In the 1970s, local manufacturer DAF equipped its cars with CVT transmissions featuring just two gears — one forward and one reverse — allowing them to reach the same top speed in either direction.
For this latest 2022 showdown, when the flag dropped, the competition was furious as Verstappen grabbed pole position after Tsunoda's ambition got the better of him and his DAF ended up against a wall.
Verstappen was also victorious in the race, expertly navigating a specially-built course featuring a variety of obstacles as Tsunoda pushed the champion hard, but wobbled in the tricky Hugenholtz bend.
Verstappen, 24, said: “I'd seen a few videos on YouTube beforehand and thought it'd be great fun to experience a reverse race first-hand. We had a lot of fun and I think it was a pretty steady performance. I've never driven that quick in reverse before, of course we all reverse now and then, but very slowly, so this was a new experience. I think I'll be sticking to forward racing for now. Time for our next challenge!”
Tsunoda, 22, added: “I've never experienced anything like that before, it's definitely been a special event and I've had a lot of fun, despite the crash.”
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WATCH | Verstappen and Tsunoda race each other — in reverse
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Formula One drivers are aces at going forward very fast, but how good are they in reverse?
Reigning Formula One world champion Max Verstappen prepared for this weekend's home Dutch Grand Prix with a hair-raising showdown against Scuderia AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda as the two drivers went head-to-head in reverse gear at a daunting 120km/h.
Verstappen arrived at the Dutch circuit fresh from his Belgian Grand Prix victory last weekend where he started 14th on the grid at Spa and powered through the field to pick up another win and the fastest lap.
Verstappen joined Japanese pilot Tsunoda at Zandvoort for a unique track clash thanks to the wild and wacky world of reverse gear racing.
In the 1970s, local manufacturer DAF equipped its cars with CVT transmissions featuring just two gears — one forward and one reverse — allowing them to reach the same top speed in either direction.
For this latest 2022 showdown, when the flag dropped, the competition was furious as Verstappen grabbed pole position after Tsunoda's ambition got the better of him and his DAF ended up against a wall.
Verstappen was also victorious in the race, expertly navigating a specially-built course featuring a variety of obstacles as Tsunoda pushed the champion hard, but wobbled in the tricky Hugenholtz bend.
Verstappen, 24, said: “I'd seen a few videos on YouTube beforehand and thought it'd be great fun to experience a reverse race first-hand. We had a lot of fun and I think it was a pretty steady performance. I've never driven that quick in reverse before, of course we all reverse now and then, but very slowly, so this was a new experience. I think I'll be sticking to forward racing for now. Time for our next challenge!”
Tsunoda, 22, added: “I've never experienced anything like that before, it's definitely been a special event and I've had a lot of fun, despite the crash.”
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