Benjamin Mazatis celebrates two podium finishes at the Red Bull Ring
- Hat-trick success: Benjamin Mazatis on the podium for the third time in a row
- Home game for KTM and Reiter Engineering in the GT4 Central European Cup
We had to seize every opportunity that presented itself with ruthless efficiency. That's exactly what we did.
The second race weekend of the GT4 Central European Cup at the Red Bull Ring was on the programme for Benjamin Mazatis last weekend. At the double home race of KTM and Reiter Engineering, the Bruckmühler continued his winning streak. After a podium at the season opener in Most, the 20-year-old added two more podium finishes in the Pro-AM Cup against the picturesque backdrop of Austria.
On the Formula 1 circuit in Spielberg, which is less than 300 kilometres from Mazatis‘ home in Bruckmühl, he and team-mate Ilmari Korpivarra finished third in the Pro-AM Cup in the first race. In the second race on Sunday, the duo in the KTM X-Bow GT4 improved their performance even further and finished second in class - as the best KTM pairing in the entire field. This gave the 20-year-old a perfect start to the 2018 season with three podium finishes in a row.
These strong performances are also reflected in the overall standings. Mazatis and Korpivarra gained a total of nine points on the leaders and are in second place in the Pro-AM standings with 63 points. They were just eleven points short of first place and thus the intended championship lead. Mazatis wants to achieve this as early as the next race weekend in the GT4 Central European Cup. It takes place from 30 June to 1 July at the Nürburgring.
Three questions for Benjamin Mazatis
Congratulations on your current run of success. With two pThere were podium spots at the Red Bull Ring, everything went brilliantly for you. How happy are you about this weekend?
We are completely satisfied. Especially as we knew that the Red Bull Ring isn't exactly a KTM track. It was a tricky weekend, as our KTM had a great pace, but the long straights didn't play into our hands. We had to take every single opportunity that presented itself. And that's exactly what we did. With third and second place in the Pro-AM Cup, we got the most out of it. Of course, it was also exciting to see a name like Christian Danner on the entry list. But ultimately, in the car, he's just another driver you want to beat. In the race, I don't think about him having driven in Formula 1 anymore; I concentrate on my own race.
The second weekend of the season was also marked by close races and battles for every second. How did you experience that?
Especially in the Sunday race, it was very exciting at the start. The sky was dark, so the race was declared a wet race. This meant we were working on the grid until the last second and fortunately got finished in time. In fact, it only started to drizzle shortly before the chequered flag, so there were no problems at all. The pit stops also worked perfectly. In the second race, we were in third place and came into the pits at the same time as those who had been in second up to that point. Thanks to a perfect stop, we overtook them. For that, a big thank you to my team for their great performance!
In the championship, you are in second place after two race weekends. So, fully on track in terms of your title ambitions?
Absolutely! Three podium finishes in a row are, of course, the perfect start to the season and have earned us important points. We left the drivers who were ahead of us in the championship behind us in both races. Now, three exciting race weekends await, during which Ilmari and I naturally want to conquer the lead and then not let it go. Preferably already at my home race at the Nürburgring. Until then, I will visit the Formula E race in Zurich to get a taste of a different kind of racing atmosphere. Furthermore, a few meetings with teams in GT3 sport are planned as a reconnaissance for my further career. After that, the preparations for the Nürburgring will begin. I know the track very well and of course want to build on my previous successes there.