FIA confirms huge change ahead of Dutch Grand Prix

Michelle Foster 29 Aug 2025 10:30 AM

The pit lane at Zandvoort

Increasing the pit lane speed ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix, Formula 1 stalwart Fernando Alonso has given it his backing as the drivers shouldn’t have a problem even with the tight pit lane.

Zandvoort has one of the tightest pit lanes on the F1 calendar, which has in the past seen the FIA reduce the drivers’ pit lane entry speed to 60km/h.

FIA have upped the pit lane speed in a bid to open the door to two-stop strategies

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

This year, though, it’s been increased to 80km/h.

The FIA note read: “Pit lane speed limits: 80km/h in practice, qualifying and the race.”

The decision comes after a spate of one-stop strategy races were created by the extra time it would take in the pit lane to make a second stop, thus negating the desire to even try a two-stopper.

But by increasing the speed limit in the pit lane, even though it is one of the tighter on the calendar, the FIA is opening the door to different strategies.

It has, however, raised safety concerns.

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Double World Champion Alonso has downplayed that, saying the drivers are more than capable of driving at 80km/h even in close confines.

“I think so,” he told the media, including PlanetF1.com. “I think drivers, we are normally always okay with 80.

“We raised sometimes the point at a few circuits, maybe apart of Monaco, which we really feel that 60 maybe is the limit for safety.

“For the rest of the circuits of the calendar, I think we don’t see too many problems with 80.”

As for Grand Prix Drivers’ Association director George Russell, he too was asked if it was a good thing given Zandvoort’s tight pit lane.

He replied: “Yeah. I mean, I don’t remember the numbers, but I think that there are narrower pit lanes in the season, or tighter pit lanes.

“Yeah, time will tell. I’m sure if anyone has any concerns after Friday, they can revert back.”

Formula 1’s tyre supplier Pirelli have also made changes to encourage a two-stop race strategy by bringing a softer tyre compound than last year.

The teams will have a choice of the C2 (Hard), the C3 (Medium) and the C4 (Soft), whereas in 2024 the available compounds were a step harder in the C1, C2 and C3.