The second season of A1 Grand Prix has already got off to a flying start, with event organisers experiencing an overwhelming demand for tickets for the first race in The Netherlands on 1 October. Additional grandstand tickets released this week have already been snapped up by enthusiastic fans, with over 50,000 tickets sold so far.

Grandstand tickets for the race at Zandvoort Circuit Park sold out in just five days, leaving event organisers trying to increase grandstand capacity. At a meeting with A1 Grand Prix last week, management at the Zandvoort circuit and A1 Team Netherlands agreed to build extra grandstands to help address the shortfall in spectator seating and increase the capacity of others.

Several thousand additional grandstand tickets were put on sale on the A1 Grand Prix web site on Tuesday 18 April. However, within a matter of hours, many of these extra seats had sold out.

With most of the grandstand seats gone, a huge number of fans will be desperate to purchase General Admission tickets and get a place in the Dunes for a chance to see the A1 Cars in action around the Dutch circuit.

Speaking about his team's home race, Jan Lammers, seatholder of A1 Team Netherlands said, 'I'm delighted that A1 Grand Prix has been received so enthusiastically in Holland, and the huge support that A1 Team Netherlands has here is reflected in the overwhelming demand we have seen for race tickets. The Zandvoort circuit and community, together with A1 Team Netherlands and A1 Grand Prix are putting together a great event for the whole weekend, with parties and events all over the city. I can't wait for October when we have the chance to race in front of grandstands packed with patriotic fans.'

Chairman of A1 Grand Prix, Sheikh Maktoum said 'Hopefully these extra grandstand seats will go some way to addressing the huge demand for tickets that we have experienced so far. Our expectations that this race would be received well in Holland have proved to be correct, and I think we can expect a great season opener when A1 Grand Prix arrives in Zandvoort for the race on 1 October.'