Q&A with Giedo Van der Garde

You got your first taste of the car at the Jerez test earlier this month. Take us through that experience from your perspective.

The most important thing was to get familiar with the team and the car because it’s been a long time since I was in a car. For five months I didn’t do anything, so it took a bit of time. But we did some programmes with the steering, we did some launches, we did some work with the DRS and some work with KERS, because this is new for the team this year. At the end of the day we did quite well I think. We did have a few minor problems before lunch with the exhausts – two of them were cracked – so we had to jump out for a bit, but overall it was a pretty good test for me.

There’s a lot more to cope with in a Formula One car than in GP2, so how long did it take you to get comfortable with all the systems and also, physically, was the car more difficult to deal with?

Physically it went pretty well. Of course, I felt the strain on my neck a bit the day after, but that’s normal I guess. Mentally, though, there is a lot more to deal with – a lot! You have many more buttons on the steering wheel to get used to, a lot more to take in and a lot more to take care of in general. There are a lot more people around too! But again that’s what Formula One is all about and I’ll get used to it, for sure.

What about working with the team – how has that been? This is as close as you’ll get to a race environment for the moment so describe what it’s like working with this team?

The whole team is incredibly positive. It’s very impressive for a relatively new team. Everybody seems to be working really well together and there is a very carefully structured plan for what you have to do during the day. You get a briefing in the morning and after that you get the plan of runs and then you go for it. I think everyone is just really excited to be heading into a new season again. The mechanics are working really hard; the engineers seem really on top of things. So, for me it’s great. I’m feeling very happy with the situation.

Do you feel that this is somewhere where you could finally make the breakthrough?

For sure. I’ve worked very hard to get here. There have been ups and downs, you know, that’s inevitable. But the past few years have been quite stable. I won the Formula Renault 3.5 championship a couple of years ago. I had some very good results in GP2 last year. I just had a bit of bad luck at the end of the season but it was a pretty good year I think. It’s going well. I’m getting close I think. Obviously I would love to race in Formula One. This is a good step up and hopefully next year I can make it through.

Those ’down’ days can be really hard on a driver, especially as the competition throughout the junior series is so tough. How do you lift yourself to keep pushing?

The goal is everything. That’s what keeps you going. I was really young when I started in karts and straightaway I won the Dutch championship. From that moment on I said: ‘I want to reach Formula One’. There was nothing else for me. And I’m close now. I’m still young and the goal is still there. You don’t have a long time in racing, you’re pretty much done by the time you’re 40, although if you look at Michael Schumacher he’s still in there and still competitive, but you need to make the most of your opportunities. After you stop racing, you have to move on to other things but if you do well in racing then you can enjoy life. That’s the goal.

How do you know that this is the thing you are meant to do? What gives you the confidence to believe you can have that kind of successful racing career?

Because every time I jump in the car I’m fast! I think I have the ability. Of course, Formula One is relatively new to me but I think the pace will come. I just believe in myself and in my ability to get there. You have to have that belief.

What’s the feeling like when you put all those things together, when you get in the car, you nail the fastest lap, you prove you are the quickest guy out there?

Oh, that’s the best! You work hard, you train hard, you do a lot of mental preparation and then when you jump in the car that’s just the best feeling because that’s your passion. When you grab pole or win a race that’s the ultimate reward for all the work you’re putting in.

You’re the only Dutch driver in F1. Does that bring any pressure from back home? Do you feel like you’re carrying those hopes on shoulders?

There are a lot of people supporting me, and it looks like there are a lot of people in Holland happy that a Dutch guy is back in Formula One, even though I’m not racing. But I’m up there, so there have been a lot of positive reports coming from fans and from the media about it.

How important is it for your confidence to get that feedback from fans and the media?

It’s really important. There’s a lot of social media going on now, much more than a few years ago and, yeah, it’s good to see that. It’s very positive. You have a lot of fans on Twitter, you have all the websites, newspapers and magazines and they are all pretty positive so far. I’m pretty happy with it.

Has a driver’s role changed then? Is it now as much about representing yourself and the team and connecting with fans as being able to drive?

It’s very important. These days it’s not a case of turning up at a track and simply driving the car. That’s obviously still the biggest thing but alongside that you have to be a pleasant guy, you need to work hard on the media side. But you always have to be normal and be yourself I think.

Describe yourself in three words?

Fast, ambitious, enjoying life. So, four!

And sum up the team in three words?

Positive. Ambitious and… what’s the word? There’s one word that describes what I want to say: that they want to move forward, that they have a goal and want to succeed. There is a word but I’ve forgotten it! Driven? Maybe that’s it – driven.