Zandvoort is ready to receive around 305,000 visitors for the F1 weekend

The municipality of Zandvoort has said they are well prepared for the hundreds of thousands of racing fans visiting the village next week. The municipality expects around 305,000 total visitors over the weekend, with some having multi-day passes. "Zandvoort is ready," said Zandvoort alderman Jan-Jaap de Kloet, who is responsible for policy regarding F1.

Over a week before the Formula 1 starts, the village is already decorated in a racing style, with black and white checkered flags in the streets and pillars explaining the rules and routes for the race weekend. A kart track has also been constructed on the boulevard, and orange can be seen in many shop windows in support of Dutch driver Max Verstappen, who is going for his fourth victory in Zandvoort in a row.

Although it is the fourth time the F1 is in Zandvoort, according to Mayor David Moolenburgh, it has not become a routine job. "We facilitate the event, and a lot is announced far in advance, but at the same time, there are always small things that need sorting. For example, a part of the walking route is different because there is construction on one of the streets. Now, there will be a footbridge in another place."

Food and drink establishments must close at 1 a.m. on racing days, and supermarkets and liquor stores are not allowed to sell alcohol after 3 p.m. "We noticed that there was a lot of nuisance from people who were buying alcohol," said Moolenburgh. "We put a stop to that last year. And that gave us more peace and quiet at the end of the day and in the evenings." Around 110,000 people are expected to be present in the area every day over the weekend.

There will be another Grand Prix on the circuit in Zandvoort in 2025, but it is unclear whether this will be the case a year later. The organization of the Dutch Grand Prix is still in discussions with the commercial management of Formula 1 (FOM). The municipality said that they very much hope that Zandvoort remains on the F1 calendar.

"A weekend like this generates a lot of money for Zandvoort," said Moolenburgh. "And it really does something for the pride and the feeling of togetherness. You see that the village really carries this event. It would be a shame for that to go away. But at the same time, that is not up to us, but primarily up to the organization of the Dutch Grand Prix." He added that the people of Zandvoort facilitate the event with joy and are proud that the race happens in the village.

"We are in a row with Austin, Miami, Las Vegas, and Abu Dhabi," De Kloet said about the importance of the race for Zandvoort. According to the alderman, the transport of the crowds around the F1 circus in Zandvoort is also unique. "Around 98 percent of the visitors come by public transport or bicycle, which is unique in the Grand Prix world."

The hecticness is also felt by the hotels in Zandvoort. "I estimate that between 90 and 95 percent of the hotels are fully booked," said Tom van der Veen, the partnership Hotel Consultation Zandvoort chair. According to Van der Veen, there are more last-minute bookings this year, mainly because tickets for the Dutch Grand Prix are still available in other countries.

Hotels in Zandvoort were also fully booked in the last three editions of the race. Van der Veen estimates that hotel room prices will increase one and a half to two times during the weekend. "That's a lot, but the days before and after we run at 50 percent occupancy, and it's much quieter," says Van der Veen, who runs Hotel Keur in Zandvoort.