Zandvoort is a 4.3 km, 14-corner dune circuit where rhythm matters more than raw speed: brake hard and straight for Tarzan, use the banking in Hugenholtz and Arie Luyendyk, and stay committed but patient through the blind, fast Scheivlak. Because the noise limits are strict and run-off is tight, a quiet car and a step-by-step approach pay off more than a big lap on your first visit.
You drive Circuit Zandvoort by finding its rhythm: hard, straight braking for the hairpins, smooth use of the two banked corners, and patience through the fast, blind sections in the dunes. Learn it in three steps: first the lines, then the braking points, and only then the speed.
This guide takes you through all 14 corners of the current Grand Prix layout. Right now Trackstr lists 33 upcoming dates at Zandvoort where you can drive yourself. Published prices for trackdays and free practice: €38–€2,549.
What makes Zandvoort different from other circuits?
Circuit Zandvoort sits in the dunes right behind the North Sea beach, on the edge of the town of Zandvoort. The current Grand Prix layout is 4,259 m long and has 14 corners. It was rebuilt before Formula 1 returned in 2021, and two corners, Hugenholtz (turn 3) and the last corner (turn 14), were given steep banking.
Three things set it apart:
- Elevation and blind crests. The track rises and falls with the dunes, so several corners have a blind entry or exit. You turn in before you can see the apex.
- Sand and wind. Wind can blow sand onto the racing line, so grip can change from session to session and even from lap to lap. Watch the surface on your out-lap.
- Limited run-off. The dunes are close in several places. Mistakes are punished harder than at a modern circuit with big asphalt run-off areas.
How does a lap of Zandvoort go, corner by corner?
The corner names below follow the numbering of the current track map, as used in the FIA media kit for the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix. The driving notes are general advice for a trackday, not race lines: every car brakes and turns differently, so follow your instructor or the briefing on the day.
Turn 1: Tarzan
The lap starts with the long start-finish straight and ends in Tarzan, a tight right-hand hairpin. This is the biggest braking zone of the lap and the most famous overtaking spot. The corner has camber, which helps the car turn on the outside line.
On a trackday, brake in a straight line and finish most of your braking before you turn in. Tarzan rewards a late apex: a slower entry lets you get on the power early for the short run to Gerlach.
Turn 2: Gerlach
Gerlach is a quick left-hander that comes up straight after Tarzan. It is mostly about positioning: stay on the right-hand side out of Tarzan so you can open up the line into Gerlach and set up the run to Hugenholtz.
Turn 3: Hugenholtz
Hugenholtz is the first banked corner: a steeply banked left-hand hairpin. The banking is around 19 degrees. The banking holds the car, so you can carry more speed than the tight radius suggests, but the entry is downhill and easy to overcook.
Brake before the banking starts, then let the car settle onto the slope. Do not cut low too early: the banking works best when the car is using it.
Turns 4 and 5: Hunserug and the following kink
Hunserug is a fast crest after Hugenholtz. The car goes light over the top, so be straight and stable before you get there, with no heavy steering or braking on the crest. Turn 5 follows straight after it and leads into the back section.
Turn 6: Slotemaker
Slotemaker is a left-hander over a crest that you cannot fully see when you turn in. It is a corner where a little patience gives you a much better exit. Aim for a stable car over the crest rather than the shortest line.
Turn 7: Scheivlak
Scheivlak is the corner Zandvoort is known for: a fast, downhill right-hander through the dunes with a blind entry. It rewards commitment, but it is also the corner where mistakes cost the most.
Build up to it. Take the first laps a gear higher and with a lower entry speed, find your turn-in point from the marker boards, and only add speed when the car feels settled through the whole corner.
Turns 8 and 9: Masters and the following right
Masters corner (once known as Marlboro) is a slower right-hander, followed by turn 9. Together they bring the speed down after the fast section. These are good places to gain time on exit rather than on entry: a tidy line and early, smooth throttle.
Turn 10: CM.com corner
Turn 10 is a tight corner that leads onto a short straight. Brake straight, rotate the car, and focus on a clean exit for the run towards the Hans Ernst bends.
Turns 11 and 12: Hans Ernst corners
The Hans Ernst corners (once the Audi S) are a right-left chicane. Use the kerbs only as far as the briefing and your car allow. One clean line through both corners is faster than attacking the first and losing the second.
Turns 13 and 14: Arie Luyendyk
The lap ends with the second banking. Turn 13 leads into the steeply banked Arie Luyendyk corner, turn 14, which sends you onto the start-finish straight. Its banking is around 18 degrees. A good exit here is worth more than anywhere else, because it carries you down the whole straight to Tarzan.
Let the banking do the work, keep the steering smooth and open up as early as the car allows. On a busy trackday, this is also where you should check your mirrors before the straight.
Which corners should you learn first?
If you only have a few sessions, focus on three places:
- Tarzan, because it is the biggest braking zone and sets up the start of every lap.
- Scheivlak, because it is fast and blind, and the most expensive place to get wrong.
- Arie Luyendyk, because your exit decides your speed on the longest straight.
The two banked corners feel strange at first. Do a few laps where you only practise them, and you will quickly feel how much grip the banking gives.
What are the noise limits at Zandvoort?
The noise limits at Zandvoort are strict because the circuit lies in the dunes, close to a nature reserve and the town. The limit is set per day, and it is the organiser of your date who checks it. For the upcoming dates on Trackstr: Strict limits because of the surrounding dunes. The limit differs per day, so check with the organiser..
Before you book, check the noise limit of your exact date on the organiser’s website, especially with a loud exhaust. A car that is too loud can be sent off the track, often without a refund.
How do you book a trackday at Zandvoort?
Zandvoort is busy: next to trackdays there are driving experiences, open pit-lane days and race weekends. Upcoming days to drive yourself are run by Bleekemolens Race Planet, BMW Driving Experience, Driversdays, Driving Fun, Dutch Race Driver Academy and 11 more. The formats differ:
- Trackdays run by an organiser, with a briefing and, depending on the organiser, sessions by experience or an open pit lane.
- Free practice (vrij rijden) in short, paid sessions, the cheapest way to get on track.
- Driving experiences, where you drive the organiser’s car with an instructor.
Prices are set by each organiser and depend on the format: a 20-minute free-practice session costs far less than a full day or a course. Published prices for upcoming trackdays and free practice: €38–€2,549. The next dates are:
- Sat 24 Oct: RSZ - Trainingsdag
- Tue 27 Oct: Mercedes-Benz AMG Experience Days
- Fri 30 Oct: Bleekemolens Race Planet
- Sat 31 Oct: Bleekemolens Race Planet
- Mon 2 Nov: MSC Dhünn
How do you prepare for your first Zandvoort trackday?
A few practical steps that make your first day easier:
- Check your car. Brake pads and fluid, tyres with enough tread and the right pressure, and no leaks. Many organisers do a short technical check at sign-in.
- Bring a helmet or check whether you can rent one on the day.
- Arrive early for sign-in and the briefing. The briefing explains flags, overtaking rules and the noise limit of the day.
- Book tuition if it is your first visit. An instructor in the passenger seat shows you the lines and braking points much faster than you can find them alone.
- Plan your travel. The circuit is about 30 km west of Amsterdam, and Zandvoort aan Zee station is about a 15-minute walk away.
Then build up: a few slower laps to learn the lines, a session on braking points, and only then more speed. Zandvoort rewards drivers who are smooth and patient, and that is exactly what makes it so satisfying once it clicks.