Zandvoort has a rich history in motorsport, particularly in Formula 1, having debuted on the calendar in 1952.
The track hosted the Dutch Grand Prix across three decades – twice being designed for the European Grand Prix in 1962 and 1976 before it was taken off the calendar in 1985.
After a 35-year hiatus, Zandvoort returned in 2021 and is the next round of the 2024 F1 season, with home talent Max Verstappen having won all three Dutch Grand Prix since its return.
The circuit has gone through drastic changes since it was last seen on the calendar, but Formula 3 driver Laurens van Hoepen has revealed further changes that he would make to Zandvoort.
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Laurens van Hoepen outlines what he would change about Zandvoort
The Dutch talent featured on the Formula 3 website and their segment of drivers speaking about their dream race weekend.
It should not come as a surprise that van Hoepen said it would be Zandvoort – which is not on the F3 calendar – and the 18-year-old ART Grand Prix driver outlined the changes he would make to make it his dream race.
“I think my dream weekend would be Zandvoort in front of all the Dutch fans, I’d be P1 in Practice, P1 in Qualifying and P1 in the Sprint and Feature Races, all the fastest laps in the races as well,” he said.
“I’d change the paddock for sure, because I think it’s a bit too small. So I’d make it bigger so more people can fit in and it would be easier to run a weekend there.
“The track itself is quite nice but maybe I’d put some new asphalt down in sector two though. But that’s it I guess. I think the track is quite cool as it is. I might make it a bit longer actually.
“It’s hard to find a place to extend the track but maybe after T7 and then you go further into the dunes and then come back for Turns 9 and 10.
“So after you go through the banked corner of T3, you do that little snake section into the right-hander and then you just go further straight and go into the dunes and then come back into the original sector at Sector 2.”
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Laurens van Hoepen is enjoying a successful rookie season in Formula 3
Van Hoepen is in his rookie season in F3 and has enjoyed a successful first attempt at the series.
The Dutchman is sat 12th in the standings heading into the final round at Monza, having grabbed 54 points so far this year.
The ART driver has achieved three podiums thus far, finishing second on his debut in the sprint race in Bahrain – whilst also setting the fastest lap – and third in the sprint races in Australia and Monaco.
Van Hoepen grabbed his first pole position in Hungary for the feature race and had finished in second behind his ART teammate Nikola Tsolov, but was later disqualified from the race after his car was found to be under the minimum weight limit.