F1 Dutch Grand Prix Unveils Ticket-Linked Digital Collectibles

As Formula One (F1) fans are getting ready for this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, which runs from August 25 to 27, attendees will be able to claim a digital collectible directly from their Dutch Grand Prix (Dutch GP) app, according to a press release shared with nft now.

This digital collectible will update in real-time with elements that represent part of the Zandvoort racetrack, in addition to a beautiful ‘Trackside Treasure’ design with visual elements that showcase the uniqueness of this weekend’s upcoming race. 

With an anticipated attendance of 100,000+ fans and ticket holders during the Dutch Grand Prix, F1 appears to be gauging ticket holders’ interest in interacting with Web3, without them necessarily knowing they are interacting with a new technology, thanks to ticketing firm GET Protocol. 

“With every fan having direct access to their digital collectible, the experience is completely integrated in our already existing digital landscape. With a recently renewed website and [mobile] app, we are giving fans even more to experience. And these collectibles are exclusively for ticket holders,” said Teun Verheij, Head of Marketing at Dutch GP.

How It Works

What makes these digital collectibles different from the many other drops we’ve seen is:

1. The Zandvoort Grand Prix distribution is directly linked to the issuance of the Dutch GP race ticket.

2. Every single collectible is individually connected to unique coordinates of the Zandvoort racetrack. 

This, in effect, allows for each attendee to take home one of the many sections of the track – from the famous ‘Tarzan Corner’ to the strikingly fast Hunse Ridge.

For race attendees, all they have to do is purchase their race ticket through CM.com and then claim their digital collectible in the Dutch GP app, which they should already be familiar with. 

Once they log into the app, their collectible will automatically appear in their user profile – and that’s it. 

And it’s all done through the native Dutch GP app that ticket holders are already familiar with and comfortable using – common sense that others should have been following previously in the many futile attempts to “onboard” the average person into Web3. 

No technical expertise needed. No knowledge of what ‘Web3’ means or what an ‘NFT’ is. Just attend, log in, and enjoy the race. 

“We believe new tech should be frictionless & add sustainable value which this integration of our blockchain tooling into the heart of the Dutch GP app showcases. Providing every race fan with a Web3 wallet and a collectible with zero complexity is an achievement I’m proud of and sets a new benchmark for the industry,” says GET Protocol CEO Maarten Bloemers.

The Web3 Strategy

For those who are fairly familiar with the evolution of Web3’s innovations, the behind-the-scenes magic is done through the creation of a ‘custodial wallet’ for every single race attendee. Instead of the user having to manually create or enter their own wallet address, GET Protocol generates a unique collectible on the spot, which is then immediately issued and tied to that attendee’s race ticket. 

The ticket provider and event-related application (CM.com) just link their own user ID to the created wallet, which allows for full exploration into sending and receiving digital assets all the way through the token-gated activations setup by the event organizer. 

To maximize F1 fans’ experience before, during, and after the race weekend, the distribution strategy consists of:

1. Unlocking a ‘wrapped’ (hidden image) of their digital collectible in the Dutch GP app once all race tickets are personalized by CM.com.

2. Revealing their ‘wrapped’ collectible directly from within the Dutch GP app that reveals the artwork and unique race track coordinates, representing a specific part of the track. 

3. Every single digital collectible is updated in real-time on race day (August 27), showing a specific highlight relating to the part of the track that is represented by the unique coordinates they have – from a “stealthy take-over” to the “highest measured speed on that spot.”

4. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Zanvoordt circuit by choosing 75 race fans who will each receive another unique collectible. 

“We are thrilled to facilitate this activation that shows the power of accessible Web3 innovation for mainstream fans. We believe new tech should be frictionless & add sustainable value, which this integration of our blockchain tooling into the heart of the Dutch GP app showcases. Providing every race fan with a Web3 wallet and a collectible with zero complexity is an achievement I’m proud of and sets a new benchmark for the industry,” Bloemers emphasized. 

Other F1 Web3-powered initiatives

While this isn’t F1’s first experience in the digital collectibles space, this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix does serve as the international organization’s largest offering of digital collectibles to date – directly to token holders in attendance of an event. 

In 2021, Crypto.com became the first official crypto sponsor of F1 in a reported $100 million deal. The company then became an official title partner for F1’s Miami Grand Prix in February 2022 for the next nine years. 

McLaren Racing & OKX

In May 2022, McLaren Racing partnered with crypto exchange OKX in a multi-year deal that is reportedly worth “hundreds of millions” of dollars, according to a Blockworks report. 

F1’s Crypto Trademarks

Later in 2022, F1 filed a series of crypto-related trademarks for its F1 abbreviation that hints at further Web3 strategies, as we’ve started to see. 

Williams Racing

Earlier this month, British F1 team Williams Racing partnered with crypto exchange Kraken that allowed race attendees to submit and vote for a selected list of NFTs that would be displayed on the race cars during the U.S. Grand Prix in October.

F1’s Platinium Group

In May, F1’s primary ticket provider, Platinium Group, partnered with Elemint to issue NFT race tickets on Polygon to attendees of The Monaco Grand Prix. 

Oracle Red Bull Racing

In June, Oracle Red Bull Racing, home of fan-favorite driver Max Verstappen, partnered with Web3 infrastructure firm Mysten Labs in a multi-year deal to begin creating new “immersive experiences” for F1 fans and teams. 

As for F1’s latest delve into Web3 ahead of the Dutch GP, Verheij says that this launch is part of its “overall approach in tapping into the new world of fan experiences…[w]e love to interact with our fans and with these collectibles we are giving them something extra as a reminder of a fantastic race festival experience.”