Bavarian motorsport rising star Benjamin Mazatis made an impressive mark at the prestigious 24-hour race in Dubai over the weekend. In the SP2 class, Mazatis and his teammates Anthony Mantella, Dore Chaponick Jr., and Brett Sandberg achieved an excellent second place in the KTM X-Bow GT4 for the Reiter Engineering team.
It was a weekend full of premieres for the 19-year-old. After experience in a formula car and, most recently, countless kilometres on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, he now participated for the first time in a 24-hour race. At the Dubai race weekend, the Bruckmühl native had the opportunity to test the KTM X-Bow GT4 from Reiter Engineering for the first time. His intensive preparation in the simulator paid off: Mazatis showed good lap times from the start and also mastered driving at night without any problems.
A special highlight was crossing the finish line on Saturday: with a podium finish, he gave himself the best present for his 19th birthday. For Mazatis and his team Reiter Engineering, victory in their class was within reach for a long time. The Bruckmühl native and his teammates showed consistent performance over the entire race distance and fought for the lead with good times. Only a repair stop due to a technical defect during the night prevented them from taking first place.
With nearly 100 cars at the start, the Dubai 24-hour race was a resounding success for its twelfth running. In addition to good speed, the high number of starters required Mazatis to adopt a clever approach in the dense traffic. The 19-year-old attacked at the right moments, but also knew when caution was necessary to avoid incidents. His tactical approach paid off with several successful overtakes.
4 questions for Benjamin Mazatis
Your first 24-hour race is now behind you. How happy are you with the result?
This weekend was a unique experience that I certainly won't forget for a long time. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Reiter Engineering team and my manager Toby once again for this fantastic chance. They supported me and my teammates brilliantly and were always helpfully by our side. I was extremely excited about the KTM X-Bow GT4 and can now say that it not only met, but exceeded my expectations. I am very happy that we were able to give Reiter Engineering second place in our class and thus give something back to them for their great dedication over the weekend.
How satisfied are you with your performance and how did you manage the traffic?
For me, this weekend's priority was getting used to the car, clocking up plenty of miles, and gaining experience – especially as I've never raced at night before. I'm happy with my performance in the KTM X-Bow GT4. The car was new to me, but thanks to my motorsport experience and intensive preparation, I felt very comfortable after just a few laps and was on a par with my teammates. The team's feedback was positive and I'll definitely take that with me for the future. Traffic was, of course, a big challenge. I definitely wanted to avoid any incidents, so I worked a little more cautiously. I picked out a specific spot for overtaking and was then able to make good use of it. So my tactic paid off!
What impressions did you get in Dubai and how was the birthday party?
My impression of Dubai is sensational, and on top of that, it was a fantastic race for me. I didn't get to experience much of the city's surroundings, but I had all the more highlights on the track. Competing in a race on my birthday was one of my long-held dreams, and I've finally been able to fulfil that in Dubai. I also started a race outside of Europe for the very first time. It was simply a super weekend and the perfect birthday.
Dubai is over, 2017 is just around the corner. Do you already know what awaits you this year?
I first wanted to take in the race in Dubai and focus entirely on this weekend. I have some offers regarding the upcoming season, which I'll look at more closely in the coming weeks. I don't want to rush into a decision, but rather carefully consider which option is best for my future in motorsport in the long term.
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