Formula E eager to offer Zandvoort long-term contract

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has revealed the championship's eagerness to offer Zandvoort a long-term deal to host the all-electric series from 2027 — the first season of Gen4.

Talks have taken place over recent months between Formula E and the Dutch circuit, which is set to lose Formula 1 following the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix.

The circuit has an F1 void to fill, something Formula E is pushing to do. Dodds attended this year's Dutch GP on a non-work basis, although he met with the owners of the venue. 

Conversations have continued ever since, with Formula E viewing Zandvoort as an ideal location to become a new home for the championship. Rather than a one-off event on the Dutch coast, Dodds is in favour of offering Zandvoort a long-term contract to keep it on the calendar for several years to come.

Zandvoort is owned by a group led by Prince Bernhard van Orange-Nassau and his business partners, including investor Menno de Jong. Robert van Overdijk is the venue's director and co-owner.

Asked by RacingNews365 if progress had been made with Zandvoort, Dodds responded: "So the first thing I would say is, I went there to the Formula 1 race this year and took my son as a fan. I didn’t go for work, but obviously met all the people there because it felt like the right thing to do.

"I love that circuit. I actually think it's an amazing circuit that, in honesty, is a bit small for F1, but could be perfect for Gen4 — not just the circuit, but the infrastructure. They have a split paddock in F1 because it's so tight for them.

"So I love the circuit. I like the location of it, 30–40 minutes from Schiphol Airport [near Amsterdam]. I love where the Dutch are in terms of their passion for motorsport right now. Obviously, Max [Verstappen] has done an enormous amount for that, but we also have Nyck de Vries, who actually looks like he could be contending this year [for the title].

"And I really, really, really like Bernhard and the team — Menno, they’re lovely people to talk to, and they love what we do. So I’m sure they won’t mind me saying, of course, we chat to those guys, and we’re having lots of good conversations with them.

"Nothing to announce right now, but I would say, from a Formula E point of view, we would see it as not just for a year. We would see it as a proper potential long-term place for us to race, because I think it's a brilliant location."

Formula E keen for 2027 event

The start of Gen4 in 2027 is seen as the ideal time for this to begin, when the championship's eye-opening new car will hit the track.

Zandvoort will offer Formula E the chance to showcase the full potential of its new car, which manufacturers tested last month at Monteblanco.

With the Gen4 car boasting 600kW of power (equivalent to over 815 bhp) and set to be on a par with, if not faster than, Formula 2, Formula E's current street circuits, such as London and Tokyo, will require major design changes.

Zandvoort will require little to no change, due to the circuit offering multiple layouts, sufficient hospitality, and an ideal paddock.

Pushed on what percentage he would put on it happening in 2027, Dodds jokingly replied: "Well, if I say 50/50, then that is the get-out-of-jail card, isn't it?

"Look, I would say there's certainly — I can't speak for them, you need to talk to Menno — there's certainly a willingness on our side to find a long-term home on our calendar at Zandvoort, because we think it ticks all the boxes for us."