The promoters of the Dutch Grand Prix have confirmed the race will not go ahead this year.
The race was originally scheduled to take place on May 3rd but was called off due to the pandemic. The organisers previously hoped to find a place for it on the revised 2020 F1 calendar, but have now conceded this will not happen.“We were completely ready for this first race and we still are,” said the race’s sports director, former F1 driver Jan Lammers. “An unbelievable achievement has been made thanks to all the fans, the companies and the governments involved.”
This year’s race would have been the first time F1 had raced the Netherlands since 1985. The organisers say the impossibility of holding a race with fans present has led to their decision to postpone it.
“We and Formula 1 have investigated the potential to hold a rescheduled race this year without spectators, but we would like to celebrate this moment, the return of Formula 1 in Zandvoort, together with our racing fans in the Netherlands,” said Lammers. “We ask everyone to be patient.
“I had to look forward to it for 35 years, so I can wait another year.”
Ticketholders for the 2020 race will be given the option of attending next year or requesting a refund.
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MacLeod (@macleod)
28th May 2020, 9:05
Just heard it on the radio a bit dissapointing but ii will be super next year then i hope.
DAllein (@)
28th May 2020, 9:29
Good riddance I say!
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
28th May 2020, 9:44
Least surprising news of the day
armando
28th May 2020, 9:48
money is first come on, so what why not this year drive on this legendary track, without people , f1 calendar 2020????? france our holland our monaco ut melburn out. sungapore and texas also out,,, ok put hockheneim and imola and estoril in calendar
GtisBetter (@)
28th May 2020, 10:22
Actually money did not come first. They wanted the return of F1 to be a big festive event and rather wait another year to do it big with fans and celebrate it properly.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th May 2020, 11:07
@armando Singapore and Texas not yet, although the former is highly likely to lose out for this year and Canada even more so mainly due to its narrow climatic-window.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
28th May 2020, 13:40
@armando Cash is king but necessity is emperor. If the Dutch promoter can’t justify the race without fans (given it’s there primarily for international tourism – not exactly most Europeans’ summer 2020 spending priority), then necessity prevents it from holding the race.
Similar concerns will affect whether other races run or not. Liberty is trying to get as full a schedule as possible, but is necessarily limited by shifting situations.
anon
28th May 2020, 13:56
armando, because of the challenges in reconciling holding a race whilst abiding by the ban that the Netherlands has on major public events until the 1st September (with the race seemingly not getting an exemption from the restrictions that have been imposed on public events, even with closed doors). The Netherlands has also extended their travel ban until at least the 15th June, further reducing the possible window within which you could possibly hold a race.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th May 2020, 11:08
Unsurprising. Fully expected as this had already been highly likely to happen for a little while.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
28th May 2020, 11:11
For a lot of tracks racing without fans hardly makes sense. They get majority of income to cover race expenses from the fans aswell.
George O'Donnell (@georgeod)
28th May 2020, 13:39
If the 2020 Dutch Grand Prix has been postponed to 2021, then when will the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix take place?
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
28th May 2020, 13:41
@georgeod 2022, and so on and so forth. This will most likely result in affected venues having their contractual obligations extended by a year (possibly excepting Brazil, if that falls to COVID-19, due to its contract being a strange freebie one).
Invisiblekid (@invisiblekid)
28th May 2020, 14:15
Not surprised.
Having such celebratory race with it’s home driver without fans is not the way to have your first race for over 3 decades.
I’m happy to watch any race without fans, but this one deserves more.
KaIIe (@kaiie)
28th May 2020, 14:31
Not sure how the fans have made the unbelievable achievement possible, were they hired for working on the track changes or what?
In all seriousness, highly expected news. Waiting to see what are the next races to cancel.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th May 2020, 18:29
@kaiie Concerning the potential next races to get called off: Singapore has seemed to be the most likely one recently, although I don’t have high hopes for Baku either for similar reasons due to being a temporary circuit, especially if they would also show unwillingness towards a race without spectators. The late-season North American duo, as well as, Brazil are also quite shaky at present.
Fre0n
30th May 2020, 2:21
We paid for it. Taxes… sadly
carbon_fibre (@carbon_fibre)
28th May 2020, 17:15
What’s the consensous on double races? Could they still happen? The season is approaching.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th May 2020, 18:29
@carbon_fibre Red Bull Ring and Silverstone are still set for that approach.