Yesterday at 12:55
Lewis Hamilton has hailed Zandvoort as "one of the best circuits"
in the world, ahead of the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix. Zandvoort
returned to the F1 calendar in 2021 but will be axed after 2026,
with the venue having been given a Sprint weekend next year as a
farewell memento. The Dutch GP has not been a particularly strong
venue for the seven-time world champion in recent seasons, having
finished fourth in 2022, sixth in 2023 and eighth in 2024. His
best performance at the historic circuit situated in North Holland
came on the track's return to the calendar in 2021, where he
finished in second behind Max Verstappen. Zandvoort is one of the
most popular venues on the calendar for the drivers, due to the
staggering elevation change, banked corners and general
rollercoaster likeness. F1 will visit the venue in just over a
week, for F1's return from the summer break to kickstart the final
10 rounds of the campaign. "It's like an old house," Hamilton told
Viaplay . "It really has character. And how do you give a house
character? "The circuit has a lot of imperfections and the terrain
also has a lot of character. Many circuits were built on flat
surfaces, whereas this circuit was built when the technology for
that didn't exist. "It's an old circuit. There are a lot of bumps,
because of the ground and the hills. To me, that just creates one
of the best circuits. "And the fans are ... It's great to see the
fans there every year. They really make that race what it is, too."
