Zandvoort’s refurbishments ahead of Formula 1’s return to its dunes in 2020 won’t include replacing its gravel traps with run-off areas.
The Netherlands’ historical F1 venue is already preparing itself for next year’s Dutch Grand Prix and has planned several adjustments around its layout to accommodate Grand Prix racing’s demands.
However, the circuit’s upgrades won’t be handled by Hermann Tilke, the sport’s resident architect, but entrusted to Italian company Dromo Circuit Design.
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“Our job is to upgrade the circuit to the required Formula 1 standards,” said Dromo’s boss Jarno Zafelli.
“Together with Zandvoort, the FIA, FOM and the drivers, we are now fully involved in the process to see how we can best adjust the track.
“Some changes will be visible, some will not. It’s about details. The main goal is to keep the circuit as a classic circuit. I’m really not going to destroy the structure and heritage of Zandvoort.”
One aspect Zandvoort will retain is the presence of its gravel tracks which have been preferred to the installation of forgiving asphalt run-off areas.
“We are keeping the gravel,” Zaffelli told RaceFans. “This was one of the requests from all the parties.
“FOM requested it because of the heritage of the track. The track [owners] asked for it. And as you know we are more than happy to have gravel instead of asphalt if we think that it is not necessary.”
Zafelli underlined the unique characteristics of Zandvoort’s gravel traps which in many cases incline upward towards the barriers, a topography that should naturally hamper an F1 car’s speed in the event of an off-track excursion.
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“We start the work in November,” said the Italian. “We’re planning to finish the work by March.
“So there is plenty of time to do what we need to do on-track and all the rest. We are not concerned about the delivery, only about the weather.”
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