As Formula 1 fans prepare for this weekend’s upcoming Dutch Grand Prix, which runs from August 25-27, race-goers can now have the option to purchase a digital collectible directly from their Dutch Grand Prix (Dutch GP) app. claim. over the course of the race weekend, according to a press release shared with nft now.
This digital collectible will be updated in real-time with elements representing part of the Zandvoort circuit, alongside a stunning ‘Trackside Treasure’ design with visuals that showcase the uniqueness of this weekend’s upcoming race.
With an expected turnout of over 100,000 fans and ticketholders at the Dutch Grand Prix, F1 looks set to gauge ticketholder interest in interacting with Web3, without necessarily knowing they’re dealing with a new technology, thanks to ticketing company GET Protocol.
“Because every fan has direct access to their digital collectible, the experience is fully integrated into our pre-existing digital landscape. With a recently renewed website and [mobile] app we give fans even more to experience. And these collectibles are exclusive to ticket holders,” says Teun Verheij, Head of Marketing at Dutch GP.
How it works
What makes these digital collectibles different from the many other releases we’ve seen that force users to get more technical than they want or understand is:
- The distribution of the Zandvoort Grand Prix is directly linked to the issue of the Dutch GP race ticketAnd
- Each collectible is individually connected to unique coordinates of the Zandvoort circuit.
This allows each competitor to take home one of the many sections of the circuit – from the famous ‘Tarzan Corner’ to the remarkably fast Hunse Ridge.
All race-goers need to do is buy 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 Dutch GP app that ticket holders are already familiar with and easy to use – common sense that others should have followed before in the many futile attempts to ‘get on’ the average person into Web3.
No technical expertise required. No knowledge of what ‘Web3’ means or what an ‘NFT’ is. Just be there, log in and enjoy the race.
“We believe that new technology should be frictionless and add sustainable value, which this integration of our blockchain tools at the heart of the Dutch GP app demonstrates. Providing every racing fan with a Web3 wallet and a collector’s item without any complexity is an achievement I’m proud of and sets a new benchmark for the industry,” said Maarten Bloemers, CEO of GET Protocol.
The Web3 strategy
For those reasonably familiar with the evolution of Web3’s innovations, the magic happens behind the scenes in creating a ‘custody wallet’ for each race participant. 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 linked to the participant’s race ticket.
The ticket provider and event-related application (CM.com) simply link their own user ID to the created wallet, allowing full exploration of digital asset sending and receiving, all the way through token-gated activations by the organizer of the event. event are set.
To maximize the experience of F1 fans before, during and after the race weekend, the distribution strategy consists of:
- Unlocking a ‘wrapped’ (hidden image) of their digital collectible in the Dutch GP app once all race tickets have been personalized by CM.com.
- Revealing their ‘packaged’ collectible directly from the Dutch GP app revealing the artwork and unique racetrack coordinates, representing a specific part of the track.
- Each individual digital collectible will be updated in real time on race day (August 27) and show a specific highlight related to the part of the circuit represented by the unique coordinates they have – from a ‘stealth takeover’ to the ‘highest measured speed at that spot.”
- Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Zanvoordt circuit by choosing 75 racing fans who will each receive a different unique collectible.
“We are pleased to facilitate this activation, which demonstrates the power of accessible Web3 innovation for mainstream fans. We believe that new technology should be frictionless and add sustainable value, which this integration of our blockchain tools at the heart of the Dutch GP app demonstrates. Providing every racing fan with a Web3 wallet and a collector’s item without any complexity is an achievement I’m proud of and sets a new benchmark for the industry,” emphasizes Bloemers.
Other F1 Web3 powered initiatives
While this isn’t F1’s first experience in digital collectibles, this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix does serve as the international organization’s largest offering of digital collectibles to date – directly to token holders attending an event.
In 2021, Crypto.com became F1’s first official crypto sponsor in a reported $100 million deal. The company subsequently became an official title partner for the F1 Miami Grand Prix in February 2022 for the next nine years.
McLaren Racing and OKX
In May 2022, McLaren Racing partnered with crypto exchange OKX in a multi-year deal reportedly worth “hundreds of millions” of dollars, according to a Blockwork report.
F1’s Crypto Trademarks
Later in 2022, F1 filed a series of crypto-related trademarks for the abbreviation F1 referring to further Web3 strategies, as we have come to see.
Williams Racing
Earlier this month, British F1 team Williams Racing teamed up with crypto exchange Kraken, allowing race-goers to submit and vote for a selected list of NFTs that would be featured on the race cars at the US Grand Prix in October.
The Platinium group of the F1
In May, F1’s main ticket provider, Platinium Group, partnered with Elemint to issue NFT race tickets on Polygon to visitors to 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 company Mysten Labs in a multi-year agreement to create new ‘immersive experiences’ for F1 fans and teams.
As for F1’s latest research into Web3 ahead of the Dutch GP, Verheij says this launch is part of the “general approach to tap into the new world of fan experiences…[w]We love interacting with our fans and with these collectibles we give them something extra as a reminder of a fantastic race festival experience.”