In the section ‘Reader on pole’, a subscriber is extensively featured in every edition of FORMULA 1 Magazine about their passion for Formula 1. This time: Peter van Eijk from Maarssen, subscriber since 1995 and retired food operator. “Every race weekend I hang the flags outside.”
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Peter van Eijk with part of his collection
– How did you start following Formula 1?
“I was about ten years old and something has always attracted me to the sport, I just don’t know exactly what. My first encounter with Formula 1 was when René Arnoux ended up in the tire barrier at Zandvoort. I am simply addicted to Formula 1. I have been following and watching everything for about 58 years.”
– What is your most impressive Formula 1 moment?
“The death of Ayrton Senna. I was always for Prost, but I was never against Senna. I really cried then. I empathize deeply with the sport. My passion for Formula 1 is so strong that I have cried over several races. When Max became world champion, I also cried.”
– Who is your favorite driver?
“Max Verstappen. I have never met him, but I have seen him at the Jumbo race days. He always gives one hundred percent. On the track, but also off it. Max has sometimes been wrong with his opinions, but it’s sometimes a matter of feeling, of course.”
– Which Formula 1 car would you like to drive once?
“The Benetton-Ford of Jos Verstappen (photo above). That was a very beautiful car to see, also in terms of color. The sound and the appearance, those were things that appealed to me.”
Collection
– What kind of collection do you have?
“I started with scale models of Formula 1 cars. But now I also collect clothing, helmets, books, and posters. I think I have almost all of Max’s helmets. I believe I have about 30 helmets and 65 cars. There is something everywhere in the house and I enjoy it every day. I am proud of it.”
– What is your favorite item?
“The 1:8 scale model of Max’s car when he won the Spanish Grand Prix in 2016. That is really my showpiece. I bought it for €3,000. It comes with a certificate and Max’s signature.”
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– What does your wife think of your collection?
“She thinks it’s fine. The only thing she has a problem with is the space, not so much the money. She thinks it’s my money. I sometimes tell her: ‘Yes, this is the last one’, but then she already knows it won’t be the last. I think I have spent about €15,000 on my collection. If Max hadn’t been there, it wouldn’t be this big.”
– Do you do anything special during a race?
“Every race weekend I hang the flags outside. I have a flag from Ford, Pirelli, and various flags of Max. I started doing it once and I really like it. If I don’t hang the flags outside during a race, someone rings the doorbell or knocks on the window. I then let them wave all day.”
Zandvoort
– What is your favorite circuit to visit?
“Zandvoort. I have been there the last three years and this year I am going with my wife. Then I can show her what I have loved all these years. I have also been to Spa-Francorchamps a few times, but Zandvoort is closer.”
– Which circuit would you like to see on the calendar?
“The Nürburgring. That is a very beautiful circuit. In the past, some Formula 1 races have been held there and I would like to see that once. I would only try it first on the short circuit, because the long track drains the whole battery.”
– Which driver would you like to spend an evening with?
“Fernando Alonso or Charles Leclerc. Just go out to eat somewhere. Alonso has humor. You always see him smiling in front of the camera. I really think Leclerc is a racer. I just wish him well. I would like to know, for example, what they do when they really need to go to the toilet during a race.”
– Who will become world champion?
“Max, the team will still give him a winning car and he will enjoy racing again. Otherwise, Kimi Antonelli will become champion, because I see George Russell breaking. Antonelli is still in the learning phase, but he will become the first driver at Mercedes this season. He is a real racer and Russell is not. I am a bit anti-Russell. I find him a bit sneaky. He speaks out when Max makes a mistake, I don’t find him collegial.”
*If you as a subscriber also want to participate in this section, please send an email to: redactie@formule1.nl with the subject reader on pole.
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