Live from Budapest with Giedo van der Garde

Giedo, you had a rather complicated qualifying session with the appearance of rain at the beginning, which complicated your strategy. You started sixth on the grid and finished the race in fifth. What are your thoughts on the start of your weekend?

« It was a complicated weekend. Throughout the weekend, we had a very good rhythm. During free practice, we tried something and it worked quite well. But in qualifying, I was rather unlucky because I set a time with my first set of tires, then during my second stint, nothing was working anymore. The balance of the car completely changed. So we had a lot of understeer with this second stint. So I set exactly the same time as with the first set. The problem is that almost everyone improved, except me. »

And in the race?

Our race today was pathetic. Our strategy was really good, but Esteban Gutierrez blocked me the whole way because he was so slow at the start. It’s really a shame. If I had managed to be in the top four at the beginning of the race, I could have finished second or third on the podium today. I made a very good comeback in the middle of the race; I was the fastest on the track. Tire management is getting better and better every weekend. But our year has not been easy so far.

Since Silverstone, Pirelli has provided an additional set of tires. Due to the rain in England and Germany, this is the first time you have been able to use this new set of tires. Has that changed anything for you?

Honestly… (laughter and smiles understood) Yes, we have an extra set of tires, but you have to return this set at the end of the free practice. It would have been much better to keep this extra set throughout the weekend as it would have provided many more options. However, we are forced to go from soft to medium or medium to soft during the first race. It’s tough because all these tire changes, it’s not easy for the guys. For us, it would be better to change only two races. But hey, those are the rules, and we have to accept them.

More generally, how do you feel about the start of your season? You are fourth in the championship but quite far behind the top two. What have you lacked to be at the very top?

To be honest, at the beginning of the year, I wasn’t supposed to do GP2. Normally, I was only supposed to focus on F1. But the team asked me to do GP2 and help them progress because last year, they had two inexperienced drivers and it didn’t end very well. They had a lot of ups and downs. Some weekends they were there, some weekends they were nowhere. So it was quite tough for them. They placed me there because I have quite a bit of experience. They wanted me to help make the team more stable. The goal was at least to score some victories or at least finish often on the podium. I think I’m achieving that now. If we look at the first three weekends, we were nowhere, absolutely nowhere. We completely changed the car, the balance of the car as well. Now, we have one of the top five cars. So we’ve gone from nothing to one of the best teams. The team is still young, it’s progressing. We understand the car and the tires much better. So I’m quite satisfied with what we’ve done. Now I hope we can compete with the best because in the end, you never know what can happen.

What exactly is your role within the Caterham F1 team?

The team is currently in the process of moving to a new factory in Leafield. They are going to start the simulator there because they built one. The coming month will therefore be complicated for the guys with the move. But I think it’s a good decision they made. It will be a much larger factory, there will be more infrastructure to work on. So I’m sure I will have to work for them. But let’s not forget it’s still a young team. They are still building themselves, like the GP2 team.

How is your role as a third driver at Caterham different from what you experienced in the same role at Spyker and then Force India?

It’s completely different. Here, we are dealing with true professionals. At the time, the choices we made were not necessarily always the best. We got into conflict with them because they didn’t respect the F1 mileage that was planned in the contract. But here everything is fine. I still have five Friday tests to do as well as two days reserved for young drivers. I am therefore delighted with my situation here because I can show my potential and prove that I know how to be fast. I hope that I can race here next year.

Being in GP2 prevents you from participating in Friday tests with F1. Have you thought about going to another category to have even more testing opportunities with Caterham F1?

«Not at all. The only other solution is to go to the World Series by Renault. I’ve already been there, I was a champion there. So it would have been a bit stupid to return. I am happy with the current situation. The GP2 team managers are happy, even the F1 bosses are happy with the results and the way we work together. So I am delighted. »

What is the objective by the end of the season? And beyond?

For this season, the goal is to score as many points as possible, to win one or two more races, and to be in the top 3 or 4 by the end of the season. I would be very happy with such a final result. After that, I will need to fully concentrate on F1. It’s going to be a long season, but that’s what I have to do. Of course, next year, I want to race here.

When you say here, do you mean at Caterham F1 or with another F1 team?

«Yes, absolutely. They are happy, I am happy. I have very good relations with the management. The goal is therefore to be in the race here next year. We will see how it goes.»

From our correspondent in Budapest