24 hours of heat, sand, excitement and, right in the middle of it all, one of Bavaria's biggest up-and-coming motorsport talents. Benjamin Mazatis is starting the 2017 season with an absolute highlight. The 18-year-old from Bruckmühl will be competing with Reiter Engineering in the Dubai 24 Hour race from January 12th to 14th, 2017. In a field of almost 400 drivers, he wants to demonstrate his driving skills and set the course for his future in motorsport.
Together with his teammates Anthony Mantella (CAN), Dore Chaponick Jr. (USA) and Brett Sandberg (USA), Mazatis will compete in a newly developed KTM X-BOW GT4 from Reiter Engineering. The GT4 race car features state-of-the-art racing technology and an original 360 hp Audi 4-cylinder engine with a high-performance turbocharger. At the same time, the monocoque technology and the FIA-tested sportscar roll cage meet the highest safety standards.
In the SP2 class, Reiter Engineering and Mazatis are among the strong contenders for a good result. The Dubai 24 Hours race has been one of the absolute highlights on the calendar since 2006 and offers drivers the great opportunity to compete at the highest level even in winter. For Mazatis, there is even a special incentive for a top result in the legendary desert classic: on January 14th, the day of the finish, the Bruckmühl native celebrates his 19th birthday.
This will be the Bavarian's first outing in a 24-hour race. In the 2016 season, his focus was on the legendary Nordschleife – with great success. Mazatis won his debut race in the RCN and showed strong performances in a BMW M235i during his appearances in the Cup 5 class of the VLN endurance championship. Now, the next step follows in a GT4 racer.
Three questions for Benjamin Mazatis
Dubai will be your 24-hour debut and your first race in a GT4 car. How have you prepared for this challenge?
It was always my biggest dream to compete in this race. That I now have this opportunity together with Reiter Engineering is brilliant. It took me a few days to really take it in and I was absolutely delighted. Accordingly, I have prepared intensely for this challenge. I put in long training sessions in the simulator and got perfectly dialled in to the track. A stint will be around 1 hour and 40 minutes long, which is why I was always alternating between the simulator and the gym. It was about getting into the rhythm and tensing and relaxing my muscles.
I would say the biggest challenges in a 24-hour race are maintaining consistent performance, managing driver fatigue, and dealing with unexpected technical issues.
Of course, it depends on your basic fitness level. 24 hours with very little sleep in between will be a challenge, but I'm in top shape and not worried. The switch from the BMW M235i to the X-BOW will be interesting. I'll be driving the car myself for the first time during the race weekend. In the past, I've always found it easy to adapt to new vehicles, and my Formula experience will also be an advantage. So, I don't think it will take long before I feel completely comfortable and can really push. I'm curious to see how quickly I can adapt to a new track. Last year, my focus was entirely on the Nordschleife, now I have to get used to driving on a relatively short track again with many hard braking points and tight corners.
What are your goals for travelling to Dubai?
Experience is the buzzword. I want to clock up plenty of test kilometres and get really familiar with the X-BOW. There are various options for the upcoming season and this race serves as a benchmark for me, to see if I can envision a future in GT4 racing. Accordingly, every kilometre is valuable, and the ultimate goal is to actually see the chequered flag after 24 hours. The race ends on my birthday, and I naturally hope I can give myself the best present with a super result.
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