There’s a real chance that he will lead the field again next week at the Dutch GP in Zandvoort. No, not Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, or Max Verstappen, but Bernd Mayländer. Indeed, the man behind the wheel of the safety car. There are few drivers who have seen Max Verstappen in their rear-view mirror as often…
As the driver of the safety car, the German has not only been part of the paddock for a quarter of a century, but also part of Max Verstappen’s racing life for ten years. The Dutchman is one of the many greats who Bernd Mayländer has often seen in his mirrors as he once again led the field to guide drivers safely around a circuit. As an FIA employee, he will, as is proper, always be neutral in his judgment of any driver. But respect? Appreciation? Mayländer certainly has that for the reigning and now four-time world champion.
‘Max is very open’
“I have contact with everyone at some point, but in relation to the safety car, Max is one of the drivers who from time to time asks why something happened the way it did, whether it can be different next time, etc. He is open, I can talk to him well. I like that. The same goes for many other drivers. Don’t forget that I often know many drivers from Formula 2 and 3.”
Making it to Formula 1 as a racing driver was never in the cards for Mayländer. According to him, it was also ‘never really realistic’. So, just a dream then? “Of course, I thought it was great, but I always had a lot to do with the touring car classes.” No wonder then that he ended up in the DTM, you might say. “I still remember how I got an offer from Mercedes in 1994 to drive DTM as a professional car driver. Fantastic.”
During that time, Mayländer came across Christijan Albers, among others. The German achieved some great successes, not least of which was winning the 24 hours of the Nürburgring in 2000, only to make his Formula 1 debut later that same year. But then as the driver of the safety car, at the request of the late Charlie Whiting, the former race director of Formula 1.
