Motorsport: Van der Drift down but not out

Chris van der Drift is just 10 months out of a monster crash that left him with multiple injuries. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Despite doing great things in the World Series by Renault (WSR) championship in Europe, New Zealand's Chris van der Drift has had to relinquish his seat to another driver.

However, all is not lost for the talented Kiwi racer who is still only 10 months out of a monster accident. In August last year Van der Drift joined an elite club of drivers who launched their cars at more than 250km/h.

Van der Drift clipped the back of Frenchman Julien Jousse's car at Brands Hatch during a Superleague race, which caused his car to rocket into the air and smash into the bridge railing at Pilgrims Drop before crashing back to earth in a ball of fire, disintegrating into hundreds of bits as it pirouetted down the track.

Fortunately, the flames extinguished as quickly as they had ignited, but Van der Drift was not so lucky. He sustained a broken right ankle and right little finger, fractured shoulder blade, two broken ribs and a severely damaged left index finger.

Just months later he was back competing in a Superleague race, where he finished a creditable seventh.

Driven spoke to Van der Drift over the weekend about how his injuries were holding up to the rigours of training and racing, and what his plans were now the WSR gig may be on hold.

He confirms he'll be returning to Superleague Formula for the next round at Zolder, Belgium, from July 16-17, and is looking forward to it with gusto.

"I'm feeling really good and I don't really notice the injuries anymore, and I went for a proper run last week for the first time," said Van der Drift.

"I've even started playing squash again with [Kiwi race-car driver] Brendon Hartley and I was fine.

"My team [WSR Mofaz Racing] were paying for my first four races and to start with they were stoked with the results and they were really pleased.

"But Fairuz [Fauzy] - it's his team I'm racing with - has his GP2 races coming up at Nurburgring and Hungary, so wants to get familiar with the circuits again.

"Later on, if they don't get another driver, I might be doing some other races for them. I can't complain because without them offering me the first four drives I [wouldn't] have been able to compete."

When racing previously in the Superleague, Van der Drift posted four victories and another six podium finishes in the first half of last year's season, and is chuffed to have had a bunch of race miles under his belt heading into the 2011 season.

"I was a bit annoyed I couldn't get to do the first [Superleague] race because I was ready for it, unlike last year when I only found out a week before I was driving.

"I'm really looking forward to it because I now know the car, I'm much fitter now and I won at Zolder last year. I like driving these cars, it's fun and you've got so much horsepower.

"World Series is a nice category but the races sometimes can be a bit boring.

"If you don't qualify on the front three rows you can't do much because the cars are all much the same speed. In Superleague you have more pitstops and push-to-pass."

His team are happy to have Van der Drift back behind the wheel and are looking to continue with the form they had last year.

"I'm delighted to have Chris back in the car. He's an entertainer and a very good driver," said Anthony Reid, team principal of Atech Reid.

"He was leading the championship when he had his accident, and you would expect him to be a real contender. We have a great relationship with him as a racing driver, and also throughout the business."

Van der Drift's return to Superleague is even more poignant as he is again able to represent his country.

"It has been a few years now since the A1GP championship ended, where I was lucky enough to compete for my country for the two races in Chengdu and Taupo," said Van der Drift.

"I've only got one race organised at the moment but if you do, really they find it hard to get rid of you. So I'll be trying to do my best."