Benjamin Mazatis against Valentino Rossi at the 24 Hours of Dubai
Benjamin Mazatis is starting 2023 with a bang, an absolute highlight. The 24-year-old from Bruckmühl will drive the 24 Hours of Dubai for the Haas Racing Team from 13 to 15 January. It will be Mazati's third outing in the Persian Gulf after 2017 (2nd place in the SP2 class) and 2019 (DNF, engine failure while leading). He will be driving a GT3 car for the first time, a 585-hp Audi R8 LMS GT3, and competing for overall victory in the prestigious endurance classic.
In Dubai, he will share the cockpit with Audi works driver Frédéric Vervisch, long-time Bentley works driver Maxime Soulet and the two Belgians Mathieu Detry and Olivier Bertels. It is a very strong driver pairing, but this is also necessary in view of the very strong competition. A number of works drivers, former Dubai winners and nine-time motorbike world champion and motorsport legend Valentino Rossi will be competing for the rival teams.
The race weekend, starting with the practice sessions on Friday, qualifying and finally the race from Saturday 12:00 CET to Sunday 12:00 CET, will be broadcast live on You Tube.
„It will undoubtedly be a huge challenge, but I'm really looking forward to returning to Dubai and driving this race. I have already had so many great experiences and moments on this track and now I want to add another chapter to it. It has always been my dream to compete in this legendary race in a GT3 car and to have the opportunity to compete for overall victory. We have a very strong driver line-up and are very positive, but as is usual in top-level sport, especially in endurance racing, it requires not only optimum performance from every team member, but also the necessary luck. We will do everything possible to deliver the best possible result. I have been training very hard for this, spending several hours a day in the gym and on the simulator since mid-October and I feel in the shape of my life. I feel ready and now let's see what the new year has in store for us.“
Three questions for Benjamin Mazatis
In Dubai, you will not only be battling for overall victory against GT3 veterans, but also against Valentino Rossi, an absolute motorsport legend. How does it feel to know that you will be racing against him?
Firstly, it's always nice to return to Dubai where year after year big names from the motorsport scene are there fighting for victory in this prestigious race. It's a great privilege to race against a big name like Valentino Rossi now and it certainly helps to get some new spectators in front of the screens to get excited about the sport and watch the race live. Nevertheless, I and the whole team are focussing on our job of getting the best out of it and everything else is secondary. We have the necessary quality in our ranks and now we want to get it onto the race track. Fortunately, we are not driving on two wheels, but on four.
It's finally starting again for you, the engines are roaring again. What have you been doing in the meantime?
The last two years have not been easy for me, as they have been for many others due to the pandemic and everything else that has happened in the world. Nevertheless, I believe that I have made the most of the time and have set the course for this year. On the one hand, I've completed my Master's degree; the only thing left to do is my final thesis, which I'm currently working on, but this has now been pushed into the background by the race. I've also expanded and improved my team of supervisors, especially in the area of marketing. Alongside all of this, I have continued with my training as I knew that the day would come when it would finally start again. It also helped to get some distance and have some peace and quiet and time to work on technical nuances, which there is never time for during a racing season. Therefore, and the times in the simulator confirm it, I have become even better and am now looking forward to driving this race.
It will be your first race in a GT3. How did you prepare for this race and this challenge?
As already mentioned, preparation began in mid-October. I completed around 10,000 laps in the simulator at the Dubai Autodrome. In terms of fitness, as is usual in motorsport, the main focus is on the neck muscles, but also on endurance and concentration for a long-distance race like this. We repeatedly did coordination units and exercises that get your heart rate up and then went onto a wobble board or a ball where you have to do your exercise calmly and with concentration and also keep your balance. I also played a lot of chess, where you have to keep your concentration extremely high for several hours and a small mistake can cost you everything. All in all, I think it was a great preparation, I feel very fit and ready for the new GT3 challenge.
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