM, securing the DTM drivers’ championship with one race remaining. The result gave Audi its ninth DTM drivers’ title and fifth in seven seasons.

René Rast

Zandvoort also occupies a notable place in René Rast’s Audi career.

In July 2016, Rast was called upon at short notice to replace Adrien Tambay for Audi Sport Team Rosberg at Zandvoort. With virtually no preparation, the experienced Audi GT driver made his DTM debut at the circuit. His performance helped lead to another substitute appearance at Hockenheim later that year and ultimately a full-time Audi DTM drive for 2017.

Rast won the championship as a rookie in 2017 and returned to Zandvoort in 2018 to score Audi’s final DTM victory at the circuit during the manufacturer era.

Audi Sport TT Cup

Zandvoort was also a venue for the Audi Sport TT Cup, Audi’s one-make junior racing series based around the Audi TT cup.

The championship raced on the North Sea circuit during its 2015–2017 existence, supporting the DTM and providing developing drivers with experience on one of Europe’s more demanding traditional circuits.

GT & Customer Racing

Zandvoort has remained part of Audi Sport’s customer racing history through GT competition.

Audi R8 LMS customer teams have competed at the circuit in championships including GT World Challenge Europe and its predecessors, while Audi’s GT3, GT4 and touring-car customer programs have brought additional R8 LMS and RS 3 LMS machinery to the circuit.

That connection continued after the end of Audi’s factory DTM program. In 2025, for example, Audi R8 LMS customer teams recorded class victories during the GT World Challenge Europe weekend at Zandvoort.

Formula One

Beginning in 2026, Zandvoort became part of Audi’s Formula One history with the arrival of the Audi Revolut F1 Team.

The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix therefore represents another chapter in a relationship between Audi motorsport and Zandvoort stretching back more than two decades of DTM, one-make and customer racing competition.

SIGNIFICANCE TO AUDI

One of Audi’s most successful circuits during the modern DTM era.
Site of 11 Audi DTM victories between 2002 and 2018.
Mattias Ekström won four times at Zandvoort in Audi DTM machinery.
Site where Mike Rockenfeller secured the 2013 DTM drivers’ championship for Audi.
Site of René Rast’s unexpected DTM debut in 2016, an appearance that helped lead to his full-time Audi DTM career.
René Rast scored Audi’s final manufacturer-era DTM victory at Zandvoort in 2018.
Regular venue for the Audi Sport TT Cup.
Long-running venue for Audi R8 LMS and other Audi Sport customer racing programs.
Formula One venue for the Audi Revolut F1 Team beginning in 2026.

CIRCUIT DETAILS

Country: Netherlands
Location: Zandvoort, North Holland
Opened: 7 August 1948
Current Layout Length: 4.259 km (2.646 miles)
Turns: 14
Direction: Clockwise
Setting: Coastal sand dunes adjacent to the North Sea

Notable Corners:

Tarzanbocht
Gerlachbocht
Hugenholtzbocht
Hunserug
Rob Slotemakerbocht
Scheivlak
Mastersbocht
Audi S
Kumhobocht
Arie Luyendykbocht

The Hugenholtzbocht and Arie Luyendykbocht feature banking approaching 32 degrees, making the current Zandvoort layout unusual among modern Formula One circuits.

MAJOR EVENTS

Formula One Dutch Grand Prix
DTM
GT World Challenge Europe
Audi Sport TT Cup
ADAC GT Masters
Historic Grand Prix
National Dutch racing championships

AUDI TIMELINE AT ZANDVOORT

1948 – Circuit Zandvoort opens with its first international race on 7 August.
1952 – Zandvoort hosts its first Formula One World Championship Dutch Grand Prix.
2002 – Mattias Ekström gives the Abt-Audi TT-R its first DTM victory at Zandvoort.
2004 – Ekström wins with the factory Audi A4 DTM.
2006 – Tom Kristensen wins for Audi in DTM at Zandvoort.
2007 – Martin Tomczyk scores another Audi A4 DTM victory.
2008 – Ekström takes his third Audi victory at the circuit.
2011 – Mike Rockenfeller wins with the Audi A4 DTM.
2012 – Edoardo Mortara leads an Audi 1-2-3 with the Audi A5 DTM.
2013 – Mike Rockenfeller finishes second in the Audi RS 5 DTM and secures the DTM drivers’ championship with one race remaining.
2014 – Mattias Ekström scores his fourth Audi DTM victory at Zandvoort, this time with the RS 5 DTM.
2015–2017 – Zandvoort hosts rounds of the Audi Sport TT Cup.
2016 – Jamie Green wins for Audi; René Rast makes his unexpected DTM debut with Audi Sport Team Rosberg.
2017 – Mike Rockenfeller wins the Sunday DTM race for Audi.
2018 – René Rast wins the Sunday race, giving Audi its 11th DTM victory at Zandvoort.
2021 – Formula One returns to the reconstructed circuit.
2026 – Audi Revolut F1 Team competes at Zandvoort during Audi’s inaugural Formula One season.