Although plans for a circuit at Zandvoort first surfaced before World War II, it wasn’t until the post-war years when a permanent circuit emerged.

A successful street race was held in 1939, and the race was resurrected in 1948 when the permanent circuit emerged in the sand dunes to the north of the town.

Aside from pitlane improvements, little changed until 1973, when due to a umber of fatal accidents in the early 1970s the fast S-bend of the Panoramabocht was installed.

It wasn’t enough, and on safety grounds another corner change came at the end of the decade when a new left-right ‘Marlborobocht’ chicane was added in the far eastern section of the circuit.

Financial problems, exacerbated by the loss of the Formula One Grand Prix in the mid-1980s, followed, and the full circuit closed, leaving only a short loop for much of the 1990s.

The short loop had been constructed in the late 1980s, financed by the selling off of some land for a new holiday park.

New pit buildings were constructed in time for 1998, and the following year a new extension opened, utilising some of the original circuit before a new section of track just before the old ‘Marlborobocht’ brought the track back to the start-finish straight.

The new layout saw the DTM visit for the first time in 2001, starting a relationship which would last for 18 consecutive seasons. World and European Touring Cars have also been periodic visitors.

In recent years ownership of the circuit has been taken on by Prince Bernhard van Oranje, and the Dutch Grand Prix returned in 2021 following a 36-year hiatus.