Former racer Gijs van Lennep has his own views on the rules in Formula 1, especially when it comes to Max Verstappen. He says, “Max is a racer after my own heart. In other words, he’s an old-school racer. Uncompromising and ruthless.”
“Max is a jack of all trades. He masters all aspects. Let’s be honest, he has received the best possible training from his father since he was four, he has the racing genes of both his parents, and on top of that, he’s super intelligent. Not streetwise, but racewise. Max always goes all out, but he rarely crosses the line. And the times he did, he learned from it. It’s these kinds of experiences that have made him so incredibly good.”
Van Lennep on Verstappen’s Fortunate Escapes
Van Lennep adds, “Let’s not forget that Max Verstappen has had some incredible luck. Do you remember that crash in Monaco in 2015? He was lucky to hit the tire barrier. Normally, he would have been dead. And the crash at Silverstone in 2022 was the same. Some so-called experts said he experienced 52G. That seems unlikely. The tires absorbed some of the impact, it’s a springy affair. Trust me, at 52G, nothing in your body stays in place and you’re dead. Well, you have to be lucky as a driver. And Max is. The fact that he walked away unscathed from Silverstone is because both the circuits and the cars have become much safer in recent years. Perhaps too safe.”
Van Lennep on the Safety of the Sport
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s good that the sport has become safer, but risks are part of racing. Formula 1 should not become a chess match. In the past, the sport was too unsafe, but nowadays I sometimes feel that they are going overboard at the FIA. What do I mean? Racing involves track limits, but not white lines or kerbstones with asphalt behind them. In the past, we had grass or a gravel trap and every mistake was fatal, in the sense that you lost positions or the race. Now they get away with everything. That often annoys me.”
