Aug.25 (GMM) With Formula 1 now gone from Zandvoort, Jos Verstappen has revived an old joke about the future of the Dutch circuit.
“I wonder if it’s going to be old junk here again soon,” Verstappen senior grinned to NOS during the final Dutch GP weekend.
The remark referred back to his much harsher verdict in 2014, when a 16-year-old Max Verstappen was racing Formula 3 at the circuit.
“What a load of old junk,” he said then. “This is faded glory.”
“Formula 1 has no business being here.”
Six modern and popular Dutch GPs later, sporting director Jan Lammers says Max was the reason F1 returned at all.
“Without Max, we would never have witnessed the return of the Dutch Grand Prix,” he said.
But Lammers still refuses to call the goodbye permanent.
“This Grand Prix could shoot back out of the pilot light at any moment.”
Circuit director Robert van Overdijk is equally relaxed about life after F1.
“We have a permit for 330 days a year, and 300 of them are filled by default.”
“The future of the circuit has never looked so bright. “Even without a Grand Prix.”