If the royal races arrive in the Netherlands in the near future, then only on the track in Zandvoort. Two Dutch cities, Zandvoort and Assen, recently claimed a spot on the royal racing calendar for the 2020 season. At the same time, Zandvoort was able to conclude an exclusive agreement of intent with the management of the championship, the term of which ends this month.
Assen, who will host the MotoGP and DTM stages this season, was seen as a fallback in case Zandvoort could not find the necessary funding. However, the Dutch public council for sports, Nlsportraad, published an open letter to the country's parliament, the minister of sports and vice minister of economy, mayors of cities, the directorate of motor racing tracks and the provinces of Zandvoort and Assen, as well as the FOM. Based on negotiations with the circuit and with the FOM, the letter says that Assen is no longer viewed as a potential arena for the Formula 1 stage. Also, the letter contains a request to the government to help with the stage, although it had previously refused this. In a letter published on Monday, Sports Council Chairman Michael van Pragh and Secretary General Marietta van der Footh wrote: “Direct contact between Nlsportraad and the FOM manager in charge has resulted in Zandvoort being the only candidate able to host the Royal Races. in the Netherlands, thanks to its rich historical heritage and its proximity to major cities and airports.
The FOM said that the only possibility for Formula 1 to come to the Netherlands is that the economic feasibility of the stage in Zandvoort can be justified before the expiration of the contract. Last month, the government, as stated in the paragraph above, said it did not intend to provide financial guarantees for the Dutch Grand Prix.
The main problem of Zandvoort is a complete lack of finance, since non-local non-state budgets are not ready to include in items of expenditure in the modernization of infrastructure and pay a substantial fee for the arrival of the royal races. The letter to Nlsportraad also said that Zandvoort noted a very strong decline in interest from potential sponsors, after it became known that the country's government lacked financial enthusiasm. It is also reported that the sponsors strongly dislike the very fact of competition between Zandvoort and Assen, so Nlsportraad wants the government to support the stage in Zandvoort and that the necessary funds be found in the state budget.
The Grand Prix in the Netherlands has not been held since 1985.
