Preparations for the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix are being ramped up after the “fantastic” news that it can go ahead with a capacity crowd. The event in Zandvoort was set to return to the calendar in the 2020 Formula 1 season, but eventually it was not possible as the race was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Instead, the long-awaited return was pushed back to September in 2021, but for the first half of the year, there were still question marks over whether it would take place.
That’s because the circuit made it clear that, if full grandstands weren’t possible, they would cancel the race.
They have now had confirmation that fans will indeed be able to intend, with no limits on numbers or social distancing measures being implemented.
“It is great news that events such as festivals and concerts will soon be possible again thanks to the hard work of Fieldlab Events,” the Netherlands’ State Secretary, Mona Keijzer. We now use the insights gained by the Fieldlab organization to adjust the roadmap. If you have been vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from corona, you can go to a festival or concert as before.” – he added.
Robert van Overdijk, the circuit director, says that for the past year, even without confirmation, Zandvoort have been preparing for a race attended by fans, so not a huge amount will change in that regard.
That being said, he does admit that it’s “fantastic” to now know for sure that they can continue with those preparations, for the circuit, the sport and the events industry as a whole.
“Of course it is good news that everything is allowed again after June 30, certainly for the entire event sector. However, nothing changes in the way people work towards the weekend from 3 to 5 September. We have always said that our preparations were based on a full house and we have never stopped. We have said from the start that an event at one and a half meters is not possible at all. We have never prepared for any other scenario and having already confirmed this will apply to all events after June 30 is fantastic news for the entire industry. It is another confirmation that we can continue with those preparations.” – he concluded.
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