- Lennart Marioneck talks about his first season in the ADAC GT Masters
- Team-mate to champions Diego Alessi and Daniel Keilwitz in his debut year
- Highlights: Overtaking battles in a strong midfield
ADAC Sports Foundation protégé Lennart Marioneck contested his first ADAC GT Masters season last year. The 25-year-old student from Bamberg shared the cockpit of a 550bhp Callaway Competition Corvette with Switzerland’s Remo Lips (32). In an interview, Marioneck reflects on his debut campaign in the Super Sports Car League.
How would you sum up your first year in the ADAC GT Masters?
“Contesting the ADAC GT Masters in a Corvette was a huge challenge and something of a leap into the unknown. I’d never driven a racing car with rear-wheel drive before, and this also involved graduating from a 200-horsepower Ford Fiesta in the ADAC Procar series to a Corvette pumping out more than 550bhp. For me, it was clear from the start that my first year in the ADAC GT Masters would be a learning season and that I certainly wouldn’t be in the frame for any race wins. If I get the chance to compete in the ADAC GT Masters again this year, I will certainly be setting myself different objectives.
Were you satisfied with the way your season went?
“There were some good races, but there were also others where things didn’t go so well. But overall, I’m not dissatisfied. However, I had set myself the target of finishing in the points, and unfortunately we didn’t manage to do that. Nevertheless, I did at least play my part in securing two wins in the Gentlemen class for my co-driver Remo Lips.”
How difficult was it for you to adapt to the unfamiliar Corvette?
“Callaway Competition did a great job in preparing the Corvette. Obviously, it took a while for me to get used to the car. Callaway did everything they could to help me make the transition. The atmosphere in the team was fabulous, there were no secrets, and I always had access to the data of the other drivers.”
You put in a double shift last year, competing in the MINI Trophy in parallel with the ADAC GT Masters. Didn’t you find that a strain?
“Of course it was a stressful programme, but I spent a lot of time sitting in the cars and I learned a lot in the process. After just a few laps, you quickly readjust to being back in the other car. At the Red Bull Ring, I won a race in the MINI Trophy, which is always a morale booster. It goes without saying that the Corvette and the MINI are fundamentally different to drive. You’re always going to be quicker in a GT car, even if you don’t actually get the sensation of going particularly fast.”
What was your personal highlight of your first ADAC GT Masters campaign?
“The highlights were all the overtaking battles that I had during the season. For example, I remember one almighty scrap with Jörg Müller at the Lausitzring. Müller has achieved such a lot during his motor racing career, so to go up against a driver of his calibre is terrific fun. The ADAC GT Masters is so competitive in terms of driver skills that even a P15 finish is hotly contested. It’s these hard-fought battles between top racers all the way down the field that make the series what it is.”
This will be your third season as a beneficiary of ADAC Stiftung Sports Foundation. Tell us about the support you get from this scheme.
“You are really well looked after from a sporting and mental perspective. You get advice from nutritionists as well as media coaching. As a driver, I get training plans tailored to my personal needs, plus there are regular workshops. All areas of the sport are covered, and there is scope for ongoing self-improvement with the support of the Sports Foundation. You can make excellent contacts via the useful and extensive ADAC Sports Foundation network.
“In contrast to other funding programmes that generally start at a very high level, the ADAC Sports Foundation focuses on the grassroots. I am very grateful to the ADAC Sports Foundation – without their support, I would never have made the step up to ADAC Procar and from there to the ADAC GT Masters.”
What are your plans and options for the 2014 ADAC GT Masters season?
“The situation is fluid at the moment. I am currently talking to various teams, and I’m hoping that somebody will sign me up.”