Situated on the sand dunes, which overlooks the North Sea, the Zandvoort circuit is tight, twisty and challenging. A wave of orange, in support of Max Verstappen, is seen, and challenges are of a plenty.
It can get crowded, such are the physical constraints that sand dunes can throw up, and it can often look like a suitable place for a links golf course, as much as a masterpiece of a motorsport circuit.
But because of the track’s tightness, overtaking is a challenge. So, if you are deliberating where to sit for this weekend’s race, and you want to see the best possible action, here are the ideal places to sit.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
‘Tarzan’
The long-radius first turn, Tarzanbocht, follows the DRS zone of the start/finish straight, which is where last year’s race-winning overtake occurred. That day, Lando Norris’ McLaren breezed by Max Verstappen’s Red Bull to seize the advantage, having lost it at the start.
Norris makes his move, takes the lead... and never looked back 💪#F1 #DutchGP pic.twitter.com/8eQNr2fRhJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 25, 2024
But what makes this turn such an intriguing place to watch a Formula 1 race is that it is not a typical braking zone, leading to a short-radius turn. Cambered and long-radius, it invites overtaking, particularly if the attacker has all the momentum.
You also see many overtakes made around the outside of this corner, meaning that divebomb overtakes are not customary.
But it also means that these battles can often continue all the way to the banked Hugenholzbocht turn, although spectator viewing is more limited there.
Hans Ernst Bocht
This complex is situated in the stadium section, which begins the third sector. After the other of Zandvoort’s DRS zones, the right turn is immediately followed by a longer-radius left turn.
The gravel to your left, and the barriers awaiting on the right, ensures the tightness of this section of track. And in 2023, it was too close for Charles Leclerc’s comfort when his race unravelled at this turn, after he picked up what would be terminal damage to his Ferrari.
Although overtaking can be tricky, and moves are often made before the complex, wheel-to-wheel action here is possible. Particularly on lap one of the grand prix.
And as drivers struggle to maintain tyre grip and temperature, towards the circuit’s final few turns, quicker drivers will choose here to pounce, rather than wait all the way until the start/finish straight.
This is not to say that overtaking, come Sunday, will only transpire here. The 4.259-kilometre-long track is made up of 14 turns. But if you want to best-guarantee some wheel-to-wheel viewing, keep those turns in mind.