ABT local hero Robin Frijns can hardly wait to tackle the 4.307-kilometer race track in the dunes of the popular sea resort in his Audi RS 5 DTM.
The DTM rookie knows Zandvoort from single-seater racing and GT 3 events he contested in the Audi R8 LMS. “The track allows no mistakes. Otherwise you’ll quickly end up in the gravel or directly in a fence,” says the Dutchman before his first DTM round on home soil. “The track configuration is very narrow, which makes overtaking difficult. The best opportunities exist in the so-called Tarzanbocht and in the Audi S.” His personal favorites are the high-speed sections such as the extremely fast Scheivlak corner which is taken by the race drivers at a speed of about 240 km/h.
Zandvoort is regarded as particularly challenging not only due to its fast turns. The entire circuit is located in the middle of the dunes directly on the North Sea coast. Gusty winds the drivers feel inside their race car are not uncommon and sand is frequently blown onto the track, so grip levels may vary from lap to lap.