Jeroen Bleekemolen was taken aback by the news of the Dutch GP’s cancellation. On one hand, he is disappointed that the Grand Prix will not be rotating with other races, but on the other hand, he understands the decision. “I think it’s a logical reasoning,” he says.
“I personally would have preferred it if the Grand Prix had rotated with other races,” begins Bleekemolen. “They probably thought the risk was too high if they continued in this manner. It’s such a difficult task to make this event financially viable without government support. You have to sell it out, otherwise it just costs money. Additionally, you can’t be one hundred percent certain about Max Verstappen’s future in Formula 1.”
With only two editions of the Dutch GP remaining, a form of scarcity is naturally created. Will this work in favor of ticket sales? “Absolutely, I think the current plan on the table is very beneficial for the organization. You know what’s going to happen and the final edition will also include the added sprint race. This makes for an extra exciting final Grand Prix. The ticket sales for these two editions will now get a boost, that’s certain. If you had signed on for five more years, the 2025 edition might not have even been full. So, in that sense, I think this is a logical reasoning.
Pride and Accomplishment
While there are still two editions to look forward to, Bleekemolen already extends his compliments to the organizers of the Dutch GP. “They should really be proud of what they have achieved. When I think back to the moment we heard that Formula 1 might come to Zandvoort, we exclaimed: ‘They must be crazy, that’s impossible!’ But seeing how they pulled it off… Hats off to them! Securing the Grand Prix, taking the financial risk, and then executing it in this manner. It’s truly incredible, they’ve done such a great job. We’re definitely going to miss it.”
Finally, a brief look into the future. Zandvoort will stop hosting after 2026, but could the circuit in Assen be a candidate to organize the Dutch Formula 1 race afterwards? “Why not? Assen was also in the running to bring the Grand Prix to the Netherlands. They have a strong base of business partners at the circuit, albeit from a different part of the country. I think there is interest from several parties, but Zandvoort shows how difficult it is. However, they have been hosting the TT for a long time and are used to the numbers, so I don’t think it’s impossible.”
