Ex-Formula 1 driver Giedo van der Garde retires

Former F1 driver, and more recently sports car driver, Giedo van der Garde, has announced his retirement at the age of 38.

Van der Garde said a desire to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family was behind his decision to hang up his helmet.

“I have had the privilege of following my passion since childhood,” said van der Garde. “It was a fantastic time. I became world champion twice and was able to fulfill my dream – to reach Formula 1.

“I am grateful to everyone who was involved in my career and helped me, especially my parents, my father-in-law [Dutch magnate Marcel Boekhoorn] and my wife Denise. Without them I could not have done what I did.

“Although I was still competitive every race last year, I would like to spend more time with Denise and our three children. I have also become increasingly active as an entrepreneur and investor, as well as Viaplay’s F1 analyst. I want to devote more time to that as well.

“I therefore look back on my racing life with pride and look forward to the future with great pleasure!”

He is best known for driving in Formula 1 for the Caterham F1 team in 2013 and joining Sauber as a reserve driver in 2014

As Max Verstappen joined Formula 1 in 2015, Van der Garde was a usual guest in several Dutch TV shows to talk about Verstappen in Formula One. In December 2021, it was announced that he would join the analyst team of Viaplay from 2022 onwards.  At the new Dutch sports channel, Van der Garde is accompanied by other analysts such as former Formula One driver Christijan Albers and racing driver Tom Coronel.