Giedo van der Garde believes that sometimes people overlook just how exceptional Max Verstappen is as a driver. According to van der Garde, the Japanese Grand Prix perfectly demonstrated Verstappen’s true talent. Understandably, the Dutch are proud of the performance of their fellow countryman.
On Saturday, Verstappen surprised everyone by securing pole position with his RB21, defying expectations. Despite a challenging start to the weekend, where many had anticipated a McLaren driver would take pole, Verstappen delivered an exceptional lap, extracting more from the car than anyone thought possible. The international media couldn’t stop praising his performance, and Giedo van der Garde fully agrees.
“Friday, the free practice also didn’t go very well. In free practice 1, he was still reasonably competitive, but in free practice 2, he was really lacking”, said Van Der Garde with Dutch media Oranjezondag. “But we also know that Red Bull, and also Max’s feedback, is just very good. And they can find a setup that works right away for Saturday.”
According to Van der Garde, Red Bull made the difference during the third free practice session on Saturday. “They were able to fine-tune a lot in FP3. And then suddenly he’s back in such a qualification.”
Verstappen lifts the winning trophy after the Japanese Grand Prix
Verstappen reigns superior in Japan
The former Caterham Formula 1 driver was impressed with Saturday’s pole, too. “You also saw his last sector: right on the limit, as close to the wall as possible to drive fewer meters. Yes, that is so brilliant especially on this circuit when you then end up on the pole, you just need to have a good start and then you can win such a race.”
Therefore, is Max Verstappen the difference-maker? “Don’t get me wrong, if you look at his teammate, who finished twelfth. When you see that Max just won such a race, a huge difference. Max is simply superior, sometimes we forget that in the Netherlands, but this guy is incredibly good.”
This article was written in collaboration with Kim Hoefnagel
