Being a neighbor of one of your idols. For driver Calvin de Groot (21) from Hoorn, this weekend became reality. When he participated in the Nürburgring Langstrecken series (NLS) in Germany, none other than Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was next to him in the Pitbox. And that attracted a lot of attention.
“To experience him up close, is very cool,” says De Groot, who was just the neighbor of Verstappen. “It’s great that such a greatness and fame in sport drives for the same championship as you. And that he does it outside of his busy schedule is megavet.”
The green hell
The Nürburgring Nordschleife, the circuit on which the NLS is being driven, is known as the ‘green hell.’ This has to do with the difficulty and danger of the 24 -kilometer circuit through the green forests. No fewer than 110 cars participate in the race, largely manned by amateur drivers.
It is therefore special that a quantity such as Max Verstappen, which normally comes out in the royal class of Formula 1, appears at the start. With his debut in the NLS, he immediately realizes that status: he leaves with the win.
Although there are fewer professional teams than in 24-hour races, De Groot concludes that the victory of Verstappen is still clever. “Not crashing is already a big challenge. There are also a number of experienced men. But not to collapse under that pressure with your debut is very clever.”
It is not the first time that De Groot has been the Formula 1 champion. Earlier this year he is already bumping into the same circuit, if Verstappen gets his A license to be allowed to ride (24-hour races) on the Nürburgring. “It was in the early morning, so I still had a messy head. But when I saw him, I thought: what did he do here? It soon became clear that he was going to drive.”
And just like on the track, Verstappen passes him again this time. “That was funny. All those years you look at him and now you stand next to him. That is very cool.”
Comparisons with Verstappen
Just like Verstappen, De Groot starts his motor sport career through Karting and he soon knows what success is. For example, at the age of 19 he takes a podium place during hisDebut op Zandvoort. He also wins the NXT GEN CUP last year, a complete electric racing class for up -and -coming racing talent between 15 and 25 years old.
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In his class, De Groot is second in the NLS. “I’m still a bit of a rookie,” he says. “In the meantime I am increasingly experienced. Last game I was between four and six seconds faster than the rest of my class. So I am taking nice steps.”
For De Groot there is one big competition on the program this year: the tenth and last competition of the NLS. Whether he will find Verstappen more often on the track? “I think he wants to participate in the 24-hour race on Nordschleife next season,” says the driver. “So I expect him to come more often. He doesn’t get such a license for nothing.”