Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort 2020
Still photographing a race event in 2020? Yes, indeed. A limited audience was still allowed at the Historic Grand Prix in Zandvoort, and I'd treated myself to a ticket. Finally, back to the circuit in an otherwise lost season where everything is canceled or held behind closed doors. It was also the first time back to the circuit after the renovations the circuit had undergone to welcome F1 (which ultimately didn't happen this year). The Arie Luyendijk and Gerlach bends had become banked corners like you only see on ovals in America. Very cool and unique. But as a visitor, it was exactly what I'd feared: large fences everywhere along the track, which significantly reduced the accessibility of some of my favorite spots for watching and photographing the race. It was a real shame that they'd also erected a large wooden shed at the Hunzerug, probably for F1 VIPs. But now the beautiful view of the track winding through the dunes was gone, and you could only see the cars flashing past behind a large fence. The dunes along the main straight where my father and I used to spend a lot of time are gone, replaced by a parking lot with some scattered pieces for temporary grandstands. There's also a fence blocking access to the dunes surrounding the circuit. So you could really only sit in the main grandstand or walk around the paddock behind large fences. It gave me the feeling that, despite the beautiful renovations, the circuit had also lost some of its luster. It had become a more modern, killer-looking entity. To still get some varied photos, I had to get creative. Climbing on dumpsters and wheelie bins, pressing my camera against the fence in certain spots, or just being a bit cheeky sometimes. The result is still an album I can be happy with. It was also special to see the Tyrrell P34 six-wheeled F1 car. And a reunion with prototypes I saw racing at Le Mans, like the Loeb Racing LMP2 from 2014, where I was even able to witness a pit stop in the garage during the race. It was good to see and hear some sports cars and vintage F1 cars driving around again. I hope we can enjoy them again next season!
