Promoter of the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, Jans Lammers, has said there is still a hopeful future despite losing around €10m (£8.5m/$11.9m) in ticket refunds.
Sunday’s grand prix at Circuit Zandvoort saw a sea of orange cheer on Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen as he took his seventh win out of 13 this season.
However, it could have been an ocean of orange but the Dutch government had told promoters that attendance for the event was to be capped at two-thirds of capacity.
This resulted in promoters having to refund around 30,000 tickets as they could no longer attend the event at Zandvoort.
Lammers said: “We haven’t added up all the numbers yet but, our course, some Friday afternoon a couple of weeks ago we just had to say goodbye to like ten million-plus euros. Because by that time, you’ve already had 100% of your costs and then you can’t accommodate one-third of your people.
“So that was a hard blow. And we do this without one single euro of Government support. We’re very proud of that but we weren’t happy at that moment.”
Almost 65,000 fans were able to attend the Dutch Grand Prix, with Lammers explaining that the loss is substantial but the promoter should be able to take the hit.
“There’s a very sound business structure behind it so we can take a bit of beating,” he said. “This shouldn’t go on for two or three years, then it becomes too [hard], but there’s no risk, no danger, so we’re fine.”
The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort was due to return to the F1 calendar last year, but was postponed and eventually cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s grand prix is the first race to be held in the Netherlands since 1985.
Lammers added: “This is an events that stands for at least another five years. We have three-plus-two exclusive agreement so if there’s going to be races in Holland, it’s going to be in Zandvoort.”
Image: José Pablo Domínguez on Unsplash
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