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The Caterham CT03 was undeniably the most stunning car on the grid in 2013. Its eye-catching green and yellow livery was nothing short of a masterpiece. However, it did come with one significant drawback: it struggled to maintain speed on the track. Despite this limitation, Giedo van der Garde managed to impress during the qualifying rounds for the Monaco Grand Prix, achieving a remarkable feat by reaching Q2.
The Magic of Monaco
For Giedo van der Garde, qualifying in Q2 was a personal highlight of his year. “The euphoria I felt after was incredible! The team principal was jumping around like a child in a candy store. He couldn’t believe that this Dutch guy managed to get such a poorly performing car into Q2,” he recalled with joy.
In a special edition of the CLASSIC segment in FORMULA 1 Magazine, we explore the extraordinary narratives of the sixteen Dutch F1 drivers. Together with van der Garde, we reflect on that unforgettable day—both the thrilling afternoon under the sun and the lively night that followed in Monaco.
Celebration Aboard a Yacht
After finishing the race on Sunday, where he crossed the line in fifteenth place, Van der Garde finally had the chance to celebrate the memorable weekend in style. The venue? A lavish party aboard his father-in-law Marcel Boekhoorn’s yacht, which was brimming with jubilant guests. Even Kimi Räikkönen, who was racing with Lotus, made a surprising appearance.
Van der Garde shared, “The party was wild. My father-in-law and family had invited around one hundred guests. There were plenty of my friends, a singer, and even a DJ. At one point, we were all on the tables dancing and having a blast at three in the morning!”
Kimi and the Rock Band
However, the festivities took an unexpected turn when Räikkönen’s yacht docked right next to theirs. “He yelled over to me, ‘Hey Giedo, we have a rock band from F.comand here. Can you please turn the music down a little?’ Naturally, we obliged. But what we didn’t expect was that this ‘rock band’ was blaring heavy metal music at an outrageous volume!” Van der Garde laughed.
As the Finnish band got into the groove, the noise escalated, prompting Marcel and Giedo to exchange glances indicating it was time to return the focus to their own guests. “So we turned our music back up,” he said, chuckling at the memory.
Moments later, Räikkönen made his way over once more, asking, “Hey Giedo. Great party! Can I join?” Van der Garde recalled. Laughing, he described how the Finnish driver attempted to jump from his boat to theirs but missed, landing right in the water below. Eventually, he did manage to come aboard, drenched and sporting a black eye. “Let’s party!” he exclaimed. Truly unforgettable!”
The excitement and high spirits lasted late into the night as they celebrated at the marina in Monaco, creating memories that would last a lifetime.
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