Giedo Van der Garde - new driver interview

Van der Garde: "World Series is the perfect match for Formula One"

Giedo Van der Garde has been confirmed by Victory Engineering as one of team's drivers in the 2007 World Series Formula Renault 3.5 Championship, just days after the young Dutchman's appointment to third driver for the Super Aguri F1 Team.

How did you get the deal with Victory Engineering?
"My test in Valencia was really successful. The team and I worked perfectly together. Victory has proved to be a top team and I'm confident that this year we will achieve some good results."

What do you expect to learn from World Series?
"As a professional driver I expect a lot because the World Series Formula Renault 3.5 car has a very nice package, especially the balance between the power and the chassis. You can do a lot of mileage with the car, and it has shown itself to be a real proving ground for drivers who want to succeed in Formula One. In this sense, I spoke to Vettel (Sebastian), who attended some World Series races last year and who will be one of the strongest title contenders in 2007, and he told me that both categories go quite well together."

How do you feel becoming the third driver for a Formula One team?
"I feel really happy with this challenge and I want to thank everyone who supported me in achieving this goal. Formula One is the dream for every professional racer. I have a lot of SMS and phone calls congratulating me about my new job! It has been a very busy weekend for me!

Obviously it is going to be a busy year for you. How are you going to combine these two challenges?
"My priority is Formula One and as a third driver I will have 1h30 of track time on the Friday of each Grand Prix. World Series is a good match with an F1 testing role because it keeps you in action all the time, and you race at some really good tracks.

When will you make your first ever outing in a Formula One car?
"It will be in Valencia, on 30 January."

-credit: renault