BREAKING: F1 confirms 2020 Dutch GP deal

Formula One has officially confirmed that the Dutch Grand Prix will return next season, ending a 35-year absence from the Championship. The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort has not featured on the calendar since 1985 but the rise and popularity of Max Verstappen in recent years has fuelled speculation of the event’s return. The new contract will run for at least three years, with the race set to be squeezed into a date ahead of Monaco on the 2020 calendar. It means 2020 will feature two new additions, with the Vietnam Grand Prix in Hanoi already confirmed last year. That would take the number of races to an unprecedented 23, although five of the current circuits -- Spain, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Mexico -- have contracts that are due to expire at the end of this year. "We are particularly pleased to announce that Formula One is returning to race in the Netherlands, at the Zandvoort track," F1 CEO Chase Carey said. "From the beginning of our tenure in Formula One, we said we wanted to race in new venues, while also respecting the sport's historic roots in Europe. "Next season therefore, we will have a brand new street race that will be held in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, as well the return to Zandvoort, after an absence of 35 years; a track that has contributed to the popularity of the sport all over the world. "In recent years, we've seen a resurgence of interest in Formula One in Holland, mainly due to the enthusiastic support for the talented Max Verstappen, as seen from the sea of orange at so many races. No doubt this will be the dominant colour in the Zandvoort grandstands next year."

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