Old Zandvoort Circuit – What’s left of the original track?

A photo tour around the old Zandvoort circuit, home of the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix. In this article I show you what’s left of the original race track. And I show you the places where the old Zandvoort circuit once was…

The old Zandvoort circuit as it was from 1948 to 1972.

The operational part of old Zandvoort

We start our lap at Start/Finish, which is still on the same site.
The famous Tarzan Corner comes in sight…
The Tarzan Corner seen from above.

The exit of the Tarzan Corner and the entry of the Gerlach Corner.
The Hugenholtz Corner seen from the pit building.
After the Hugenholtz Corner accelerating at the Hunserug…
A view at the Rob Slotemaker Corner, a “flat out” corner with a variable chicane (since 1999) mostly only used at track day’s for motorcycles, like today. The chicane is exact on the spot where Dutch racing driver Rob Slotemaker had his fatal accident in 1979.
Below the same part of the track in the 90’s, when it was abandoned. The Scheivlak Corner, one of the most challenging corners from old Zandvoort, here abandoned in the 1990’s. Since 1999 this corner is part of the track again!

The lost part of old Zandvoort

So far the old Zandvoort circuit survived. But here the new section turns right (photo below), where the old track went straight on (photo above)…

Hard braking here for the chicane called Marlboro Corner. Look at the little house with the red roof at the end of the barrier and keep it in mind. We will see that house again…

A view from the opposite direction at the new corner, seen from the site of the old Marlboro Corner.

See also: “Layout Zandvoort Circuit” for more information about the changes to the track.

The golf course

A view from the same site to the other direction. Now here’s a golf course, but until 1985 here was the circuit. And look next to the trees on the right, there is the little house with the red roof again!
Once upon a time here was a race track, now there holes!
The second kink of the Hondenvlak is still recognizable here!

Tunnel East

We enter the kink before Tunnel East. Below a picture from 1998 at the same site, when an abandoned part of the track was still there.
Here was the kink before Tunnel East. A corner with a sad memory, it was the site of two fatal accidents in Formula One in the seventies. Piers Courage in 1970 and Roger Williamson in 1973.
A view from Tunnel East to the Hondenvlak. Above in 1978 and below in 2008.


After the fast kink it goes to the tunnel…

But the de tunnel is gone!
Here was a tunnel underneath the circuit.

Public road

And here the track continued…

This part is now public road.
A little further than the parked cars was the beginning of the very fast right left combination “Bos In”, which is Dutch for into the woods. At the end of 1972 this corner was reconstructed to a chicane, the Panorama Corner. This site is now the beginning of a holiday resort (see picture below).

The resort

In the holiday resort is still a piece of the surface of the original circuit.

Here was the exit of the Bos In/Panorama Corner. Over the dunes to Bos Uit Corner…

At this top of the dune was the beginning of the long right hand corner, called “Bos Uit” (Dutch for out of the woods), leading to the long straight.

Remains of old Zandvoort

Untill 2019 there was a piece of Bos Uit Corner left at Paddock 3. However, with the works for the return of Formula 1, it was removed.
 
Look at the angle between the surface and the fence. Here you could recognize the banking of the corner!

In the old day’s this was the beginning of the 1050 metres long Start/Finish straight. This was the last piece of surface from old Zandvoort, which is now also gone!

And here’s the new part of the circuit connecting to the original part. But the straight is now a few hundred metres shorter. Since 2020, the banked version of the Arie Luyendijk Corner is now on this site.

Here ends our lap at old Zandvoort at Start/Finish.

See also: “The history of the Zandvoort Circuit“

© Text and photos: Herman Liesemeijer Photo 1978: Rob Soethoudt