Gilles Villeneuve provided one of F1's most memorable moments at Zandvoort.
Ferrari dominated the 1974 Dutch Grand Prix, with Niki Lauda first and Clay Regazzoni second. McLaren’s Emerson Fittipaldi was the other man on the podium. Lauda was quick again in 1975 but, despite his best efforts, was unable to beat James Hunt. The race had started in wet conditions but the Hesketh team made an inspired decision to switch to dry tyres early. Despite sustained pressure from Lauda it was Hunt who crossed the line first, scoring a maiden Grand Prix win for himself and the team. Lauda’s team-mate Regazzoni was third.
Hunt won again in 1976, but this time in a McLaren. Regazzoni was second, followed by Mario Andretti’s Lotus and Tom Pryce’s Shadow. It was a closely fought race, the top four being separated by less than seven seconds at the flag.
Andretti started from pole in 1977 but it was Lauda who took victory, shortly before leaving the Ferrari team. Jacques Laffite brought his Ligier home in second while Jody Scheckter was third for the new Wolf team.
Andretti did win in 1978, driving the dominant ground-effect Lotus 79. His team-mate, the spectacular Swede Ronnie Peterson, was just behind while Lauda had to settle for third in his Brabham. The Fittipaldi team scored a welcome fifth place finish with Emerson Fittipaldi driving.
The 1979 race featured a stunning pass by Gilles Villeneuve, when he drove around the outside of Alan Jones at the difficult Tarzan corner to take the lead of the Grand Prix. He held first position until forced into a spin by a punctured tyre. Undaunted, he embarked on a high-speed lap back to the pits, with his Ferrari 312 T4 disintegrating around him. The damage was terminal but Villeneuve’s relentless determination had endeared him to the fanatical tifosi, Ferrari’s intensely loyal supporters. Jones went on to win the race for Williams. Scheckter was second in his Ferrari while Laffite’s Ligier was third.
Rene Arnoux set pole and fastest lap in 1980 but could not stop Nelson Piquet from winning the race. Arnoux came home second with Laffite third, as in 1979. Alain Prost won from pole in 1981, followed by Piquet’s Brabham and the Williams of Jones.
Arnoux was on pole again in 1982 but the Frenchman crashed out spectacularly when a wheel fell off his Renault. His countryman Didier Pironi won the race for Ferrari, followed by Piquet and Keke Rosberg.
Arnoux had claimed pole at Zandvoort in three of the previous four years but could only manage tenth on the grid in 1983. Despite this he managed to finally win the Dutch Grand Prix, driving for Ferrari. Patrick Tambay was second and John Watson third.
Prost was victorious in 1984, leading home his McLaren team-mate Lauda. Nigel Mansell completed the podium. The results were reversed in 1985 with Lauda finishing first, ahead of Prost. Ayrton Senna finished third in what turned out to be the final Dutch Grand Prix. Some of the old circuit has disappeared now under residential developments but the current layout still hosts major races. The Dutch Grand Prix may well return to the Formula 1 calendar in the future.
