Zandvoort has “still a lot of work to be done” for 2020 Grand Prix
- Bevan Youl
Dutch Grand Prix boss Jan Lammers has said that Zadvoort “still has a lot of work to be done” for when it hosts Formula 1 next May with revisions of infrastructure and environmental issues.
It was announced in March that the Dutch GP would be returning to the F1 calendar for the first time since 1985 at Zandvoort, located near the North Sea coastline for the beginning of May.
But with its return changes needed to be made for the circuit to be FIA approved as well as from local authorities but Lammers is convinced that the work will be complete.
Lammers said to Motorsport.com: "There is still a lot of work to be done, but we are working hard on that.
"And just like Max [Verstappen] doesn't wonder if he can handle a grand prix, we think we can handle all the work. So I think we're going to surprise a lot of people with the actual event next year.
"At the end of September you will see a lot of action here already. And at the beginning of October this will continue, so before we set up the Christmas tree a lot of work has already been done.
"All the plans are ready and from an architectural point of view it is something that our partners can easily carry out with their expertise. So next year at this time there will be a beautiful circuit here."
Lammers knows the framework that has been set by the FIA for their approval and plans for the Dutch GP to “become the most sustainable” on the calendar.
"The FIA has yet to give its formal approval. But of course the FOM has a lot of experience with the FIA,” he added.
“So if they approve it and then submit it to the FIA, you can assume that the rest is a formality. We know the framework set by the FIA."
"I think it is going very well, we are satisfied with the way things are going. Everything that happens at the moment still falls within the framework of the controllable.
“Of course, you can't know everything in advance, but we try to be as prepared as possible.
"And sometimes if you have a disability, it leads to creativity. For example, we have a disability with our access roads, but that leads to creativity.
“So our goal is to become the most sustainable grand prix of the calendar [with a plan to get people to the circuit by bike].
"Having said that, we are of course dealing with a municipality, province and government that are confronted with a grand prix they haven't hosted for the last 35 years.
“So everyone is confronted with challenges and has to get used to it again.”