Richard Verschoor on his return to MP Motorsport Bruno Michel’s Debrief: Experienced heads and enthusiastic rookies golf and food: Dino Beganovic’s Hometown Tour View all latest news After finishing last in the 2024 Teams’ Championship, Van Amersfoort Racing are looking to climb up the order in 2025 With 344 laps completed across the three days of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya VAR are feeling optimistic about what the year might bring “The test went well,” said Team Principal Brad Joyce as testing wrapped up “There's been lots of highs and lows in the test READ MORE: Kush Maini confirmed as Alpine Reserve Driver for 2025 “We've obviously got a new driver in John Bennett We are also trying to run through development programs to get a better understanding of the car and the tyres and to try and prepare as well as we can for Melbourne.” Alongside Bennett is the returning Rafael Villagómez The Mexican driver is someone the team are very familiar with given that he is set to race in VAR colours for a fifth consecutive season He showed a lot of potential in his rookie F2 campaign in 2024 and from what he has seen so far this year Joyce says Villagómez has made a step forward in several areas The 23-year-old was fifth fastest in the afternoon on Day 2 and seventh in the final morning and if VAR are to take a step up the order Villagómez’s progression will be key for the team Heading in the right direction: PREMA Racing Pre-season Roundup “He seems to have got a little bit more speed feedback was a large part of what impressed Joyce at the test as he praised both drivers for how they communicated with the team who took part in the final two rounds of the 2024 campaign for VAR but he stopped on track in the final afternoon in Barcelona “I mean John's feedback is very good and his performance is also very good,” said Joyce sometimes you have the odd issue and he had one at the end of the day Finishing at the bottom of the Standings was VAR’s lowest placing since entering the Championship in 2022 READ MORE: Martins ‘honoured’ to continue with ART Grand Prix for the 2025 season Joyce is confident that they can climb back up the order in 2025 believing there is more to come from his team as the season goes on “I am looking forward to the season,” Joyce concluded I am hoping we can obviously improve from last year and progress through the field as much as possible.” continuity and harmony: The keys behind Rodin Motorsport’s F3 resurgence Stromsted says winning races are his ‘main target’ ahead of return to action in Imola Back for another year of FIA Formula 3, Santiago Ramos will be in the black and orange of Van Amersfoort Racing during his second campaign The Mexican driver is enthusiastic about returning for another go round after what he felt was an up and down rookie season Ahead of the 2025 season and trip to Melbourne Ramos explained just how excited he was to be racing with VAR and what he’s targeting this time along with how his integration with the team had gone so far READ MORE: Noah Stromsted signs for the Mercedes F1 Junior Programme I know that the team has a lot of potential to do a really good job After a difficult season like I had last year what I want is to be able to maximise that potential I know with the expertise that the team has “I’m quite bad with names since most of the names I’m learning are Dutch They’re a bit harder for me to learn but it’s going well “I had been travelling a lot ahead of testing but I was super happy to get to the workshop and was able to learn a lot It’s been like that for the last few weeks and I’m excited to get back to racing.” Ramos achieved a maiden podium in the final round of 2024 which marked the high point of his season It was a year that had featured other bright spots but he admits that things didn’t go exactly according to plan throughout he was able to reflect honestly about what he’d taken away from those experiences and how that has changed his approach going into year two of F3 with VAR but it definitely wasn’t what we expected in terms of results by the end of the year I think we showed some good potential at some races towards the end of the season but weren’t able to maximise our potential with pace during the races I would say Defending into a new era: PREMA Racing Pre-Season Round-Up there’s something that I have to keep working on and I’m sure that with the support and expertise behind me “I was much more comfortable by the end I would say You don’t get a lot of running time on each race weekend it’s a few laps in Free Practice and then in Qualifying you get two So I think I got more comfortable with that and how the Championship and format works I think I could show a bit more potential in the second half of the year.” The biggest lesson he learned however came courtesy of teammate Leonardo Fornaroli after the Italian claimed the title last time around Ramos says seeing how his 2024 teammate was able to achieve his title has had an impact on how he’ll approach each race in 2025 “The importance of scoring points every weekend - we saw it with Gabi in 2023 and Leo in 2024 Still a lot left to discover: TRIDENT Pre-Season Round-Up but it’s more about scoring points every weekend and being up there consistently “I also think that a good Qualifying and ensuring you’re in the top 12 is going to be something to work on Then you are in a better position to fight for those points in the Sprint and Feature Races.” Ramos was able to compare his experiences in the previous generation of F3 car with the new one After three days around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya the VAR driver says that things felt similar bigger 16-inch Pirelli tyres will be a big point of learning for everyone to get on top of this season “I think it’s quite close to the old car in some respects with it being the same engine so there’s the same power delivery and everything but the rest of the basics are quite similar Impressive pace all round: ART Grand Prix Pre-Season Round-Up because we have the 16-inch tyres now so they will play a big role in the development of the car and how you manage situations but I’m excited about what’s to come and I think the new F3 car will be a really good one.” Dutch artist Bas van Oudheusden received a critical email shortly before the vandalism of his Anne Frank mural was discovered though he is not certain there is a connection located on the inside of the sound barrier wall along the A28 highway near landgoed Nimmerdor in Amersfoort the sender criticized Van Oudheusden for portraying “only Anne Frank while there is also a genocide happening on the other side.” The artist believes the remark may refer to the situation in Gaza “That’s a tough accusation,” Van Oudheusden said And the artwork is already sixteen years old.” Van Oudheusden painted the mural under his artist name prominently featured the face of Anne Frank the vandal did not randomly deface the wall but specifically targeted and “carefully erased” Anne’s face The artist has chosen not to report the incident to the police for now he said he hopes to speak directly with the person responsible “I think it would be great if it’s someone I can have a conversation with,” Van Oudheusden said maybe we can create something beautiful together.” He explained that he does not yet know what such a collaboration might look like but noted Van Oudheusden is not planning to repaint the mural in the near future he is considering applying a protective coating to prevent further vandalism The artist emphasized that he is open to dialogue and understanding “I hope the person who did this will come forward so we can talk,” he said SearchPayton Westcott joins Van Amersfoort Racing for multi-program in F4RACERSDec 10 a F1 Academy Discover Your Drive scholarship recipient in the inaugural Champions Of The Future Academy Program will make her F4 debut in 2025 with Van Amersfoort Racing competing in a multiple program that includes Italian F4 Photo credits: Van Amersfoort RacingPayton Westcott is set to make her F4 racing debut in 2025 with a multi-program that will include Italian F4 Euro4 Championship and Formula Winter Series with Van Amersfoort Racing the 15-year-old US American has already started a testing program in F4 machinery mainly across Italy and is set to make her first start in race cars in the highly competitive Formula Winter Series in February as the Iberian-based series continues to develop into one of the top platforms for young F4 tallents globally Westcott will be the first full-time entry in Italian F4 since 2023 Aurelia Nobels and Tina Hausmann raced in the series Lia Block and Bianca Bustamante made a one-off appearance in Monza but no female drivers raced full-time for the first time since 2018 “I am extremely excited to be starting my 2025 rookie season with Van Amersfoort Racing" "I am looking forward to providing solid results for the team!” Payton started competing in karting just 3 years ago but soon climbed up the ranks in the US winning KA100 events and contested the highly competitive SKUSA SuperNationals she was one of the female talents selected as part of the F1 Academy Discover Your Drive scholarship as she joined the newly-launched Champions Of The Future Academy Program in the OK-N Senior class Westcott therefore had the opportunity to hone her skills in among some of the world's top karters in Europe and scored a top ten finish in Cremona's second final she started testing F4 machinery in preparation for her step up in 2025 which will see the American joining top-team Van Amersfoort Racing in a busy schedule “We’re delighted to welcome Payton to our team for 2025" combined with the dedication she’s shown during testing with us make her a fantastic addition to our driver lineup." "We’re confident that with our guidance and support she will continue to develop as a driver and achieve great results throughout the season.” Or you simply want to stay up-to-date with their results Privacy Policy Wiltshire and races under a British nationality John Bennett will continue with the Van Amersfoort Racing team in Formula 2 for 2025 after debuting in the final two rounds of the 2024 season Bennett stepped up to replace Enzo Fittapaldi before the penultimate round in Qatar finishing 12th in the Sprint race before taking his first points in the series with an eighth-place finish in the Feature race The 2024 GB3 Championship runner-up has previous experience with the team taking part in a FIA Formula 3 post-season test back in October He made his debut in single-seater racing in 2022 with Elite Motorsport in the UK-based GB3 series earning his first podium in the final round he struggled to perform before making the switch to JHR Developments in 2024 – narrowly missing out on the title by 22 points he made his debut in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship and the Formula Regional European Championship Now the 21-year-old has a full-time seat in the feeder series F2 to which Bennett couldn’t hide his excitement ahead of the 2025 season “I am delighted to be racing with VAR in Formula 2 for 2025,” Bennett said in a statement on the VAR website it has been a great environment to work in “Thank you to the team for all their support and I cannot wait to get started next year!” Van Amersfoort Team Principal Brad Joyce added: “We are delighted to welcome John to our full-time Formula 2 line-up for 2025 “His progression through the final rounds of the 2024 season demonstrated his ability to quickly adapt in challenging conditions “The team is certain that he is ready for this next step “We look forward to supporting him throughout the season as he continues to grow and compete at one of the highest levels of motorsport.” READ MORE: Formula 2 CEO reflects on record season and F1 2025 graduates and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Ivan Domingues will step up to FIA Formula 3 with Van Amersfoort Racing The team confirmed their second driver for the upcoming campaign with the Portuguese driver joining the Dutch outfit after a year in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine Domingues made the jump to single seaters in 2022 racing in the Italian and UAE Formula 4 Championships He improved to 11th the following year in Italian F4 and matched that overall finishing position in the Euro 4 Championship in what was a dual campaign that year Domingues then made the step up to FRECA last season remaining with the team and achieving two podiums en route to P10 in the Drivers’ Standings Speaking about his promotion to F3 with VAR the 18-year-old said he was very happy to be continuing with the Dutch outfit for a third consecutive season “I feel very positive and confident about racing with VAR for the 2025 season in the FIA F3 Championship It will be my third year with the team and I can’t wait for the start of this new challenge!” VAR Team Principal Brad Joyce added: “We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Ivan to our F3 Team for the upcoming season Ivan has been a part of our family participating in our F4 and FRECA Team already He has shown great results and determination We’re confident he‘ll be a fantastic addition to our lineup and we’re excited to work together to achieve more good results on track again and be part of his development.“ Van Amersfoort Racing have confirmed that Rafael Villagómez will return with the team for the 2025 FIA Formula 2 campaign The Mexican driver finished his rookie season in the Championship last year with 24 points and a best finish of seventh in the Melbourne Feature Race It continues his affiliation with the team after spending three seasons racing with them in FIA F3 having also finished eighth in the 2021 edition of the Euroformula Open in VAR colours Speaking about his confirmation for the 2025 campaign Villagómez said he was excited to continue the work he and VAR have done in F2 so far “I’m extremely excited to stay and carry on in Formula 2 with VAR Towards the end of the year things started shape up better so I’m looking forward to carry on A lot of work has been done over the winter so I’m looking forward to start testing and Barcelona.” Van Amersfoort Racing Team Principal Brad Joyce added: “We’re excited to have Rafa stay with our FIA Formula 2 team for the upcoming season and we’re excited to continue working together to further his development We’re confident he’ll build on his performances and achieve better results.” “It’s not like it was destroyed by a bunch of kids passing by,” he told RTV Utrecht It feels like there’s a message behind it.” Van Oudheusden created the mural at age 18 under the graffiti name “Repelsteeltje” after reading The Diary of Anne Frank He pasted a well-known portrait of Anne Frank onto the wall and even the city council declared it was not vandalism but art It became one of the few illegal graffiti pieces in the Netherlands officially allowed to remain in place The work was restored by the city last year as part of a cleanup project van Oudheusden is unsure whether to repair it “Maybe I can do something creative with it,” he said I’d like to talk to the person who did it.” Van Oudheusden revealed his identity in 2022 when Rijkswaterstaat announced plans to relocate the wall due to highway expansion The mural had become a cultural landmark in Amersfoort and was expected to be preserved in a new location Van Amersfoort Racing’s 2024 campaign ended on a positive note and while for Team Manager Klaudija Jakaj it was a “great” season she admits that it had it’s “ups and downs” After a strong end to 2023 where they won the Spa-Francorchamps Sprint Race through Caio Collet with VAR point-less after the opening two rounds in Sakhir and Melbourne they immediately hit the ground running with Noel León finishing third in the Imola Sprint Race – only after a post-race penalty saw him lose the win From there on they were able to consistently challenge for points and achieved a further three podiums helping VAR finish seventh in the Standings with 91 points For Jakaj it was not as simple as a change of continent but returning to familiar surroundings definitely helped “We had some changes in the team at the end of last year so we also had to get used to that I trust in having an environment where everyone feels safe and comfortable to get the best out of every individual.” A big beneficiary of this was rookie León who scored all four of VAR’s podiums this year The Mexican driver scored a team-record 79 points and achieved his goal of finishing in the top 10 of the Championship having overseen his development from the 2023 post-season tests up to now she put his progress through the year down to his hard work within the team READ MORE: Andreas Jenzer reflects on F3 finale and team’s farewell to the Championship I realized how independent he was for his age,” revealed Jakaj “This and the way he learns from mistakes and gets over them quickly gives a lot of room to get better I have been very impressed by Noel's development over the past year and how quickly he understood all the factors that had to be in place to perform well “He simply improved a lot and realised that he doesn't have the same track time as in other Championships There is no room for mistakes here and he worked hard and did a good job with everyone involved I believe that's where the improvement started.” Jakaj also spoke glowingly of Sophia Floersch and Tommy Smith believing that both unfortunately did not have the luck in the races that their performances deserved The former ended the season without scoring any points but Jakaj does not believe that tells the full story “Sophia has history with VAR and to start the season with Macau was a very special experience for both sides,” Jakaj continued “She has quite some experience and showed very good race performances “She was unfortunately often unlucky and got involved in incidents caused by others and she had to suffer from them I wish we would have managed to be in the points with her Smith was in his second season with the team in FIA Formula 3 and scored his maiden points in the Championship at Silverstone earlier this year Jakaj said: “Having Tommy for a second year was great He is a wonderful kid and we love working with him There was definitely improvement in comparison to the past season but the field is so tight that sometimes the results unfortunately didn't show it Silverstone was his highlight where he finished the race on P4 which was a great experience.” she spoke with pride at watching the work each member of VAR has done this year “I can't really mention a highlight,” she added “For me personally it was great to see the development of every individual and to have the experience of the podiums with the team and driver In Profile: Mari Boya “The good thing is that every time you end the race on a podium you forget about the workload or about how tired you are – especially in a triple header “I loved working with every individual involved There are so many emotions involved and so many little things have to be in place to make this all happen Very proud of the teamwork that made that happen.” A slip back in the Standings in 2024 from seventh to 11th, Van Amersfoort Racing will be aiming for an improved points total in 2025 as they look to move up the table once again The Dutch squad have enlisted John Bennett and Rafael Villagómez for the upcoming campaign both aiming to build on their own scoring results from last year With just a couple of weeks to go until the racing begins in earnest this season what can we expect from Van Amersfoort and what will the team be able to achieve with their two drivers READ MORE: Martins confident ART have what it takes to ‘smash it’ in 2025 after positive pre-season John Bennett’s late-season F2 debut in 2024 was a crucial benefit to the British driver He kept himself out of trouble and was able to capitalise on rivals’ misfortune to achieve a points finish He then remained with the team for the season finale but couldn’t add another scoring result though the chance to have driven two rounds ahead of his full-time debut will be a pivotal tool from which he can learn from this year Logging mileage with Van Amersfoort across post-season testing also Bennett has already begun to embed himself into the team another factor that should help his adaptation to the Championship ending up 15th in the order on the morning of Day 3 when that time was set He logged a total of 287 laps across the event which should help him further adapt to the Championship ahead of 2025 getting started It will be interesting to see how quickly he can make improvements and find his feet properly in F2 having been parachuted in late in 2024 With a full pre-season of preparation along with his previous F2 experiences under his belt Bennett has some extra preparation that other rookie drivers may have lacked in the past that may pay dividends in the end READ MORE: Sami Meguetounif ends final day of testing fastest for TRIDENT in Barcelona Rafael Villagómez returns for a second season of FIA Formula 2 racing after a solid building year as a rookie in 2024 The Mexican driver secured multiple points finishes and missed the chequered flag in just five races That mileage and experience will come into play this season as he aims to increase his points total this time around Two early season points finishes in Feature Races made for a good start however a tough spell in the middle of the year curtailed that momentum He will be eager to ensure that he can sustain brighter patches of form in 2025 Another big positive for him will be the years’ worth of experience with the team the best ways of getting performance out of himself With the calendar also remaining untouched from last year there will be a season’s worth of data to rely upon this time around having post-season to immediately test items and findings from the 2024 season will have been a useful tool for Villagómez and the wider team in preparations for 2025 Putting learnings into practice this year will hopefully bring more consistency for both parties as they aim to climb the Teams’ Standings READ MORE: Gabriele Minì feeling momentum after “very positive” work with PREMA Racing The goal is clear for VAR as they aim to move up the Standings and achieve points finishes on a much more regular basis race winners in 2024 of course in the hands of Enzo Fittipaldi in Jeddah the Dutch squad will be eager to put learnings and lessons into practice from the word go Positive races for Villagómez early in 2024 will be a strong platform to build from this year With increased experience for the Mexican driver Van Amersfoort Racing have confirmed that Santiago Ramos will race for the team in the 2025 Formula 3 season completing their lineup for the upcoming campaign who will race alongside Théophile Nael and Ivan Domingues returns for a second F3 season after finishing the 2024 campaign 16th in the Drivers’ Championship with 44 points which came at the final round of the year in Monza where he finished second in the Sprint Race as well as a Pole Position at Imola with TRIDENT He is now set to race for VAR in 2025 and following the announcement the 20-year-old expressed his delight at returning for a second campaign Van Amersfoort Racing Team Principal Brad Joyce added: “We are delighted to welcome Santiago to our FIA Formula 3 team for the upcoming season We’ve followed his progress over the years and have been impressed by his skills and determination Santiago showed great potential during his rookie F3 campaign he will be able to reach his full potential with us We look forward to working with him and helping him continue advancing in his racing career." Van Amersfoort Racing have announced that John Bennett will see out the final two rounds of the 2024 Formula 2 season Bennett makes the step up to F2 after a strong campaign in the GB3 Championship where he finished second in the Standings with 11 podiums which included three victories The 21-year-old also took part in both Formula 3 post-season tests in Jerez and Barcelona for VAR and is now set to finish the F2 season with the team in Lusail and Yas Marina Bennett was looking forward to the challenge of stepping up to Formula 2 “Thank you so much to VAR for the trust they have put in me with this opportunity,” said Bennett I was able to take part in the F3 tests with VAR “The team and I feel that I am ready to take the next step in F2 and I can’t wait for the new challenge but I will be looking to learn as much as possible from these 2 rounds and achieve solid results with the team.” Van Amersfoort Racing Team Principal Brad Joyce added: “We’re excited to give John the opportunity to make his Formula 2 debut in the final two rounds of the season His journey in motorsport reflects the talent and determination we value at VAR “John has shown impressive skill and maturity particularly during the post-season F3 tests where he quickly adapted to the car and demonstrated strong pace This ability to adapt quickly combined with John’s professionalism has shown the team he’s ready for the challenge “We believe this move will be an important step in his development and we’re proud to provide him with the platform to challenge himself at this level.” Théophile Nael started his FIA Formula 3 career on the front foot earning a maiden Feature Race podium with P3 in Melbourne and the Frenchman has his sights set on a repeat this weekend in Sakhir The Van Amersfoort Racing driver proved competitive from the very outset in Australia but the challenge this weekend will be an altogether different one to the street circuit of Albert Park Temperatures are very different to those experienced during in-season testing and while he says the team were able to make progress across the three-day event the race weekend is an altogether different prospect considering the conditions it’s a bit too hot but everyone will be dealing with the same,” he admitted the track conditions are a lot different than during the test Nael said that the team will be looking to execute a clean weekend but the test means their approach is slightly different to normal With banks of data to look back on from testing and with everyone already familiar with the track itself but he has no illusions that he and VAR will still have to work hard for a good result “It’s going to be helpful for Qualifying especially I’ll be trying to put a really good laptime on the board But it’s a different approach to other weekends having run testing here a few weeks ago It’ll be similar to Melbourne for the rest of the season with just one Free Practice and then going straight into Qualifying “We have to keep working hard and putting things together in order to maximise our performance the stability and stability under braking is an improvement compared to the previous car so I think it’s going to be an exciting weekend here.” With the track surface more abrasive than other venues on the F3 calendar With the high temperatures expected across the weekend as Nael explained how he will have to adapt his approach to assess how the Pirelli tyres wear “My approach for the races this weekend will be to start the races slow and then lap after lap try to gain some positions while managing the tyres in the best possible way “The key will be to get the warm-up process right We’ll try to find the right window for the tyres with points the most important priority for him and VAR this weekend after taking to the rostrum in his maiden F3 weekend he has his sights firmly set on repeating the feat again in Bahrain We’ll try to score points but if a podium presents itself Three days of pre-season testing are in the books and Van Amersfoort Racing were happy with their preparations for Round 1 in Melbourne and the 2025 season overall The Dutch squad achieved a total of 553 laps across the Barcelona event between their trio of drivers despite the weather preventing a straightforward run plan for teams After stepping out of the car, rookie Théophile Nael was full of praise for his new team explaining that the team worked hard throughout the event to tweak the new Formula 3 car into a place they’re happy with going into Round 1 strong pace during the wet session and made a lot of changes with the team as well We’re pretty happy and we’re ready for the season “We learned a lot during these three days and I’m really happy I think physically the preparation we did with the team before coming here worked Teammate Ivan Domingues was equally pleased with their efforts around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya The Portuguese racer was satisfied the team had also gained good insights with their run programme to take back to the workshop Domingues added that while the test wasn’t smooth sailing from start to finish it was a confidence-building three days and they’re in a good place going to Melbourne especially with it being a new car,” he explained “I think we tested some good stuff that will be helpful in Melbourne but throughout the whole year “We had some issues across the first two days which prevented us from doing as many laps as we’d planned we got good enough information and we’re feeling confident with the team and I think it will be an exciting first race.” READ MORE: F3 Explained: The cutting-edge technology powering the all-new 2025 car Nael was the driver who completed the most laps for the team The Frenchman was full of enthusiasm after being able to sample the new car which he says is a step forward from what he sampled in the post-season tests last year He explained that the aerodynamic changes have had a tangible effect on the cars and that the bigger 16-inch Pirelli tyres will be interesting to monitor over the season I did some testing last year in the post-season test so I didn’t have many experiences with the F3 car There’s more downforce and the larger tyres “It’s helpful for the deg and the Wet tyres not something I thought about in the beginning Teammate Santiago Ramos is the only VAR driver with prior experience of the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne from his rookie campaign in F3 last year Domingues says he’s very much looking forward to racing in the southern hemisphere to kick off the new season with the opportunity to race on a Formula 1 weekend an exciting prospect too It will be the first time racing in Australia so I’m looking forward to that and racing on the F1 weekend It will be a very different environment to what I’ve had before After finishing seventh in the Teams’ Standings last season the objective is clear for all three drivers and the team overall: move up the order Having taken the data from testing and having time to analyse their work before jetting off to Australia VAR will be hopeful that 2025 can be a strong season filled with more points and podiums to build on the experience of last season the team looks well placed to go into the year on the front foot Van Amersfoort Racing will have a friendly face in the car in Ivan Domingues The Portuguese driver is preparing for his rookie campaign in FIA Formula 3 this season but is more than familiar with the team already “I’m very happy to have re-signed with Van Amersfoort Racing “It’s a very big step from what I was doing last year in FRECA being the first full-time Portuguese driver in the Championship it’s something that I’m very proud of and I’m looking forward to it “I’m not in that phase where a driver changes teams and they’re still getting to know everybody" “We’re working on a lot in all the areas that weren’t as good as they should’ve been last year So we’ll make sure we don’t make the same mistakes and we learn from them as much as we can.” the Portuguese racer added that it is a major benefit especially at this point in the year when other rookie drivers will be learning names and faces around the team still He says he is already up to speed of who’s who and that can only be a positive for him going into the pre-season test and the early rounds “I’m not in that phase where a driver changes teams and they’re still getting to know everybody We already have that working relationship established so that’s a very good thing and that makes things easier when you’ve known everybody for a long time already.” Domingues was in the cockpit for the Dutch team during the post-season tests last year an experience he said was extremely helpful in his adaptation to the Championship READ MORE: Van Amersfoort Racing banking on new faces to kickstart new era in Formula 3 While he openly admitted that the Jerez test was the tougher of the two the 2025 VAR driver added that Barcelona was a good confirmation that he was on the right path with his learnings at the team in F3 The first one in Jerez - it was the first time stepping up from FRECA to a faster car and I didn’t know the track It was my first time there and the rain made things a bit tricky in the beginning But that was all about learning the car and just building confidence We just needed to adapt a bit more to the usage of the tyre “I think that’s the trickiest part of F3 and the part I need to work the most and that’s what I missed the most in testing Those post-season tests were conducted with the last generation of F3 car All of the teams and drivers will currently be focused on pre-empting the new one as they await their first time in the 2025 F3 car in Barcelona later this month the tyres they will run on are new for 2025 as F3 switches to larger 16-inch Pirelli tyres Domingues is taking that switch as a positive and while he admits those with prior F3 experience might still be quicker to understand the new rubber rookies will be much closer that they would have otherwise been but improvements will come mostly with experience watching what people have done in the past and in last year’s races But definitely the thing that will help me the most is experience we won’t know how it will interact with the tyre so it will be a bit more of an equal starting point since nobody has tried them READ MORE: Van Amersfoort Racing finalise 2025 lineup with Santiago Ramos For sure the guys that are in their second or third year they will work them a bit better in the beginning because even though the tyres are changing the way they work probably won’t change much The rookies will be on a bit more of an equal starting point in my opinion.” Domingues says work will continue but the trajectory is a positive one for both himself and the team I’ve done a lot of physical preparation and spent a lot of time in the factory with the engineers and the mechanics learning more about the physics of the car and how it all works “It’s been all about that over the last few weeks but there’s definitely been progress over the winter.” Théophile Nael will be stepping up to FIA Formula 3 next season with Van Amersfoort Racing the team have confirmed Nael took part in post-season testing with the team and makes the jump up from Formula Regional European Championship The Frenchman began his racing career by winning multiple karting titles in France before moving into single seaters in 2022 winning eight races and taking pole five times across the season he raced in the Formula Regional Middle East and European Championships claiming wins in both and finishing 11th and ninth overall respectively Nael said that he was excited at the prospect of working with the team for a full campaign next year “I am delighted to join Van Amersfoort racing for the F3 season in 2025 I can’t wait to take on this challenge with the new F3 car It’s an honour to work alongside such a talented and historic team we will give our best on track and aim for great results!” Van Amersfoort CEO Rob Niessink added: “We are delighted to welcome Théophile to our Formula 3 team for 2025 He has already shown exceptional potential and a professional approach during the post season test days with us Stepping into Formula 3 is a significant challenge but we believe in his ability to adapt and thrive We look forward to helping him grow and achieve success in the upcoming season.” It could hardly have started much better in 2025 for Van Amersfoort Racing as the team secured a race victory and another podium finish in Melbourne to kick off the new campaign The Dutch squad earned a points haul that puts them second in the Teams’ Standings and Team Principal Bradley Joyce reflected on their Round 1 results and what the plan will be ahead of Sakhir in-season testing He praised Sprint Race winner Santiago Ramos and the Mexican’s mature drive to the top step, as well as Théophile Nael’s wet-weather podium finish in the Feature “We’re really happy with the results we’ve had this weekend for both Théo and Santi Santi winning yesterday and Théo’s podium in his first F3 weekend – we’re more than happy with that because he'd got himself a nice gap five-plus seconds in two laps “Every Safety Car restart is a lot of pressure it was difficult to manage in that race as well A strong result and in very tricky wet conditions that – for it to be your first race weekend “He was very quick in winter testing in the wet so we were hopeful that would show itself and would go on READ MORE: ‘I couldn't ask for anything better’ – Ricci hails ‘amazing’ Melbourne weekend for TRIDENT “The testing results probably didn’t show it but we were quite confident that we were understanding the car and thought that all three drivers have got a good chance of being in the top 10 if they have a good weekend hope and expect that they'll have more to come “We’ll be looking at Bahrain but also going through the data from Melbourne We’ve got a few days to do that and to work things out because it’s a new car for us on the F3-side Three points-scoring results out of a possible six for VAR matched what the Italian outfit achieved and they are 12 points clear of next-best AIX Racing going into the second race weekend of the year Joyce will be hoping they can recreate past form around the Bahrain International Circuit where the team claimed their maiden FIA F3 Pole Position in the hands of Franco Colapinto back in 2022 After a strong 2024 campaign in which they achieved several podiums and points finishes, Van Amersfoort Racing return in 2025 looking for more in Formula 3 VAR are bringing an all-new lineup to the grid, their three new F3 cars set to be driven by rookies Ivan Domingues and Théophile Nael, and second year returnee Santiago Ramos READ MORE: ‘Confident’ Ugochukwu aiming to fight at the front with PREMA Racing in 2025 having raced with them for the last two seasons They first linked up in the 2023 Italian F4 and Euro 4 categories before taking part in four races of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine he continued with the Dutch outfit for a full campaign in FRECA finishing 10th overall in the Drivers’ Standings He also took part in the two post-season tests in Jerez and Barcelona with VAR getting his first taste of driving a Formula 3 car across those four days The step up to F3 can be difficult for many rookies but what will help Domingues is that he is doing so in an environment that he is familiar with and in a team that knows him well That should help his adaptation to the Championship and in the way he can deliver feedback to the team about the new car The Portuguese driver will hope this helps both him and VAR make a strong start to the year in Melbourne this will be his first campaign racing with VAR but his acclimatisation to his new surroundings started at the post-season test The 17-year-old had enjoyed plenty of success in karting before making the step up to single seater racing in 2022 He then produced a dominant title-winning campaign in Spanish F4 in 2023 achieving 14 podiums which included eight victories Nael then competed in both the Formula Regional Middle East and European Championships in 2024 achieving four podiums across both categories finishing 11th in the former and ninth in the latter The Frenchman has returned to the Formula Regional Middle East Championship once again this year and in two rounds already has two podiums and is fourth in the Drivers’ Championship This should please both he and VAR as he will be coming into his rookie Formula 3 season having developed as a driver and also riding a good wave of momentum Nael will want to continue that at the pre-season test in Barcelona because if he can history has shown he is capable of delivering strong results Both Domingues and Nael though will be able to rely on the experience of Santiago Ramos who returns for a second campaign after making a good impression in his rookie season the Mexican achieved one Pole Position in Imola and a podium in Monza alongside several other points finishes ending the year on 44 points and 16th in the Championship But there were plenty of unlucky moments too for Ramos such as a collision with 2024 teammate Sami Meguetounif in the Barcelona Sprint Race while in the lead that cost him a potential victory He will want to be more consistent this year and avoid such collisions as he has proven that when he puts it all together READ MORE: DAMS Lucas Oil’s first Formula 3 lineup looking to start fast in 2025 His experience will also be invaluable to the team as they begin work on the new Formula 3 car and his feedback could make a big difference for VAR to start the year The Dutch team and the trio will be hopeful of realising their potential as Domingues Nael and Ramos all have several factors working in their favour VAR will be keen to climb up the F3 ranks having finished seventh last year and they will be confident that their 2025 lineup is the one to help them do so Timing is everything and more often than not being in the right place at the right time can decide a race or ruin one for a driver and team But when the entire field is working from an even playing field a single decision can be a greater difference-maker than usual So, for the second time in as many weekends, Enzo Fittipaldi and Van Amersfoort Racing pulled the strategy rabbit out of the hat for yet more points when things looked tough at lights out How did their decision to make an early pitstop on Lap 6 launch the Brazilian into points contention at Silverstone Before we get to the all-important decision Van Amersfoort and Fittipaldi made we have to look at the Qualifying session that led to their predicament in the first place Fittipaldi has an average Qualifying position of 17th as the team looks to have fallen away over one lap from earlier in the campaign the VAR driver confirmed that there was work to be done on their one-lap pace “We need to sort the car out for Qualifying and then we can be further up than we were today,” he confirmed on Sunday in Austria Their poor form is obviously exasperated with three quickfire rounds in succession but the team has gone forward in every single Feature Race and convincingly so they played the strategy game to perfection and Fittipaldi drove a smart race to maximise their chances of points in his own right more rain clouds gathered above Silverstone prior to the Feature Race getting underway Fittipaldi couldn’t make progress on the opening lap before the first Safety Car was deployed to recover a stranded Andrea Kimi Antonelli at Turn 3 But he was able to make up four places on the restart prior the second Safety Car period that opened up the strategic options With Joshua Duerksen’s AIX Racing car stuck in the gravel at Woodcote the Safety Car lasted until the mandatory pitstop window opened up at the end of Lap 6 just as the Safety Car was withdrawn for the second resumption of racing making the option of a pitstop less enticing as cars would be back to full racing speed rather than coasting behind the Safety Car therefore limiting the usual pitstop time loss READ MORE: Zane Maloney’s Silverstone weekend in his words Just two drivers elected to make their stops and switch to Hard tyres anyway with Trident’s Richard Verschoor leading Fittipaldi in as the rest of the field rounded the Vale chicane to get back to green flag running Their stops went smoothly and were the two quickest pitstops of the race with Verschoor’s time loss at 39.8s and Fittipaldi’s at 41.1s While the duration from pit entry to exit was only marginally quicker than the rest (the average pitstop time in the Silverstone Feature Race was 41.6s) it was the clear air and undercut advantage that proved to be most crucial to Fittipaldi’s race The Brazilian was able to avoid what was effectively another opening lap squabble for places as drivers fought hard for track position now in free air was able to bring his tyres in and start making up time compared to those ahead This is where the advantage really was for Van Amersfoort rather than cutting down on time loss in the pitlane Back on track on the Hard compound tyres to the end Fittipaldi set about closing down those yet to pit having emerged last of the remaining runners following the stop on Lap 6 Laps in the low 1:44s dipped into the high 1:43s at times as the laps ticked by and after clearing Verschoor on Lap 20 he went quicker still as he lowered the pace to the mid-to-high 1:43s range He was at times on a similar pace to Isack Hadjar and Victor Martins who were fighting for the effective race lead on the conventional strategy ahead WATCH: Chasing the Dream Season 6, Episode 9 – Out Today As those ahead made their stops and switch from Hard to Soft tyres Fittipaldi was gradually bumped up the order and into the top 10 with six laps to go He stayed the course and was eventually promoted to P8 as the final stops were made and the strategy game played out and he brought home two unlikely points for VAR after a difficult weekend for the team While there is no doubt that P8 is not the prize Fittipaldi or VAR are looking to fight for it was yet another demonstration of the Brazilian’s F2 experience paying off as he guided himself into position to profit from unlikely range Rafael Villagomez will continue to race in Formula 2 with Van Amersfoort Racing for a second season in 2025 The Mexican driver will be entering his fifth year with the Dutch team after his backers helped facilitate its expansion into F2 and FIA Formula 3 in 2022 when he twice finished 25th in the standings he stepped up to F2 last season and scored points on four occasions with a seventh place in the Melbourne feature race his best result Villagomez describes this season as an “important year for myself and the team” “Towards the end of the year things started to shape up better so I’m looking forward to carry on,” he said “A lot of work has been done over the winter so I’m looking forward to start testing [in] Barcelona.” Villagomez has been joined in the team since the final two rounds of the 2024 season by GB3 graduate John Bennett Enzo Fittipaldi had been his team-mate for most of last season and went on to test with McLaren’s IndyCar team in November He has now committed to racing outside of single-seaters in 2025 with a deal to race in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Series alongside Pipo Derani and Manuel Espirito Santo “We’re excited to have Rafa stay with our F2 team for the upcoming season,” said Brad Joyce “He made significant progress last year Established in 2011 and previously found at PaddockScout.com Formula Scout is home to regular news and features from the world of junior single-seater racing tracking the progress of future grand prix stars We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns John Bennett will step up to FIA Formula 2 in 2025 with Van Amersfoort Racing the team have confirmed Bennett took part in the final two rounds of the 2024 season for the Dutch team scoring points in Lusail and then drove for the team during post-season testing around the Yas Marina Circuit The British driver made his single seater debut in 2022 racing in the GB3 Championship before making his Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine bow in 2024 Bennett also drove for VAR during the post-season Formula 3 tests in October Speaking about his step up to Formula 2 for 2025 the British driver said he was raring to get going with the team after his outings in 2024 for the Dutch outfit “I am delighted to be racing with VAR in Formula 2 for 2025 Thank you to the team for all their support His progression through the final rounds of the 2024 season demonstrated his ability to quickly adapt in challenging conditions We look forward to supporting him throughout the season as he continues to grow and compete at one of the highest levels of motorsport.” The Nazis banned Amersfoort native Mondriaan and the degenerate jazz but here were Deborah Brown The Amersfoort World Jazz Festival (AWJF) has recently celebrated its 45th anniversary making it among the oldest jazz festivals in Europe the well-preserved medieval centre of Amersfoort hosted many concerts which has been run for the last 25 years by Dutch saxophonist Alexander Beets also hosts an international conference for the partners of the World Jazz Network Networking is more crucial than ever for the music industry as it helps professionals build relationships Kicking off on Wednesday evening at the Observant an ancient monastery beautifully restored in 1982 the festival opened with an evening dedicated to Dutch Jazz legends The gig could be perfectly summed up as “old folks playing good old standards” some timeless classics such as Lulu’s Back In Town also with his take on Cole Porter’s I’ve Got You Under My Skin – though it was actually guitarist Vincent Koning who got me under his strings with his solo Switching from the outdoor patio to the indoor concert hall (Schutter) the second set of the evening featured bassist Edwin Cornelius and vibraphone player Frits Landesbergen for a mix of standards and originals Keeping the same drummer as the first band Cornelius and Landesbergen also explored the art of the duo before returning to the quartet format Hans Dulfer concluded the evening with a funky set reminiscent at times of his famous daughter Candy Returning to the stage after a period of absence due to health issues the renowned jazz saxophonist delivered an impeccable set notably thanks to the bluesy riffs of guitarist Jerôme Hol With top-notch soloists grooving on very danceable tunes Hans Dulfer and his white saxophone blew the blues away Supporting young talented musicians is one of the aims of the World Jazz Network the laureates occupied the various stages on the following days for full-length concerts running in parallel With musicians giving such high-quality performances there was no choice but to hop between the various venues While the young Dutch saxophonist Femke Mooren was introducing her quartet at the Theater De Lieve Vrouw the Joy of Africa programme outside – set against the backdrop of the magnificent 15th century tower – featured both South African and Dutch musicians That programme was not that captivating but the laureates featured at the Theater De Liewe Vrouw namely Femke Mooren’s quartet and the quartet co-led by pianist Daniel Bulatkin and vibraphonist Miro Herak showed a great sense of interplay and musical innovation As one of the international artists in residence US vocalist Deborah Brown – who has spent years living in the Netherlands and Belgium – took part in various gigs and master classes throughout the festival as she did at the Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival last year the Kansas City native played notably on the first night with Peter Beets and Houston Person in a trio format before joining the main outdoor stage on Saturday as part of the Edison Jazz Night also featuring great soloist Teus Nobel (recipient of the Edison prize not the Nobel one) and crooner Dennis van Aarssen illuminated the beautiful Lieve Vrouw square with their arrangements of standards from the Great American Songbook it should come as no surprise that some brought their exotic instruments Such was the case for the Indonesian band Vertigong and their leader’s instrument It consists of a series of small gongs placed horizontally onto strings in a frame that can be easily dismantled for travelling the quartet – sometimes featuring a guest vocalist – was a nice invitation to Indonesia and its many islands notably Maratua and its Jazz & Dive Fiesta Another unusual instrument was featured at the Sint Aegtenkapel a venue particularly well suited for intimate concerts Such was the case with Bulgarian bassist Vasili Hadjigrudev and Hristina Beleva who introduced her string instrument called a gdulka they captivated the audience with originals and arrangements of Bulgarian traditional music The other central European country featured was Hungary a traditional Hungarian zither played by Helga Debreczeni As the ethnic backbone of the Vertigo Collective quartet the strings of the citera sounded just great alongside the saxophone Hearing the familiar melody of Bluesette from the city’s carillon I felt inspired to visit Piet Mondriaan’s house Just as Hieronymus Bosch came from the eponymous city close by the abstract art pioneer was born in Amersfoort and his native house has been turned into a museum Before he discovered jazz during the last years of his life spent in New York Mondriaan’s art was exhibited by the Nazis as an example of Entartete Kunst (degenerate art); they considered both his art and jazz music as degenerate Hoping such dark times would never rise again (though I’m not sure of that) I returned to the festival to attend the only concert hosted at Sint Joriskerk The Protestant church is a perfect setting for a piano meets organ concert with Peter Beets and Mike Boddé switching roles between the 19th century organ and the Steinway inviting to their jam session saxophonists Sanpond and the so-called Mr Saxman The four-day festival clearly demonstrated the two Thai musicians’ fondness for this kind of exercise The sun having been on our side throughout the long weekend Inviting various friends on the main stage for his Director’s Choice programme Alexander Beets recalled how the festival had grown from being one of many local Dutch festivals to being today a self-named Musicians’ Paradise it’s not only a paradise for the musicians but also for the listeners Amersfoort World Jazz Festival, Utrecht, The Netherlands, 14-18 August 2024. amersfoortjazz.nl © Unless otherwise indicated, all content copyright Jazz Journal 1948-2025 Ivan Domingues will step up to the FIA Formula 3 Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing this year The Portuguese driver has been with VAR since 2023 when he finished 11th in both the Italian and Euro 4 series He also contested the last two rounds of that year’s Formula Regional European Championship with the team ahead of a full campaign in 2024 He would claim two podium finishes last year on his way to 10th in the standings said Domingues “has shown great results and determination” during his last two years with the team “We’re confident he’ll be a fantastic addition to our lineup and we’re excited to work together to achieve more good results on track again and be part of his development,” he said Domingues is the second driver confirmed for VAR’s F3 line-up for 2025 alongside former FREC rival Theophile Nael “I feel very positive and confident about racing with VAR for the 2025 season in the FIA F3 Championship,” said Domingues “It will be my third year with the team and I can’t wait for the start of this new challenge.” Driving alongside Domingues and Nael at VAR for the majority of post-season testing last autumn was John Bennett who has since stepped up to Formula 2 with the team Jesse Carrasquedo did drive on one day in Nael’s place in the opening test at Jerez though he went on to do both days of the Barcelona test with AIX Racing – which still has two vacancies in its line-up alongside Javier Sagrera Bennett started out in saloon cars in 2020 in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge finishing as the runner-up in 2021 with five victories and 10 podiums in total He then moved over to single seater racing in 2022 taking part in three seasons of the GB3 Championship his 2024 campaign proving the most successful as with 11 podiums which included three victories Bennett then stepped up to take part in the final two rounds of the 2024 FIA Formula 2 season with Van Amersfoort Racing finishing eighth in the Lusail Feature Race He will now take part in a full campaign with the Dutch outfit in 2025 Miyata and Bennett penalised after Jeddah Sprint Race Bennett loses fastest lap after Jeddah Qualifying Highs and lows but the signs are positive: Van Amersfoort Racing Pre-season Roundup Van Amersfoort Racing 2025 Season Preview: Targeting a charge up the order which has involved multiple teams and search dogs as local authorities focused on various locations in the region but authorities remain vigilant for any new leads another search operation will be initiated," said Abdeslam we are holding out hope that we will find him soon." Ahmed was last seen near the Ganskuijl area in the Dorrestein district and authorities have urged local residents to review their surveillance footage to see if he appears in any of the images including volunteers from the local Moroccan community as well as others Efforts took place near the A28 highway in Leusden earlier searches were conducted in Ede by the Veteranen Search Team Between 80 and 90 volunteers have joined the search efforts assisting in the region and in nearby areas Abdeslam expressed his gratitude for the outpouring of support "We are very thankful for the help," he said The police are asking anyone with information about Ahmed’s whereabouts or anyone who believes they may have seen him to contact them immediately Tips can be submitted via the police hotline at 0800-6070 they are advised to stay nearby and call emergency services at 112 Ivan Domingues started out in UAE and Italian F4 finishing 16th and 15th respectively before returning to the Italian Championship in 2023 to improve to 11th He also finished 11th in the Euro 4 Championship that year He moved up to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2024 finishing that season 10th overall and taking two podiums across the year He steps up to FIA Formula 3 in 2025 with Van Amersfoort Racing Ugochukwu and Domingues penalised following Sakhir Sprint Race Van Amersfoort Racing Team Principal Bradley Joyce on the team’s Melbourne weekend Satisfied with the data: Van Amersfoort Racing Pre-Season Round-Up Ivan Domingues hoping for early season advantage with Van Amersfoort Racing familiarity Authorities and family members are intensifying efforts to locate Ahmed Oulad Sedik who has been missing from his Amersfoort home since Monday afternoon has described the situation as a “nightmare” and has called for public assistance in finding him The police have classified the disappearance as an “urgent missing persons case.” Ahmed may be on foot and was last seen wearing a long blue coat He is described as having a light complexion The Veteranen Search Team joined the effort on Tuesday expanding the search area to include the Dodeweg area in Leusden "The search continues to develop," a police spokesperson said urging anyone with information to contact them immediately via the emergency line 112 or the anonymous tip line at 0800-6070 Ahmed suffers from dementia and psychological issues, making him particularly vulnerable and family members believe he would not willingly leave familiar urban surroundings “We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received including around our parents’ house in the Soesterkwartier and near the train station.” who was temporarily in Morocco for a wedding “But they always took such good care of him,” Abdeslam added A shop employee reported seeing someone matching Ahmed’s description in the city on Tuesday “This gives us hope that he is somewhere in the city which has heightened concern for his health and well-being during his time missing Abdeslam explained that teams of 40 to 50 volunteers have divided into groups to search areas where Ahmed might have sought shelter or any hidden places where he could be,” he said a family member is expected to use a drone to assist with the search “We hope to find him today in good health,” Abdeslam said The Amersfoort Police apprehended ANC Chief Whip in connection with corruption relating to RDP houses on 18 December, Standerton Advertiser reports “Mr Obed Thulani Shabangu (41) was arrested at his home,” Const Thuli Zwane “Mr Shabangu appeared in the Amersfoort Magistrate’s Court on 18 December and was remanded in custody,” Brig Augustine Mngomezulu said He will return to court on 20 December for a formal bail application Read original story on standertonadvertiser.co.za 2024 Photo: DepositphotosThere were widespread problems for rail commuters on Friday morning as ProRail workers went on strike at key parts of the network in the centre of the Netherlands disrupted train services around Utrecht and Amersfoort and had knock on effects on services to Schiphol the disruption is likely to continue for several hours as services get back to normal International trains to Germany are using a different route and the journey make take longer International trains to Brussels and France are not affected The Hague and Roosendaal network will be hit and on Wednesday Eindhoven and Maastricht will be targeted Groningen and Arnhem will take centre stage The timing of those strikes has not yet been confirmed The FNV has called for a 13% rise for ProRail workers who take care of safety and maintenance issues on the network with 7.9% for people on the lowest salaries The sector’s current pay and conditions agreement expired in July We could not provide the Dutch News service without the generous support of our readers Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days We could not provide this service without you Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey The body of a 58-year-old who had been missing since last week was found on Thursday in Amersfoort, RTV Utrecht reported. Ahmed had gone missing a week ago on Monday His body was found by a passerby on the Genestetlaan in the nature area Klein Switzerland The person who found the body notified police immediately who then closed off the area before starting a forensic investigation Several of Ahmed’s relatives came to the nature area this morning after it was announced that a body had been found The family had been searching throughout Amersfoort for days and said that they had also already looked in this area The man suffered from Dementia and was mentally handicapped the family was very worried when they saw that he was not home and hundreds of volunteers helped to search for Ahmed Amersfoort residents are only allowed to light their wood-burning fireplaces if the weather conditions allow smoke to dissipate quickly Amersfoort is the first large Dutch city to take this measure At a first offense, the involved resident will get a warning and an explanation for why the measure is in place. Subsequent offenses will result in fines of between 400 and 800 euros. The municipality set up a “stookwijzer” to show when locals can light their fireplaces Amersfoort wants to protect residents from inhaling the harmful substances in wood smoke. “The smoke from a wood fire contains a lot of particulate matter and other harmful substances. These not only pollute the air outside, but also the air in the house. This is harmful to your neighbors, but also to yourself and to your housemates,” the municipality said Locals will not be allowed to light their wood-burning fireplaces if the stookwijzer is on code orange or code red - when there is a high chance of smoke remaining in the air due to humid weather or little wind The city will only respond to reports of wood-fire burning if it receives a report If a wood-burning fireplace is lit under code red or code orange conditions but the neighbors have made mutual agreements about this “Wood burning has a large number of disadvantages Our tip: don’t buy a wood stove to heat your house.” “In an increasingly densely populated city like Amersfoort, it is important that people take each other into account,” Amersfoort alderman Johnas van Lammeren (Environment, PvdD) told NOS. Residents with lung conditions like COPD and asthma suffer a lot if their neighbors light their wood stoves in poor conditions. The fines are mainly intended to help locals who cannot reach an agreement among themselves, Van Lammeren said. © 2012-2025, NL Times, All rights reserved. 2024 Photo: Depositphotos.comA school in Amersfoort has urged parents not to let their children cycle to school alone after one of its pupils claimed he had been “surrounded” by wolves The boy had been on his way to the Van Lodenstein College a week ago when he encountered several wolves which he said went on to “surround him” According to messages on a parents’ Whatsapp group the boy had fallen off his bike and the wolves had then “trodden on him” School head Gertjan van Belzen told the parents in an email the boy had come to no harm but that children should not cycle on their own in the area between the Veluwe and the Utrechtse Heuvelrug Maurice La Haye of animal charity Zoogdiervereniging said it would be remarkable if a group of wolves had gone for the boy at that particular location “Reports about the Utrechtse Heuvelrug concern a single wolf, which has been dubbed Bram. Bram is always alone and is mainly interested in walkers with dogs. And we have not seen hide nor hair of him in a month and a half,” he told the Telegraaf. In August the provincial authorities advised pupils under 10 not to cycle in the Utrechtse Heuvelrug unaccompanied following several incidents, including one involving a three-year-old girl who had allegedly been bitten by a wolf on a school outing. Earlier a man walking his dog said a wolf had taken his dog. A later investigation showed the wolf may have pushed her to the ground but the girl had not been bitten Utrecht province has been told it will have to find quiet areas in which wildlife “These areas are vital for biodiversity,” Partij voor de Dieren councillor Jesseka Bateau told the AD “The arrival of the wolf is a reminder that we need to make more space for wildlife,” she said The proposal, backed by VOLT, PvdA, SP and GroenLInks, was passed in the provincial council by a majority of one vote. The BBB, which along with VVD, CDA and SGP voted against, is in favour of “making the Netherlands wolf-free” There are some 11 wolf packs in the Netherlands at the moment, latest figures from wolf monitoring body BIJ12 show plus at least two solitary wolves. We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day. Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days! We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here. Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey. Health alderman Johnas van Lammeren of the animal rights party PvdD said that “in an ever more crowded city people should be more considerate of each other” The fumes from wood burning stoves are detrimental to sufferers from lung disease and asthma Owners can check on a dedicated website if they can fire up their wood burners for instance in damp or windless conditions People who have an agreement with their neighbours will be allowed to use their stoves without repercussions even if the code is orange or red The council will only intervene in the event of a complaint The council will then arrange a visit to explain the ban persistent perpetrators can be fined up to €800 The measure has not yet been checked to see if it is legally viable, but Van Lammeren said the new environmental law which came into effect in January this year “I expect other local councils will follow suit,” Van Lammeren said Noel León’s fight back in the second half of the season continues as the Van Amersfoort Racing driver achieved yet another podium finish The Mexican driver talks through each session with us recapping another strong weekend as his goal of getting higher up the Drivers’ Championship table gathers steam The car felt good and obviously we didn't do so many laps because we were saving tyres for the weekend but I was quite happy with my pace and the pace of my car I was pretty happy with the balance of the car as well We were thinking about things because there was a lot of sun but the team did a great job adapting to the hotter conditions.” “It's a shame that the last push I was not able to finish but super happy with my second push and to be able to be in the top five all the others were going quite quick as well it was possible to be on pole but super happy with my pace READ MORE: Fornaroli confident heading to Spa after ‘positive’ Budapest weekend “It was super difficult and also everybody was saving tyres because in the past the degradation was so big in Budapest they were saving tyres and trying to push at the end but with these new compounds and temperatures we experienced so I think everybody was quite surprised with there being no deg I had anti-stall so that made me lose a lot of positions I was feeling comfortable with the car and in the Feature Race we can do something good.” I knew it was going to be all about the start I put myself in a good position to make a place but obviously it's not that way you want to be in P2 "Now I am really close to the top 10 of the Championship that's my main objective for the season The team has had a great car there over the past few years To be honest I wasn't expecting to be on the podium in Budapest looking at the results of the team last year I was going to be happy coming out of the weekend with a top 10 it's the great work of all the engineers and mechanics that gave me a great car Patrolling police officers discovered the accident at around 1:30 a.m on Monday when they noticed tire tracks and vehicle parts on the edge of the water on Stadsring A closer inspection revealed the car in the water and various police vehicles responded to the scene Rescue workers pulled the three young men from the car and tried to resuscitate them The police are trying to figure out what happened They asked witnesses or anyone with relevant footage from surveillance “We hope that people who live near the Stadsring have camera footage that shows something,” a police spokesperson told the Telegraaf “Or maybe there are people who woke up around 1:30 a.m That already helps to reconstruct the timeline of the accident.” Van Amersfoort Racing rookie Noel León is beginning to find his feet in Formula 3 earning a podium and top five finish in the most recent two rounds It’s about time we got to know the Mexican driver better how he relaxes away from the track and how inspirational Sergio Perez has been on his career “My first racing memory will be when I was five years old It was a race in my hometown on my birthday My father gifted me a go-kart and then I was off to do my first race I was waiting until I was five to be able to compete and have a kart and my dad had said when I was five I could have one.” a little bit smooth but aggressive at the same time I love to do overtakes from a fair distance back it’s a bit difficult because you need to have good tyre management and if you do moves all the time and I think our careers have been quite similar It’s incredible to watch him at the top of F1 I started watching when he was in for a few years I remember him in the orange and white cars WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST RACING ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR “My biggest racing achievement would be the Euroformula Championship last year It’s the biggest moment in my career so far To be in my second year in Europe and to win a Championship gave me a lot of confidence for this year so hopefully I can continue to put it all together and do well this year too.” READ MORE: Street food, summer and city life: Noel León on his hometown of Monterrey WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A RACING DRIVER Sometimes the flights can be too long though.” My dad has a racing team in Mexico in go karts so every time I’m not racing I’m there in the kart or doing something related to racing When I was younger I played a lot of soccer but then I chose racing.” READ MORE: 2024 rookie report so far: Early contenders and points to improve WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK ON THE F3 CALENDAR I was really excited to go there and discover the city Red Bull Ring is also really special because I did a really good race there last year too.” ProRail will work on the track around Amersfoort Centraal station all summer The seven-week work will start on Saturday travellers will have to take into account fewer or no trains and will have to travel around or take a bus ProRail is renewing the track and switches at Amersfoort "one of the busiest connections in the Netherlands," according to the rail infrastructure manager The consequences for passengers will vary per work phase people between Amersfoort and Schiphol or Amsterdam will have to travel via Utrecht Central Station and will take the bus to Baarn Amersfoort will be virtually inaccessible by train until the end of July travel by rail via Arnhem Central Station to Deventer with an almost completely inaccessible Amersfoort Centraal again until August 18 Replacement buses will be running during the last days of the work the P+R area Piet-Mondriaanplein at Amersfoort Centraal will not be available because the replacement buses will have to park there NS will place fifty extra public transport bicycles so people can cycle to and from the central station Road users who want to cross the Galecopper bridge of the A12 motorway near Utrecht must consider closures on the weekend from Saturday the bridge will be completely closed from 8 a.m Rijkswaterstaat warns that the bridge will also be closed on July 20 Road users heading towards Arnhem can take a detour via the A1 The extra travel time will be up to sixty minutes Traffic heading towards The Hague will not be affected by the roadwork and can simply drive over the bridge The roadwork is part of the large-scale renovation of the bridge which will last until the middle of next year a new construction will be placed on the eastern tower of the bridge in the direction of Arnhem pipes will be placed between the bridge deck and this new construction The new steel cables will run through these pipes in the future the bridge is increasingly being burdened by heavier freight and car traffic The steel cables that support the bridge deck also show signs of rust formation in the direction of Arnhem maintenance is necessary to ensure that the bridge can be used safely in the future The Galecopper bridge is the second busiest bridge in the Netherlands The bridge has been under construction for a long time narrower lanes and a reduction in the maximum speed to 70 kilometers per hour The NS is warning that travel plans for people traveling by train will be severely impacted by the strike at the railway company ProRail on Friday morning Train traffic will be at a standstill between 6 and 9 a.m Employees at the traffic control posts in Amersfoort and Utrecht will stop working during the strike these places form "the heart of the Dutch railway.” There will be no trains to and from Amersfoort and Utrecht on Friday morning The railway company also warns that travelers in large parts of the country will have to deal with the consequences of the strike Travelers to Schiphol and cities such as Leiden and Almere will also experience inconvenience Travelers are advised to view the travel planner shortly before departure International train traffic will also be affected by the strike The company expects problems for the intercity to Berlin travelers should expect delays and train cancelations for the whole morning Train traffic throughout Noord-Holland and parts of Utrecht and Flevoland was already at a standstill on Wednesday due to the strike ProRail employees will strike next Monday in the Rotterdam on Wednesday in the Eindhoven and Maastricht regions and on Friday they will stop work in the Zwolle It is not yet known what these strikes mean for travelers We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website and to ensure we show advertising that is relevant to you. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our use of such cookies. You can change this and find out more by following: or train traffic to and from Amersfoort Central Station resumed on its normal timetable on Monday morning The first train left the station at around 5:00 a.m The trains aren’t completely back to normal yet Fewer intercity trains are running between Amersfoort and Amersfoort Schothorst until 3:30 p.m on Monday due to work that took longer than expected Amersfoort Central Station - one of the busiest stations in the Netherlands, as it connects the Randstad with the north and east of the country - was virtually inaccessible over the past seven weeks. Travelers had to detour or take a bus, often resulting in up to an hour of extra travel time, according to RTV Utrecht Over the past seven weeks, rail manager ProRail renewed over 700 kilometers of cable completely replaced 5 kilometers of railway It also renovated the security systems in and around Amersfoort this major renovation was done in 1,172 hours of non-stop work more comfortable and faster than ever,” a ProRail spokesperson said ProRail encountered several disruptions during railworks around Amersfoort that it hasn’t resolved yet train traffic won’t restart around Amersfoort on Monday morning “A number of disruptions have remained in the work area,” a ProRail spokesperson explained “We are now trying to resolve them with all our might It is possible that we will have the green light in an hour We advise travelers to keep an eye on the travel app.” No trains have been running around Amersfoort for two weeks The plan was to restart train traffic around Amersfoort from Monday Amersfoort is one of the busiest junctions in the Netherlands The station connects the Randstad with the North and East of the Netherlands there will also be no trains around Amersfoort