The Zandvoort Main grandstand is the only grandstand at the Dutch GP circuit that’s covered. It’s located on the main straight but sit in the right spot and you’ll also have views of the banked Turn 3.
This article provides a full guide to the Main grandstand based on my trip to the 2023 Dutch Grand Prix.
It includes a full seating chart, video with examples of the view from different rows and seats and my tips on which seats are the best.
Contents
Zandvoort Main grandstand location
The Main grandstand at the Zandvoort track is located on the outside (left-hand side) of the start / finish straight.
It’s just over half way along the straight and is in line with both the podium and finish line (but not the start line, that’s further along the straight in front of the adjacent Pit grandstand).
Other grandstands
Check out our spectating guides to the other grandstands at Zandvoort:
Main grandstand tickets for the Dutch GP
The Main grandstand is part of the ‘Main Straight’ group of grandstands which includes this stand and the Pit grandstand only. The other stands fall in to the Gold, Silver and Bronze categories.
These Main Straight grandstands are the most expensive Zandvoort F1 tickets for grandstand seats.
Tickets for this stand often sell out about a year in advance of the race on the official Dutch GP website as they’re so popular. If that’s the case and you still need tickets for here, I’d recommend buying through P1 Travel. They’re an official ticket reseller, have a great repuation, get great reviews, and have good options for 1, 2 or 3-day tickets.
A 3-day ticket in the Main grandstand for the F1 costs about 450 Euros more than a 3-day Zandvoort General Admission ticket.
Zandvoort Main grandstand details
Seats
The seats are chairs with fixed backs and bases.
Cover
This is the only grandstand at the Dutch Grand Prix circuit that’s covered. It has a large roof that spans from the back of the stand right the way to the front rows.
By the time the roof reaches the front row it’s very high above to the seats. So if you’re in the front three rows you’re still likely to get a bit wet if it rains heavily.
Equally there’s no covers on the side of the stand so the seats on either end will also be exposed to the elements.
TV screens
The main TV screen visible from this stand is right next to the podium. It’s in line with seats 90 – 100 but is easy to see from everywhere in the grandstand.
There are also TV screens on the other side of the track off to either side of the stand that can be viewed from the respective ends.
The video lower down this page shows where these screens are.
Facilities
Right behind this grandstand is a large variety of food and drinks vendors and merchandise stalls. Plus there’s toilets only a few steps away.
The area behind the stand is one of the busiest spectator parts around the whole Zandvoort circuit during the Formula 1 weekend. In between F1 sessions it gets incredibly crowded and getting anywhere can be slow going due to the sheer volume of people.
Zandvoort Main grandstand seating plan
Below is the Zandvoort Main grandstand seating plan.
As the seating chart shows there are 20 rows in this grandstand. Row 1 is lowest down at the front and row 20 is highest up at the back.
The seat numbers increase left to right (if you stand on the circuit and look up at the stand). They increase continuously across the whole width of the stand, starting at 1 on the left and going up to 162 on the right.
The finish line is directly in line with seats 90 – 95. The podium is directly opposite seats 120 – 135.
There are five different entrances in the back of this grandstand numbered 114 to 118. These are listed as the ‘Opgang’ (entrance) numbers on the back of the stand.
The tickets this year didn’t go a very good job of telling you which entrance you need for which seats, so the seating plan above should help with that.
Once you’re in the stand there are labels half way up each staircase showing which direction you need to head to get to your seats (ignore the numbers painted directly on to the steps).
Zandvoort Main grandstand view
The image below shows the sections of track visible from this stand highlighted in pink.
As the image shows, you can see all of the start / finish straight from pretty much every seat in the Main grandstand.
You can also see the entry and exit of Turn 3, the steeply banked Hugenholtzbocht, if you sit in the right place.
The video below shows the view from a number of different seats and rows within the Main grandstand:
- Seat 1 Row 20
- Seat 20 Row 1
- Seat 85 Row 10
- Seat 162 Row 20
The video shows how the visibility of Turn 3 drastically changes depending on where you sit. First and foremost you need to be on the right-hand side (lowest seat numbers) to see it.
Then you need to be in a higher row. The second clip in the video from Seat 20 Row 1 shows that being that low down in the stand means you have no view of Turn 3. You can see a tiny bit of the exit and that’s it, as the image below shows.
Being high up in Row 20, as the first clip shows, gives you the best view possible of that section of the track.
Sitting in the front row of this stand isn’t great as there’s a walkway in front of it. The seats are also quite low down compared to the railings at the front of the stand so you need to stand up most of the time to be able to see over them.
The video also shows how great the view of the podium is from pretty much everywhere in this stand. You won’t have to leave your seats after the race to have one of the best views going of the F1 winner lifting the Dutch GP trophy.
Best seats in the Main grandstand
Without a doubt you want seats in the highest rows on the extreme right hand side (lowest seat numbers) of the Main grandstand. That gives you a view of the entry and exit of Turn 3 where there’s often some good overtaking attempts.
I’d aim for rows 12 and up, and seat numbers from 1 to 50 for the best view of that part of the track.
Is the Zandvoort Main grandstand a good place to sit?
This is one of the two most expensive grandstands at Zandvoort circuit for the Dutch Grand Prix. So is it worth it?
Well, you’ll have an unrivalled view of the podium. You’ll be only a few metres away from the cars as they line up on the grid at the start of the race and cross the finish line at the end of it.
You also have the luxury of a roof over your head so you don’t need to worry too much about the weather.
If you can get my recommended seats you’ll also have a great view of Turn 3. If not, you’ll be looking down towards the end of one of the Zandvoort DRS zones at Turn 1 to see some overtaking, but your view of that will be limited.
If you want a better view of Turn 1 you need seats in the Tarzan In grandstand.
Nearest entrance
Entrance Gate 1 is pretty much directly behind the Main grandstand.
If you’re staying in the official Zandvoort F1 camping area then you need to use Gate 4.
For tips on getting to the circuit for the F1 weekend check out our guide on how to get to the Zandvoort F1 race.
