Why the Dutch Grand Prix proved itself as a top-line F1 event

OPINION: The Dutch Grand Prix, in terms of on-track action, was nothing out of the ordinary. However, the event itself brought an unmatched level of energy from fans, and the added banking to corners underlined Zandvoort's credibility as an F1 venue.

There were two Dutch Grands Prix on display at Zandvoort last weekend. One was a decent enough Formula 1 race won comfortably by Max Verstappen and in part decided by Mercedes’ slightly tepid crack at an undercut. It wasn’t a contest that will go down in history as one of the all-time greats. Although Verstappen’s opening lap just might…

The second Dutch GP was one to be remembered as a sporting event. Orange smoke billowing from countless flares to obscure the view on track, cheers to almost drown out the turbo hybrids and an overwhelmingly positive buzz that was every bit the match for a packed Wembley during the 10 minutes leading up to kickoff for the Championship playoff final.

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Author Matt Kew

Matt Kew is Autosport’s F1 Editor, a role he has held since March 2022 following stints covering Formula E, Extreme E and the British Touring Car Championship.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018 to work predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better-suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham’s banked oval.

Matt read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing are undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.