F1 chiefs in race against time to fix Circuit Zandvoort for Dutch Grand Prix after storm

Heavy rain battered the Netherlands on Monday, flooding the Circuit Zandvoort, where next month’s Dutch Grand Prix will take place.

A storm caused flooding in the coastal town, with reports of 50 centimetres falling at the start of the week. Streets in the centre of the town have been flooded, with the fire department and police forced to pump the excess water.

Local reports said the town’s water reservoir was full, meaning the reservoir by the Circuit Zandvoort was used as a back-up.

An alarming picture was then posted on social media showing a huge channel of water cutting across the tarmac of the track. It shows lots of surface water, sand and debris on a corner, next to a giant grandstand for viewing.

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The Dutch Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on the final weekend of August and at this stage there are no concerns about the flooded track, with no apparent damage to the infrastructure.

The only impact it did have was to prevent local university students from using the track on Monday. NH News reported that a Delft University of Technology student team was due to test their hydrogen-powered race car there, but couldn’t.

Student Renzo Bootsma said: "Our car runs on hydrogen, but it can't handle that much water. It's a shame, because we were supposed to do our first longer test drive tonight." Meanwhile, F1 Academy was due to commence the first of two days of testing on Tuesday.

Global warming means that flash flooding has become more and more frequent – and, like any industry, F1 has been affected. In March, the circuit in Jerez, Spain, was severely flooded, with the track that hosts MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix damaged as a result.

And in May 2023, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Italy was cancelled after deadly flooding in the region. Rivers burst their banks, forcing people to evacuate their homes.

A statement at the time read: "The decision has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region. It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time."

F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali added: "It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected.

"The decision that has been taken is the right one for everyone in the local communities and the F1 family as we need to ensure safety and not create extra burden for the authorities while they deal with this very awful situation."