The Zandvoort Pit grandstand is on the start / finish straight of the Dutch GP circuit and sits directly opposite the Formula 1 team pit garages.
This article provides a complete guide to the Pit grandstand based on my trip to the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix.
It includes examples views from different rows and seats, a full seating plan, information on tickets and tips on getting the best seats.
Contents
Pit grandstand location
The Pit grandstand is on the outside (left-hand side) of the Zandvoort circuit layout. It sits about half-way along the start / finish straight.
The grandstand is directly opposite the row of pit garages used by the Formula 1 teams. It’s also next to the start line.
The Tarzan-In grandstand is directly adjacent to this stand on the left (as you look at the track from your seat).
Other grandstands
Check out our spectating guides to the other grandstands at Zandvoort:
Zandvoort Pit grandstand tickets
The pit grandstand is part of the ‘Main Straight’ group of grandstands which are the most expensive tickets at Zandvoort for grandstand seats.
It is only the Pit grandstand and Main Straight grandstand that are in this group. The other stands fall in to the Gold, Silver and Bronze categories which are cheaper.
These tickets often sell out well in advance of the race (sometimes nearly a year before) on the official Dutch Grand Prix website. If that’s the case and you’re still wanting tickets, I’d recommend buying through P1 travel. They’re an official reseller with a great reputation and have a very good selection of one, two or three-day tickets available.
A 3-day weekend ticket to the F1 in the Pit Grandstand costs about 450 Euros more than a 3-day Zandvoort General Admission ticket.
Pit grandstand details
Seats
The seats in the Pit grandstand are chairs with a folding seat base.
Cover
The Pit grandstand isn’t covered. There’s no roof over the top so it’s completely exposed to the elements. You are not allowed to use umbrellas in grandstands at Zandvoort (as they block the view for others) so make sure you bring suitable clothing.
In 2023 it rained consistently throughout the weekend so everyone got very wet. Bring something waterproof to sit on too.
TV screens
There are three TV screens visible from the Pit grandstand at Zandvoort. Two of them are on top of the pit lane buildings directly opposite the stand.
The third is in between the pit buildings and a hospitality building and is only really visible from the left hand side of the grandstand.
You can also see the screen on the outside of Turn 1, or the one to the right of the podium, if you’re sat on either end of the stand.
Facilities
There are toilets and drinks vendors directly beneath this grandstand. There are numerous other food and drinks stands right behind it. But this is one of the busiest areas around the circuit during the F1 weekend as it’s right next to the main entrance, Gate 1.
That means it can take longer than expected to get anywhere due to the sheer volume of fans. Especially between the F1 sessions.
The image below was taken at the end of the day after the racing had finished. But in the middle of the day you couldn’t see the ground for the amount of people, it was that busy.
Zandvoort Pit grandstand seating plan
Below is the Zandvoort Pit grandstand seating plan.
As the plan shows there are a total of 39 rows in this stand, with row 1 being lowest down at the front and row 39 being highest up at the back.
Seats 1 to 54 don’t have rows 1, 2 or 3. They start from row 4. All the others start from row 1.
The seat numbers increase from left to right (if you stand on the circuit and look up at the stand). They increase continually across the whole width of the stand. Seat 317 is the further seat to the right.
There are no section numbers in the Pit grandstand. Instead there are entrance numbers which are known as the ‘Opgang’ number and are listed on the back of the grandstand. These start at 119 and run up to 132.
In 2023 the tickets didn’t do a very good job of telling you which entrance you needed to use for your seats. The Pit grandstand seating plan above should help with that.
Pit grandstand view
The image below shows the areas of the circuit that can be seen from the Zandvoort Pit grandstand highlighted in pink.
As this grandstand is pretty much halfway along the straight, the view is mainly of the straight itself. If you sit on the far left of the stand (higher seat numbers) you can see the entry and the first part of Turn 1 – Tarzan.
If you sit towards the right hand side you can see the exit of the final corner a little more clearly.
The video below provides examples of the view from this grandstand from a number of different seats:
- Row 7 Seat 1
- Row 1 Seat 94
- Row 16 Seat 77
- Row 28 Seat 171
- Row 36 Seat 228
- Row 39 Seat 317
As the video shows, this grandstand is in prime position for driver and celeb spotting being directly opposite the pit garages. The lower down you are the closer you are to the pit lane, but it can be harder to see over the pit boxes on the pit lane wall.
If you sit in the front row around seat 90 the huge Heineken advertising gantry will block your view.
This grandstand is raised up above ground level meaning that row 1 is above the level of the safety fence. That’s pretty unusual and pretty great, as often the fence can block your view sitting at the front, but not here!
Sitting higher up gives you a much wider vantage point and you’ll still have a great view of the pit lane.
If you manage to get some of the lowest seat numbers you’re also in for a great view of the podium where you can watch the F1 winner lift the Dutch GP trophy.
Best seats in the Pit grandstand
Normally I’d go for seats higher up towards the back of a stand to get a wider vantage point. But because the front of the stand is higher than the safety fence, I’d try something different.
I get seats as low down in the stand as possible (front row would be amazing) to get as close to the action as I could. This also gives you a really nice angle to see along the straight.
I also try and be over on the right hand side of the stand (lower seat numbers) to be in view of the podium at the end of the race.
The screens on the opposite side of the track are pretty big. So what I’d lose in field of view from sitting at the front I’d gain back in being able to see the TV screen coverage easily.
Is the Zandvoort Pit grandstand a good place to sit?
The start / finish straight is one of the Zandvoort DRS zones, so there’s often some overtaking in the braking zone for Turn 1.
But unless you’re on the extreme left (highest seat numbers) of this stand, you won’t have a great view of the Turn 1 action. Nor will you be able to see much other on-track excitement except the very start of the race.
The Pit grandstand Zandvoort is instead best for people who want to see some action in the pit lane, spy on the team principles and get their stopwatches out to time the pit stops.
The atmosphere will be great. The stand will be packed with Max Verstappen fans dressed in orange and it will be buzzing. But if you want to watch some close-racing first hand then maybe some other stands are better.
Nearest entrance
The Gate 1 entrance is the closest to this stand as it’s directly behind it.
If you’re staying in the main Zandvoort F1 campsite then you need to use Gate 4.
For tips on getting to the Dutch GP check out our guide on how to get to the Zandvoort F1 race.
Awesome help, thank you!
Glad it was useful!
Thank you for the super-detailed coverage, I’m thinking of taking my dad for just the Saturday. Since there won’t be much battles going on, would you recommend this stand over any others for a Saturday only?
Hi Marissa, if you want good atmopshere then the Arena grandstand will be best on Saturday (and the whole weekend). Even on the practice day on Friday last year it was packed there and it was an amazing atmosphere. The pit grandstand is a great way to see the teams and cars in the pit lane though.
Great info, thanks 🙂
Thanks for the comment Michael!
For before or after the race, Cosmico beach and Mango beach are the best places for coffee, drinks, dinner and a swim.
Thanks Robert