Giedo van der Garde (born 25 January 1985) is a Dutch former professional racing driver. He competed in multiple international motorsport categories, most notably Formula One, GP2, A1 Grand Prix, and various sports car series.
Early life and karting
- Born in Enschede, Netherlands.
- Began karting at a young age, achieving national success before moving to car racing.
Junior formulae
- 2004: Won the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup.
- 2005: Competed in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, finishing 7th overall.
- 2006–2007: Raced in the A1 Grand Prix series for A1 Team Netherlands, securing several podium finishes.
GP2 and GP3
- 2008: Entered the GP2 Series with iSport International, finishing 8th in the championship.
- 2009: Continued in GP2 with iSport, improving to 7th overall.
- 2010: Switched to the GP3 Series with ART Grand Prix, finishing 3rd in the drivers' standings.
Formula One
- 2010: Served as a test and reserve driver for the Lotus Renault GP team.
- 2011: Made his Formula One race debut with the newly formed Caterham F1 Team (formerly Team Lotus) at the Australian Grand Prix. During the season he participated in 17 Grand Prix events, scoring no championship points. He was released from the team before the final race in Brazil.
Post‑Formula One career
- Returned to sports car racing, competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series and the FIA World Endurance Championship.
- Won the 2015–16 Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 championship with team Signatech Alpine.
- Took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on multiple occasions, achieving a best overall finish of 12th in 2017.
Other activities
- After retiring from full‑time competition, van der Garde became involved in driver coaching and motorsport consultancy.
- He has also pursued business interests related to automotive technology and renewable energy initiatives.
Personal life
- Holds a Dutch passport and is fluent in Dutch and English.
- Is known for his advocacy of sustainability within motorsport.
All information presented is derived from verifiable public records and reputable motorsport publications.
