An increasingly powerful environmental group, Mobilisation For The Environment, is posing a major threat to Zandvoort's return to the F1 calendar next year.

Indeed, according to one environmental law expert, there is a "50/50" chance of the event, which has seen ticket sales overprescribed many times over, being cancelled.

In May, the Netherlands highest court, banned the granting of building permits near nature reserves in a bid to reduce nitrogen emissions, and in the months that followed numerous construction projects, including airports, highways and apartment blocks, have been halted.

With the Zandvoort track bordered by the North Sea on one side and a nature reserve on the other, Mobilisation For The Environment has said it will challenge planned construction work at Zandvoort to accommodate next year's race.

"I see a 50/50 chance of this event being cancelled", environmental law expert Sander Lely told Reuters. "It will be incredibly difficult for the organisers to obtain all the necessary permits on time. They will have to prove how they will limit nitrogen emissions, instead of simply promising to emit less during the rest of the year."

Amongst the work planned for Zandvoort is extra grandstands and new access roads.

"This means building cannot yet start", provincial government spokeswoman Martine van der Heuvel told Reuters. "There is a permit for the race itself, but we have not yet received an application for the work on the tracks and in its surroundings."

While confirming that the province is in talks with the organisers over the permits, she was not willing to comment on the timing of the process.

Though widely considered one of the most liberal nations in the world, it remains to be seen how Max Verstappen's army of fans would react to the news that his - and their - home race was under threat.

LATEST NEWS

more news >

LATEST IMAGES

galleries >

Click to go to the main galleries section

READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Paul C, 26/09/2019 2:58

"First it was the severe abridgement of the majestic Hockenheim straights by the rabid Green Party in Germany. Now the environmental know-nothings of Holland are threatening Zandvoort. It will take Chase Carey and all of his people to protect the environmental children's crusade and its snowflake adults from being removed by force from the environs of Zandvoort by the Orange Army."

Rating: Positive (1) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

2. Posted by Pawsche, 25/09/2019 20:43

""Nitrogen emissions"...? This has to be the most scientifically-illiterate environmental group, aided and abetted by the courts, that I've seen for a while. Nitrogen is an inert gas that comprises nearly 80% of the atmosphere. Unless of course it's journalistic scientific illiteracy that is confusing it with nitrous oxides."

Rating: Positive (2) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

3. Posted by jcr, 25/09/2019 13:46

"Libertys greed might backfire on this one. Not to worry they still have Vietnam, Next Year The Moon Possibly !!"

Rating: Neutral (0) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

4. Posted by Lapps, 25/09/2019 10:13

"Good luck to them when the ‘Orange Army’ finds out about this!"

Rating: Positive (2) Rate comment: Positive | NegativeReport this comment

Environmentalists threat to Dutch GP

LATEST NEWS

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST IMAGES

POST A COMMENT

Post your comment

READERS COMMENTS

Share this page