Zandvoort Circuit is set to undergo a number of changes ahead of next year’s Formula 1 race.
Six additional garages will be erected as part of the modifications, extending the pitlane at the Zandvoort racetrack in time for the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix of the following year.
The small main paddock and congested pitlane were commonly seen as compromises in getting the Formula One Dutch Grand Prix back to the Netherlands.
The owners of the Zandvoort circuit are optimistic that the work being done on the pitlane will not simply address current concerns but also ready the track for a possibly bigger F1 grid.
In an effort to prevent mayhem in the event that a majority of the drivers elected to pit at the same time during the most recent Dutch Grand Prix weekend, the FIA let drivers resume racing behind the Safety Car on the Intermediate tyre rather than requiring extreme wet tyres.
Due to limited room in the pitlane, most teams decided not to double stack their cars on the first lap of the race on Sunday considering all drivers started on slick tires.
Liam Lawson, a rookie driving for AlphaTauri, was given a 10-second time penalty for obstructing Kevin Magnussen in the pitlane.
“We could do with more space to just allow for a bit more safety and also for the pit stops so there’s just more working space,” the Dutch GP sporting director and Le Mans winner Jan Lammers told Autosport. “In view of that we will have an extension of the pit garages and pit lane next year.
“So towards the Tarzan corner, Turn 1, we will have an extension of six boxes.
“Should the F1 field of 20 cars ever extend to 22 we are also ready for it. But for this moment, the primary reason is safety and space.”
The entrance of a pedestrian walkway that runs beneath the main straight will be flanked by the new garages. This will also need to be extended and rerouted as part of the renovation, according to Lammers.
“We can just design the tunnel in a different way,” Lammers added. “We can still maximise that space, that should work.
“Where the exit is now is exactly where those extra garages will be. We will just make the tunnel a little bit longer, and then there won’t be an ‘L’ exit, there will be a straight exit.”
“The pitlane is just the next stage of the development, so there’s a lot more plans for the future.
“And generally we improve where we can improve, and we will adapt where we have to adapt.”
