NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix

After embarking on its traditional summer break, Formula 1 is back in action with the Dutch Grand Prix kicking off the second half of the season. Ahead of the event, Need to Know is your all-in-one guide with stats, trivia, insight and much more. You can also see how fans have voted using our F1 Play predictor game.

First and second practice will take place on Friday, August 23, followed by final practice and qualifying on Saturday, August 24, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, August 25.

IT'S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we're excited about ahead of the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix

Vital statistics

• First Grand Prix – 1952
• Track Length – 4.259km
• Lap record – 1m 11.097s, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 2021
• Most pole positions – Rene Arnoux/Max Verstappen (3)
• Most wins – Jim Clark (4)
• Trivia – Zandvoort’s final corner – named after Dutch motorsport legend Arie Luyendyk – features an 18-degree banking, almost double the numbers seen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 199 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2023 – 47
• Safety Car probability – 67%*
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 67%*
• Pit stop time loss – 21.52 seconds

*From the last two races in the Netherlands

FAN VIEW: F1 Play gamers appear to be split on who will take victory in the Dutch Grand Prix, with voters picking out six potential winners. Lewis Hamilton (17.4%) is pretty much even with Charles Leclerc (17.4%) in the voting ahead of Max Verstappen (16.6%), Lando Norris (16.3%) and George Russell (16.2%). Norris’ McLaren team mate Oscar Piastri (15.9%) is also garnering a healthy share of the votes.

The driver’s verdict

Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: I’ve only done this one on a bike! Zandvoort is actually a lovely circuit that has been adapted really well for modern F1. It’s still difficult to overtake on, as expected with an old design of track, but the banking makes a huge difference.

F1 NATION: Will Verstappen hit another home run or can his rivals cause an upset as F1 returns? It’s our Dutch GP preview

You don’t really appreciate the banking until you go around it at Turn 3. The theory is multiple lines, but everyone just bolts for the outside line and tries to get the exit right. And again, coming through the final corner as well, running the banking.

It is a nice, flowing track. You’ve got to have commitment, particularly in the middle sector, which is undulating, and you’ve got to just have it hooked up in the high speed sections. You don’t want to be having random snaps of oversteer, because it’s a punishing circuit as well...

Last five Dutch GP pole-sitters

• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 1985 – Nelson Piquet (Brabham)
• 1984 – Alain Prost (McLaren)

HIGHLIGHTS: Catch up on the action as Russell and Hamilton duel for win in thrilling Belgian Grand Prix

Last five Dutch GP winners

• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 1985 – Niki Lauda (McLaren)
• 1984 – Alain Prost (McLaren)

FAN VIEW: There are several names in contention when it comes to F1 Play gamers’ choice for pole position. The Mercedes pair of Hamilton (20.8%) and Russell (19.2%) are strong contenders, alongside Norris (19.3%), Leclerc (20.7%) and last year’s pole-sitter – and winner – Verstappen (19.6%).

Tyre and strategy insight

“What makes this track really unique on the championship trail are the banked Turns 3 and 14, with a gradient of 19 and 18 degrees respectively, which for a point of reference is steeper than that found at Indianapolis,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview.

“Banked corners are not that common in Formula 1 and therefore present an unusual challenge for both car and driver. It also has an effect on the tyres, because the higher speeds of the banked turns compared to the normal ones subjects them to even greater forces.

READ MORE: What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix?

“On paper, thermal degradation is a very significant factor, but much will depend on the weather in late August. The Netherlands borders Belgium and we saw before the break how climatic conditions at these latitudes can change from one day to the next and even within the space of a day, so that summer doesn’t necessarily mean warm temperatures and sunshine.

“The average temperature in Zandvoort in late August varies between 14C and 20C, which could help drivers manage even the softest compounds, as was seen in last year’s race when Yuki Tsunoda ran 50 laps on the soft.

“A further variable results from the track’s proximity to the sea shore, just one row of dunes and a street away, so that wind often coats the track with sand, thus lowering the grip available to the tyres.

“In stable dry conditions, pre-event simulations point to a one-stop as the quickest strategy, especially as in theory, overtaking is a rare event, because the track is very narrow and there are few straights, therefore very limited passing opportunities.

READ MORE: What is the weather forecast for the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix?

“If it is hot, then the harder compounds should be favourite, but cooler weather would see the soft become a viable race tyre.”

FAN VIEW: With the top six expected to be in the mix for victory, there are few choices to plump for in the podium outsiders category. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez will likely be next in line, according to F1 Play gamers, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso earning a small percentage of votes.

Current form

When the Dutch Grand Prix played host to the first race after the summer break back in 2023, Verstappen and Red Bull looked to be an unstoppable force. The Dutchman held a 125-point lead in the drivers’ standings, while his team were ahead in the constructors’ by a mammoth 256 points.

Fast-forward 12 months and the picture looks very different. While Verstappen and the Milton Keynes squad are indeed at the top of both leaderboards again, the gap to their rivals – particularly in the teams’ championship – is significantly smaller.

POWER RANKINGS: Where do the drivers rank at the halfway stage of the season?

Verstappen remains 78 points clear of nearest challenger Lando Norris, but the Dutchman will be keen to get back to winning ways at Zandvoort after going without a victory since the Spanish Grand Prix in June. Can he resume his run of consecutive wins at his home track?

McLaren, meanwhile, are now just 42 points away from Red Bull, meaning that – in the right circumstances – they could potentially put themselves at the top of the constructors’ table with a strong result.

Much of this could depend on the performance of Sergio Perez, with his team needing him to score more points in order to fend off the challenge posed by their rivals amid an increasingly tight scrap at the front.

This is a fight that has seen Mercedes feature more and more frequently; the Silver Arrows have, in fact, collected more wins than any other outfit since Round 8 in Monaco, and it will be fascinating to see if their strong form continues at the Dutch Grand Prix. Question marks also persist over whether Ferrari can bounce back and put themselves firmly back in the battle.

FAN VIEW: Further down the field, the likes of Williams’ Alex Albon, Haas’s Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and RB’s Daniel Ricciardo are expected to challenge for points, while Ricciardo’s team mate Yuki Tsunoda is another popular choice amongst F1 Play gamers.

Iconic moment

James Hunt claimed 10 Grand Prix wins during an F1 career that spanned most of the 1970s, and the first of them was a piece of history not just for himself, but also the plucky Hesketh upstart team he represented.

In a 1975 encounter that started on a damp track but soon shifted to dry conditions, Hunt pitted after seven laps to change his wet tyres for slicks, but many others – including pole-sitting Ferrari driver Niki Lauda – initially stayed out.

READ MORE: 5 great moments in Dutch Grand Prix history

Once the rest of the field had eventually pitted, Hunt found himself in the giddy heights of P1 – a position Lauda was desperate to reclaim. However, the inimitable Briton could not be stopped as he logged his maiden F1 win and the one-and-only triumph for Lord Hesketh’s operation.

It was a remarkable, feel-good underdog tale, with the mighty Ferrari toppled by a fledgling force, and it remains at the head of the list when it comes to iconic moments at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Watch how it all unfolded in the video player below...

Elsewhere at Zandvoort

There’s more activity taking place this weekend as part of the wider Sustainability Strategy that Formula 1 introduced in 2019, which includes the goal of being Net Zero by 2030, leaving a legacy of positive change and creating a more diverse sport that reflects the world in which we race.

🚲 Greener fan travel

In 2023, 98% of visitors used sustainable transport to and from the circuit, and the Dutch Grand Prix expects to maintain or exceed this figure in 2024 with over 40,000 fans expected to cycle to the event. Attendees will also arrive by train or on foot for a faster and more sustainable commute.

💡 Powering the event

The Dutch Grand Prix has transitioned to a permanent green power grid, and having extended it to the F1 Hospitality Paddock, it significantly reduced fuel consumption from 120,000L in 2021 to 40,000L in 2023. Combined with the switch to HVO100, this reduced the climate footprint by 94.5% in 2023 compared to the event’s first year.

DESTINATION GUIDE: What fans can eat, see and do when they visit Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix

♿ Accessibility

Together with Handicap.nl, the Dutch Grand Prix offers special care amenities for those with disabilities. A bespoke ‘hotel’ in the camping area provides accessible showers, toilets, medical rooms, and sensory-friendly zones. There is also an accessible viewing platform on the main straight for disabled fans. Additionally, together with the Foundation Ambulance Wish, the Dutch Grand Prix will host terminally ill patients to fulfil their wish of attending an F1 event on Thursday with a special Pit Lane walk.

🚯 Nature preservation and recycling

As part of the event’s nature development plan, special ‘clean teams’ are deployed at the circuit and its surroundings to make sure that no trash is left behind. In addition, the Dutch Grand Prix uses a token recycling system where fans can win prizes post-event, with the goal to encourage fans to return their cups – the event aims to recycle at least 75% of used cups.

🏡 Material reuse

Two hospitality areas at the circuit, The Champions Club and Founders Lounge, are both recycled buildings. The Champions Club, at Turn 14, was first used at the Floriade Expo and The Founders Lounge, at Turn 4, was first used as a beach restaurant and has now found a permanent place within Circuit Zandvoort.

🙋 F1 ACADEMY Discover Your Drive

F1 ACADEMY Discover Your Drive will come to life at the Dutch Grand Prix via two activities: a career panel and the F1 ACADEMY Career Discovery Program. The panel will highlight the range of pathways into the motorsport industry. Following the conversation, attendees will be treated to a guided track walk. Students from TU Delft – a local technical university – will take part in the Career Discovery Program to learn what it's like to work in the industry.