Impressive season opener for Benjamin Mazatis
GT4 Central European Cup in Most
- Comeback deluxe: Second place for the Reiter Engineering rider in Sunday's race
- Mazatis declares championship ambitions: 3rd place in the overall standings
It's fantastic to kick off the season with such a top result.
The long winter break finally came to an end for Benjamin Mazatis. The Bruckmühler driver kicked off his 2018 racing season last weekend as part of the GT4 Central European Cup season opener. The venue was the Czech Autodrom Most as part of the ADAC GT Masters. Around 14,000 spectators travelled throughout the weekend to witness the battle for points and podium places between Reiter Engineering driver Mazatis and his Finnish team-mate Ilmari Korpivarra, and the duo in the KTM X-Bow were on the pace from the very first practice session. The driver from Bruckmühl qualified for the first race in ninth place overall and fourth place in the Pro-AM Cup. Mazatis and his team-mate narrowly missed out on the podium after a great race. The motto for the second race on Sunday was clear: this time they had to finish in the top three! From tenth on the grid, the Reiter Engineering duo managed a spirited chase with great overtaking manoeuvres. The reward for this first-class performance was a well-deserved second place after crossing the finish line.
In just under three weeks, Mazatis will be travelling to the idyllic Red Bull Ring. From 19th to 20th May, he and his team-mate will do everything in their power to convert the momentum from the season opener into further top results on the Formula 1 circuit.
Benjamin on...
... the first podium of the season:
„It's fantastic to start the season with such a top result. Unfortunately, we didn't get off to a perfect start in the second race and lost a few places. However, Ilmari, who was first behind the wheel, did a great job of catching up during his stint and handed the car over to me in P5. The pit stop was also very reasonable at 97.5 seconds, even if we can still do a bit better. I really squeezed everything I could out of the car during my stint. It was incredibly exhausting because it was very hot in the car. But thanks to my fitness, I had the stamina to give it my all right up to the last second. We had a few gearshift problems during my stint. Nevertheless, I managed to overtake three cars. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for victory, as the gap to the day's winner was too big. So second place was the optimum for today.“
... the best race of his career:
„Overtaking at the Autodrom Most is always difficult. In view of the fact that we have a clear top speed disadvantage compared to the competition, it was all the more difficult for us. Nevertheless, I gave it my all and pushed from the first to the last second of my stint. As soon as a gap opened up, I got stuck in and it worked. I found great ways through the corner combinations and am incredibly happy with my performance. That may even have been the best race of my career so far.“
... the first race after the long winter break:
„I was really hungry for the start of the season before the weekend. The winter break is always too long for a racing driver. We experienced a slight setback after the first race. We were in fourth place and still had a good chance of finishing on the podium. But unfortunately the race was cancelled prematurely. All in all, though, I'm very happy with the pace we drivers showed. We built on that on Sunday. It's also important to realise that we can take home good points, even when things aren't going so well for us.“
... the second race of the season in front of a home crowd:
„The Red Bull Ring is obviously a special race for us because it's KTM's home race. Expectations will be correspondingly high there. Unfortunately, there are tracks that suit our car much better. However, I have already celebrated a few successes there, so the direction of travel is quite clear: full attack! We certainly have a chance, even if it won't be easy. Of course, I'm also pleased that the race is in three weeks“ time, which means that the break until then isn't too long. What's more, it's practically my home race due to the geographical proximity and I'm sure a lot of relatives, friends and acquaintances will be travelling to cheer me and my team on."