zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
At Least 15 Women Report Being Harassed at Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix
At Least 15 Women Report Being Harassed at Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix-December 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:48

Image for article titled At Least 15 Women Report Being Harassed at Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix

A motorsport fan club called Formula 1 Women has received at least 15 reports of by fans at this past weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, online publication . Now, the club’s founder, Svenja Tillemans, wants to speak to race organizers about ways to curb abusive behaviors that have plagued F1 all season.

According to Tillemans, multiple women noted that they had been inappropriately touched, endured verbal harassment, or even had beer poured on them while spectating at the Dutch Grand Prix. Knowing that there was potential for this kind of fan behavior after this year’s , Dutch Grand Prix organizers at Zandvoort set up a special phone number for spectators to report harassment. However, the effort didn’t exactly work out. From the NU.nl article (translated from Dutch):

Tillemans heard stories of women who were pinched in the buttocks or had beer [poured] on them. The circuit communicated a special phone number where women could complain. “Five reports came in here, but there was almost no coverage on the track,” says Tillemans.

“I know that a number of women have gone to security guards, but they referred them to the police, who were outside. Then you get the ‘never mind’ effect and that’s a shame.”

For their part, local police say they’ve received no formal complaints of harassment — but if women had to leave the circuit during the race in order to file a complaint with police, Tillemans notes, it makes sense that no spectators chose to go that route.

Another Dutch site, , notes that Tillemans has heard from at least 25 women since Friday. The site spoke to women who experienced harassment at the track (again, translated from Dutch):

One of the women who were harassed in Zandvoort last weekend is 21-year-old Naomi, who does not want to be called by her last name for privacy reasons. She attended the race with her father. “I had been looking forward to it for two years,” she says. “But after last weekend’s experience, I don’t think I want to go to Formula 1 again.”

That has to do with the comments men yelled at her. “I have inflammations in my knees, so there are bandages on [them]. I heard men say: “She had a nice time on her knees this afternoon,” “So, she was busy last night,” and “Oh, you can do without those plasters.” [...]

Naomi says this happened when she was without her father, such as going to the toilet or getting food and drink. “They really picked out the moments when I was alone,” she says. “I have never felt so dirty, humiliated and inferior at an event. And unsafe. That is why we went home as soon as possible after the race.”

The phenomenon of abuse at the track isn’t new; at this year’s Austrian Grand Prix, .

Unfortunately, the people reporting these incidents have also been subjected to a different kind of scrutiny online: somehow, some F1 fans have interpreted these complaints as being fabricated in order to condemn Dutch fans or Max Verstappen fans — often ignoring the fact that plenty of these victims and spokespeople, , count themselves among those demographics.

This trackside experience is nothing new for many longtime fans who defy the conventional mental image of a motorsport fan — but the Dutch Grand Prix is yet another example of the fact that mindsets and approaches desperately need to change. A phone number to report harassment isn’t enough.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Miami Gardens Residents Deserve A Voice In Formula One's Miami Grand Prix
Miami Gardens Residents Deserve A Voice In Formula One's Miami Grand Prix
Between May 6 and May 8, the circus will descend on the bedroom community of , which lies roughly 20 miles from Miami proper. The is ready to carve its place in the F1 calendar, but there’s just one problem: No one is listening to the locals whose home...
Dec 13, 2025
How To Watch Formula One, MotoGP, NASCAR, WRC, And Everything Else In Racing This Weekend; April 22-24
How To Watch Formula One, MotoGP, NASCAR, WRC, And Everything Else In Racing This Weekend; April 22-24
Welcome to the Jalopnik Weekend Motorsports Roundup, where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, where you can see it and where you can talk about it, all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend? Wow, there’s a...
Dec 13, 2025
Here's The Biggest Difference Between Racing In America And Europe
Here's The Biggest Difference Between Racing In America And Europe
Former two-time Le Mans winner and 2013 DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller talks about the differences between racing in the USA compared to Europe, his love for NASCAR, American beer being underrated, and why being related to the Rockefeller family isn’t all it’s made out to be… Advertisement After leaving DTM...
Dec 13, 2025
Watch Red Bull Driver Sergio Perez Drive To The Miami GP Circuit
Watch Red Bull Driver Sergio Perez Drive To The Miami GP Circuit
The Miami GP is just a few months away, and the circuit is allegedly almost finished, but Red Bull’s Sergio Perez got to preview the track a little bit early. This is another one of those Red Bull Road Trip videos where one of the drivers has to go...
Dec 13, 2025
Spend Your Weekend Descending Into The Rad World Of Vintage Racing Onboards
Spend Your Weekend Descending Into The Rad World Of Vintage Racing Onboards
If you follow racing in any respect, you know the name Marshall Pruett, who has been covering motorsport as a journalist for years. Now, he’s been expanding his YouTube channel with great vintage racing and tech videos, and its the best way to relax this weekend. Some of the videos...
Dec 13, 2025
The 7-Year-Old Ukrainian Kart Racer Displaced by War
The 7-Year-Old Ukrainian Kart Racer Displaced by War
If you scroll down through seven-year-old , curated by mom Katrin Zvereva, you’ll find a delightful array of racing photos, the young girl sporting her signature white Arai helmet with rainbow visor. The last such photo is dated August 2021. More recent photos reflect a somber new existence as a...
Dec 13, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved