Dutch GP expects Max mania to stay family friendly
ORGANISERS of the Dutch Formula One Grand Prix yesterday said reigning world champion Max Verstappen would get a massive welcome home party, though they were not expecting the misbehaviour from fans that marred some races earlier in the season.
The picturesque seaside circuit of Zandvoort, located about 25km west of Amsterdam, turned orange hours before the first practice for this weekend's Grand Prix, as over 100 000 eager Dutch fans gathered to cheer on their local hero.
Zandvoort made a return to Formula One after a 36-year absence last year, when Verstappen's victory on a sunny weekend was celebrated amid a frenzy of orange flags and flares.
The image of the "Orange Army", however, was tainted at the Austrian and Hungarian Grands Prix in July.
Reports of sexist, racist and homophobic abuse by Dutch fans in Austria led Formula One organisers to launch a "Drive It Out" initiative to tackle such misbehaviour, while Verstappen himself slammed some of his fans for burning Lewis Hamilton-branded merchandise in Hungary. Yet Dutch GP spokesman Simon Keijzer told Reuters these incidents had not led to any changes being made for Zandvoort.
"We didn’t see any of this kind of behaviour last year. This really is a family event," Keijzer said.
"I can’t speculate on what happened in Austria of course, but here we see many people bringing their kids."
Keijzer said an emergency telephone number that people could use to report unsafe situations would be advertised widely in all areas surrounding the track. | Reuters