Benjamin Mazatis is starting electrically for the first time this weekend!
As part of the DTM weekend on the Bavarian Norisring the 26-year-old from Bruckmühler NXT Gen Cup at the start. The series of the Swede Fredrik Lestrup is the world's first all-electric touring car series for young drivers. „After my success at the Nürburgring, I am grateful that I have now been given the opportunity to become part of the mobility transformation and to develop and drive it forward.“
Over 100,000 fans are expected at the iconic circuit in Nuremberg to watch Mazatis make his electric debut in the 250bhp Mini LRT Nxt1 live. The racing car is only based on the outward appearance of the F56 Mini. The entire technology has been modified and adapted to withstand the high stresses of the racetrack and racing and to fulfil the FIA safety standards. Sustainability is the top priority of the series. The electricity for recharging the batteries of the racing cars comes from disused BMW i3 batteries. The aim of everyone involved is to be an innovation pioneer in motorsport and beyond.
Three questions for Benjamin Mazatis
What are your thoughts on electric racing cars?
It's something completely new, if you like, a bit of a culture shock, but I'm really looking forward to it! And it's also an important signal to the outside world. Motorsport has always stood for researching future technologies and testing them under extreme conditions in order to later bring them into series production. This core idea has been lost a little in recent years, but now there's this fantastic project and I'm very excited about it.
What are your expectations?
It will be a huge challenge and change for me. First of all, I've come from a high-downforce car in GT racing and now have a low-downforce racing car in the Mini LTR Nxt 1. In addition, the engine is natural, which will certainly require an adjustment to the driving style. Accordingly, I am coming to learn. To gain as much information as possible about racing with an electric drive. That has top priority. Everything else will follow.
How did this commitment come about in the first place?
After my successes at the Nürburgring, Fredrik contacted me. There was still a cockpit open for the Norisring race. I realised right from the start that he was very keen to have me. The talks were very positive. It's a very interesting opportunity for me to broaden my driving skills and gain this new experience, which may be relevant in the future. Who knows? It also offers my partners a very interesting platform. After all, sustainability is a very important topic these days. In motorsport, we are very dependent on partners and this also sends a very clear message to the outside world: Hey, if your company wants to position itself sustainably, look here. I am an innovation pioneer and contribute to the further development of the mobility transition.