The moment before the big battle: This is how the drivers of the ADAC GT Masters deal with the pressure before the race starts – Interesting rituals before the race start
Some motorsport drivers rely on a lucky charm, while others cultivate a certain ritual before the race. The drivers of the German GT Championship approach their tasks rather rationally. Most of them prepare for their race with relaxation and reaction training or simply relax. But there are exceptions.
Jan Marschalkowski, like many of his colleagues, does warm-up exercises before qualifying and before the race, even still on the grid. When he sits in the car, the 19-year-old doesn’t drive off until he has clapped his hands once. “I don’t know why I do that. I sit in the cockpit, the formation lap is about to start and I clap my hands once. Only then does it start,” the Mercedes-AMG Team ZVO driver tells us.
Mick Wishofer also relies on a special ritual in the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo. “I first put on my gloves in the car, first the right, then the left. If I didn’t do it that way, I’d already have a funny feeling subconsciously that everything wasn’t going as it should,” reveals the driver from Team Emil Frey Racing.
Niklas Krütten has a different recipe: he ignores the stress. The BMW driver from Schubert Motorsport: “I don’t even talk about the race shortly beforehand, but about all sorts of topics such as the weather, for example, so I take a relaxed approach to the wheel.”
Lambo driver Maximilian Paul from Paul Motorsport takes a similar approach. He talks a lot because: “When I’m chatting, I’m relaxed.?
By contrast, Christian Engelhart’s approach is analytical. After stretching and activation exercises, he discusses the final set-up of his Porsche 911 GT3 R with his engineers. “The engineer has the final decision, I switch off afterwards and relax,” says the Team Joos Sportwagentechnik driver.
Raffaele Marciello has always climbed into the car from the same side since his Formula days. “When I was still driving in Formula 3 and Formula 1, I always got into the car from the left. That’s not possible any other way in the ADAC GT Masters,” says the championship leader from Team Landgraf.
“Rest and don’t let yourself go crazy,” is Christopher Haase’s motto. His young Land-Motorsport team-mate Salman Owega sees it similarly, his motto: “Always keep a cool head.?
