Lammers: The farewell to Zandvoort may not be fully felt until later.

      Jan Lammers believes that the true significance of Formula 1’s last Dutch GP at Zandvoort may only become apparent years after this weekend’s farewell. The former F1 driver and long-time sporting director of the Dutch GP anticipates that life will quickly return to normal after the chequered flag waves at the sixth and possibly final race since Formula 1’s return in 2021.

      "We can become completely captivated by a World Cup for weeks," Lammers stated on the Paddockpraat podcast. "Then we lose in the final or semi-final and it’s straight to 'okay, let's move on.'" "Perhaps in ten years, we will realize the true value of the Dutch GP. Then you might think: wow, we really created something special."

      Lammers hesitates to label the farewell as final but advises against unwarranted optimism. "You should never say never," he remarked. "After 1985, we didn't believe it would happen again." "There’s definitely a possibility, but it’s not imminent. We have to face reality."

      He mentioned that Zandvoort’s upgraded infrastructure allows it to respond swiftly if Formula 1 needed an emergency replacement, although there’s no current plan in place. "The circuit exists and meets all the criteria. But there are no plans, and there’s no expectation of anything,” he noted. "There’s a waitlist of ten or 15 Grands Prix eager to be on the calendar."

      Dutch GP director Robert van Overdijk stated that the organizers intentionally decided to depart while interest was still high. "When I announced in Abu Dhabi that we would be leaving this year, the sentiment was that we wanted to go out on a high note," he explained on De Boordradio. "That’s not to say we couldn’t have continued for another year. But if we stretched it for an additional three to five years, and Max stops racing at some point, we wouldn’t know what would happen."

      Van Overdijk acknowledged that Verstappen sparked significant Dutch interest, though much of it may not last. "Eventually, those who aren’t diehard motorsport fans may think: alright, I’ve seen this, what’s next?" "So, we recognize that there is a finite interest. We've decided to step back before hitting that limit."