Fan action, high ambitions, driver question: Ezequiel Perez Companc on the move to the ADAC GT Masters, the name Madpanda and much more
With Madpanda Motorsport, a new team will start in the ADAC GT Masters in 2022. However, the brains behind the project is an old acquaintance: Ezequiel Perez Companc, nephew of ex-WEC driver Luis Perez Companc. He was already active in 2017 and 2018 and took two race wins with GRT Grasser, one with Marco Mapelli and one with Mirko Bortolotti.
In an interview with he takes a stance on where the ADAC GT Masters ranks in comparison to GT World Challenge Europe, what matters and what the goals are. He also gives an insight into how he hopes to score points with the fans with his idiosyncratic team name.
Question: “What was your motivation to return to the ADAC GT Masters? “
Ezequiel Perez Companc: “Honestly, I really enjoyed the two years I spent as a driver in the ADAC GT Masters. It is one of the most professional series in Europe. The competition has been very tough for many years. The Masters is one of the best series ever in terms of sprint racing. It’s a nice challenge for me and the team and definitely one of the biggest we’ve faced as a team. “
Pluspunkt Masters: Strict implementation of the rules
Question: “How can GTWC and ADAC GT Masters be compared? “
Perez Companc: “It’s difficult to compare endurance and sprint races. But when we talk about GTWC Sprint and ADAC GT Masters: I think the focus is different. In the ADAC GT Masters, it’s all about the performance of the drivers and the performance that a team can get out of the car. In GTWC Sprint, it’s more about strategy and how much you practice for tyre changes.”
“The drivers are stronger in the ADAC GT Masters in my opinion. From a professional point of view, both series are extremely good, they are two of the best in Europe. The German championships are strict, I like that. You know that you will be punished if you do something wrong, even if it is in the grey area. That makes it a really good series. “
Question: “It seems like you really enjoyed your time on the show at the time… “
Perez Companc: “Yeah, that was pretty much my best time. The races are very competitive. You have to go to your limits. It’s a really nice feeling to be on the podium in this series. Of course, it’s also nice to do well in the GT World Challenge Sprint. But I think achieving good results in the ADAC GT Masters is even more satisfying, at least as a driver.
Question: “Will you be competing with a professional line-up or sticking with silver drivers? “
Perez Companc: “We will announce the rider line-up soon. The plan is to have a competitive team and get good results.”
“We don’t want to be just a midfield or back-row team. We want to be up front and fighting for podium places. Getting the championship will definitely be tough in our first year, but we are aiming for podiums and want to build on that. We will do our best to get to the top as we have always done.”
Question: “Madpanda has been successful in the Silver classes so far, but you don’t get far in the Masters with a Silver line-up…”
Perez Companc: “I wouldn’t be so sure about that – silver-ranked drivers have won titles here. If you have a silver-ranked driver in the team, you have the advantage of having 10 kilograms less in the car. In this series it is important to have a light car. You could see that last year [when silver-rated Ricardo Feller became champion].”
“We have focused a lot on talented and hard-working silver drivers since the team was formed. In 2020 we won in our first year in the GTWC Silver Cup, and last year we took the Silver Cup win at the Spa 24 Hours. We finished 11th overall, which [with a Silver line-up] is quite an achievement.”
“Of course, the ADAC GT Masters will be a huge challenge and a whole new challenge for the team, but we are ready. It’s a positive change in our programme which motivates us further. “
Pandas for the fans
Question: How did you come up with the name Madpanda?
Perez Companc: (laughs) “That’s a really good question that I’ve had to answer over and over again in the last three years. So far, no one has managed to get an answer to it. I will keep it to myself for now.”
“I wasn’t sure at first whether to do it or not. Would it be well received or not? Usually team owners just take their last name and combine it with ‘Racing Team’ or ‘Motorsport’ or whatever. I’m glad I decided to go with the name Madpanda!”
“We try to break with tradition in terms of the name, the image, the brand and how we treat the fans. We always try to put a smile on people’s faces in these difficult times. “
Question: So can fans look forward to lots of interactions with pandas this year?
Perez Companc: “Oh, yeah! You can really look forward to that! We are working very hard on merchandising. We’re working flat out to open an online shop as soon as possible where fans can buy Madpanda merchandise.”
“We will also be offering some great surprises during the race weekends as well as giveaways on our social media channels! We have lots of cool stuff in the pipeline for fans to look forward to.”
Question: “Will you be in the car yourself or focusing on a role outside the cockpit?”
Perez Companc: “We will see. It would definitely be interesting to drive myself and help the team with my two years of experience driving in this series with GRT in 2017 and 2018, winning two races.”
“Those two years were the best for me from a driving perspective. It was a fantastic time in this series and I’m looking forward to returning with Madpanda. “
