Renowned for his scientific approach to sports, Jac Orie, the successful speed skating coach of Team Essent (which includes athletes such as Joep Wennemars and Suzanne Schulting), closely follows the data-driven sport of Formula 1. “I have used Max Verstappen as an example for my own athletes,” says the coach, who is back on the ice at Thialf today for the final day of the Olympic qualification tournament.
– Jac, what particularly appeals to you about Formula 1?
“The principle of ‘what gets measured gets managed.’ As little as possible is left to chance. The entire car is filled with sensors and the like. What I find impressive is that there are drivers like Max Verstappen who can perfectly sense everything and translate that to the crew to adjust the car and its settings. I find this interplay between human and machine fascinating.”
– A similarity with speed skating is the mental resilience required of the athletes. Max Verstappen is praised for often making the right decisions under pressure and bringing out the best in himself. You also deal with this in speed skating.
“Absolutely. In some cases, mental resilience is innate, but in all cases, it can be trained. However, you must be open to it and have the courage to make changes. Athletes have certain ‘copying styles’ that serve as a safety net. Letting go of these is often the first step towards improvement. Sometimes they only take this step halfway, by building in some certainty. Well, that won’t make you a world champion. It’s better to fall flat on your face trying something, because that’s how you learn. In elite sports, it’s about recognizing the need to innovate yourself. And that takes courage.”
“I don’t know Max Verstappen personally, but like other champions, I believe he thinks in black and white, without getting too bogged down in nuances. If you’re afraid to lose, winning becomes very difficult. Max dares to take risks. If you do that often enough, from a young age, and also accept the occasional mishap, then your learning curve is much steeper. He has learned a lot because he dares to expose himself. And with that approach, he also impresses others, so it works doubly. He just draws that to himself. In speed skating, I saw the same in someone like Sven Kramer. It’s difficult for the opponent, who then shrinks a bit, especially if they’re on the other end of the spectrum. I have sometimes used Max as an example to my own athletes, because I am very charmed by his black-and-white approach, so by his uncompromising attitude.”
“Without good equipment, you’re nowhere. Not in speed skating, and certainly not in Formula 1. But isn’t the difference between winning and losing simply made in the mind?”
“Absolutely! You always have to deal with different aspects, but I am convinced that success is largely achievable and that often lies in the mind. Look, you can’t make someone who is 1.20 meters tall jump over 2.40 meters, but in the context of a world where everyone looks roughly the same and has roughly the same equipment and background, also due to a natural selection in youth, the difference is made by what happens in the head. And by the process that is created around you. But that too is partly in your head. Champions go for something and make sure they are part of a trend. That also has to do with conviction and willpower.”
“Finally, Max Verstappen spent a large part of the season trying to make up a large deficit in the World Championship standings. He was the hunter, McLaren the prey. Is that role easier?”
“Yes, of course. The one who is in first place always has more to lose than the one who is coming up. That brings a different kind of pressure. And Max also occasionally threw verbal jabs that resonated with others. He got under their skin.”
