For the first time a Dutch woman in a Formula 1 car
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Max Verstappen is not the only Dutchman getting behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car this week. Driver Stéphane van Poppel-Kox has already competed in an Alpine, making her the first Dutch woman ever to test an F1 car.
The 29-year-old Van Poppel-Kox is the daughter of racing driver Peter Kox and has followed her father’s slipstream. In addition to her racing career, she also worked as an F1 pit reporter at ViaPlay for a while. It was the combination of these jobs that enabled her to bid for a place in Formula 1 this week.
Won a karting competition among F1 journalists
When she was still working for ViaPlay, Alpine organized a karting competition for journalists. The jackpot? Actually a test drive in a real Formula 1 car. With all her racing skills, Stéphane managed to win three of the four races and so this week she had an Alpine F1 car waiting for her.
Check out this post on InstagramA post shared by Stéphane van Poppel – Kox (@stephanekox)
Yesterday it happened. While the Formula 1 car warmed up at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, the driver first got behind the wheel of a Formula 4 car to warm up. “That wasn’t the first time I did that. In 2013 I drove in Formula 4 for a year,” says Stéphane van Poppel-Kox in an interview with Autovisie.
Loud Formula 1 car from 2012
The F1 car that the Dutch were allowed to tame dates back to 2012. Back then it wasn’t a tame V6, but a loud V8. After a short Instruction (because it is a complicated piece of technology) Stéphane was the first Dutch woman ever to drive a Formula 1 car. “In the first few laps you just don’t know what’s going to happen to you,” explains the still confused Van Poppel-Kox. “It’s so impressive.”
“In terms of sound, it’s still the right thing good business.” According to the Dutch driver, this is the ideal Formula 1 car for her to try out. “They still have the classic F1 sound, but at the same time it’s a pretty modern car.” In 2014, two years after this car entered the championship, the switch to the current V6 engines took place.
Check out this post on InstagramA post shared by Stéphane van Poppel – Kox (@stephanekox)
In addition to the sound of the F1 car, they were particularly impressed by the downforce and the brutal acceleration and braking power. “The car slows down so much that you hardly know what’s going to happen.” There was no fear, but there was a healthy tension.
“I got everything out”
“I only had two drives in the F1 car and drove around six laps in total. I looked at the data with my father and am very satisfied. You definitely want to put the Formula 1 car through its paces. Despite the short time frame with the Alpine, I think we succeeded. I made the best of it.”
“My father said beforehand: Stéphane, enjoy it, because no one else gets this chance. So I did that too.” The driver and former pit reporter writes on her Instagram account: “What a great day, I’m still shaking.” A detailed report about the adventure can be seen next Sunday on ViaPlay, where The Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix will also be broadcast.
Source: Auto visie
I’m Jamie Bowen, a dedicated and passionate news writer for 24 News Reporters. My specialty is covering the automotive industry, but I also enjoy writing about a wide range of other topics such as business and politics. I believe in providing my readers with accurate information while entertaining them with engaging content.
