Van der Garde astonished by Verstappen: 'He completely missed his braking point'
Co-author:Norberto Mujica
Nicole MulderManaging Editor
Nicole Mulder is Managing Editor at GPblog and a specialist in Formula 1 and MotoGP. With years of experience and permanent FIA accreditation at Grands Prix worldwide, she delivers reliable coverage and insights based on direct access to drivers and the F1 paddock.
Max Verstappen had a notable moment during the first free practice in Zandvoort. The Dutchman appeared to overshoot in the Tarzan corner after a trial start, but, according to Giedo van der Garde, there was more to the incident.
Van der Garde spots rare mistake by Verstappen
At the end of the practice, the drivers had the opportunity to make a practice start.
Van der Garde saw how Verstappen erred: "I had the idea that he was looking in the mirror, and when he looked ahead again he realized he was too late.
"He locked the right front and shot straight into the gravel trap. After that, you are simply a passenger."
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The former F1 driver emphasizes that such mistakes are part of pushing the limits.
"He was looking at how late he could brake. This can happen, and it's better now than on Sunday."
According to Van der Garde, Verstappen did everything to minimize the damage: "He got out, tried to remove gravel and checked if there was any damage. He didn't hit the wall, so it will probably be okay."
Nevertheless, the Dutchman was surprised by the power relations at the front of the field.
"The gap with the McLarens I found quite big. Nine tenths at Zandvoort, where Max is always very good, that's a lot."
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Verstappen started strong at his home weekend and was at the top of the timesheet for a long time, but that picture changed halfway through the session.
On the medium tires, he had to conceed only to Oscar Piastri, while especially McLaren impressed on the soft tires. Eventually, Verstappen was almost a second short on Lando Norris and finished the session as sixth.
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