My first racing weekend at Hockenheim!
11th-12th May was special weekend! First time in the race car in 20 years! First time racing in proper big series and first time as full simracer/youtuber! A lot of people were telling me “well you used to race before” but my answer stays the same:”It was a lifetime ago, I’m starting from absolute beginner, BUT I’m starting as simracer, and thats worth something! Anything I’ve done before or raced before was nothing compare to this and I remember nothing and none of the skills apply. My simracing skills apply!”
One of the proudest things of my life is to be partnered for the real racing with my simracing/youtube partners as well! Without GT Omega, ASUS ROG, Coach Dave Delta, Venym and CDLC I would not be doing this! THANK YOU!
Renault Clio Cup Europe weekend is usually two 30min free practice sessions on Friday, then on Saturday first quali and first race and on Sunday second quali and second race. So compare to sim where you practice hundreds laps here everything is very quick. But that is one of the reasons I actually picked Clio Cup Europe – It’s massive championship, ruthless, quick, professional and I want to improve my skill and “level” as driver as fast as possible (I’m not the youngest anymore haha)! My first practice in the morning was actually shocking because I was in the top 15 with my pace (but my transponder didn’t work) but even the team was like “wtf”. Unfortunately my hype ended in the second practice where on old tyres I was like P30 from 45 cars so little realisation as i was struggling with the grip. But I must confess that I was so proud of myself at that point, I was not afraid of other cars, I was pushing and pace was actually DAMN GOOD! Beating some people who raced for years and won their own championships before joing Clio Cup. I decided to fully trust team GM Sport with setup and all and just focus this wekeend on driving! Before first practice I was a little nervous because there was so many informations, you need to go to pregrid, everything is very tight on time, you have to check temperature of the car, turn on off special fan with coolant,etc. Important to say that first weekend I took as “survive” because Clio Cup is ruthless, it is a war as I already found in practice. 45 same cars even in practice is sort of mini race for position and you are literally thrown to the sea of sharks! Well it is what I wanted so let’s go!!!
My first quali was a big shock. Practice was swimming with the sharks but quali was literally trying to pet them! Hhahaha! Absolute war and it showed my absolute lack of knowledge and racing among Clio Cup drivers. I had one decent lap, rest was either fight with traffic or little mistakes. It is very easy to throw away quali as my teammates already told me this year (My teammate got pole one race but was P30 on grid next race) as not only slipstream in these cars is massive (0.5-1.5s per lap even) but finding clean track and also maximizing the tyres. Well nothing worked for me but I still qualified P25 from 45 drivers! On my first event! FCK YES! Simracers can drive! Important to add that weekend at Hockenheim was insane hot, 28C the whole weekend (apart of night where me and Coco were freezing in Caravan hahah)
First race. I must say I was not nervous at all. I had nothing to lose. I have nothing to prove. Nothing can put me away from my dream! As predicted my start was not the best I slept a little because before whole race weekend I had ONE practice start! So my start was average but not end of the world. Right away I gave little bumpdraft to car ahead not to lose position so my first contact happened 5 seconds after start of the race! Typical me! First lap I was extremely careful, because even organisors told me as it is my first race just be careful so I was getting little bullied but I was not afraid, I just wanted to know what is going to happen and what is this all about (I have seen plenty Clio Cup crashes). After lap I noticed one big thing, yes in practice I was a bit slower, yes I still need to adapt my racing style to this car which is VERY specific and as my teammate told me it took him two years to understand, BUT as soon as the lights go green it is EXACTLY the same as any race I do at my home!!! Yes there is no escape button and it is expensive if you crash but everything and all I have ever done on PC while simracing applies here. Defence, attack, cars around all is the same. Maybe drivers are a little bit more agressive and more sending elbows as I found out early but otherwise it is the same! Therefore I was not afraid to defend and attack right away and I had amazing race! Race was shortened by two safety cars and on one restart I realised I need to improve in warming up tyres as I went wide to the stadium section and cut a bit of grass but nothing crazy, still cost me few places but I was actually loving it because any situation like that is school for me! P25 in the end! I almost cried before the start and I was so hyped after the race! Was incredible!
Second quali on Sunday morning was very hard. Too much traffic and my lack of experience I had one lap with overtaking two cars, so started P28. Still pretty good and I was happy in general!
Race two. Oh my god! I was so hyped and excited! So many fans on official stream and so many fans at Hockenheim felt like a blessing! Thank you for all of that guys! My second race start was the funniest thing ever. Car ahead of me jumped start big time and my eyes went down from watching lights to see what the car ahead is doing and I slept like a baby on grid! Lost 4 places on the start and I was laughing at myself “another lesson learned!” This time way more than race one as soon as I finished my first lap I suddenly switched. It was the weirdest feeling. Everything suddenly became Sim. Everything I did and everything everyone else did on track I have seen hundreds of times in ACC, iRacing, etc… I started overtaking one car after another. Avoided crashes and incidents and was fully in adrenalin zone focused on racing. We had safety car restart which hurt and helped me at the same time because again “lack of experience” but pace was strong! Fought and fought and managed to get somehow to P20 finish! P5 in my class and P20 from 45 cars in European Championship in my first racing weekend! I LOVE THIS! I don’t know how else to say it but as soon as we crossed finish line I started crying, hyperventilating and I just could not hold myself. I was crying for like twenty minutes in happiness and sadness at the same time. For me it was overcoming trauma, something that hurt me as kid. I was racing for 4 years as kid, then all shit happened to my family and myself and we lost everything. For 20 years I was trying to get myself back on the racing track and it took me fcking 20 years but I finally made it! It doesn’t matter if I race tomorrow or never again. This year I made it! And I cried and cried overcoming that joy!
I’m really happy how the first weekend went. I took it easy, but at the same time I showed other drivers I’m not guy who will let himself get bullied. My Team GM Sport was ultra happy. Fans and my incredible partners GT Omega, ASUS ROG, Coach Dave Delta, Venym and CDLC were happy too! I could not wish for better first racing weekend. Exactly as I planned I learned so much in the first racing weekend and I have only wish… and that’s race every freaking day of my life and every evening simracing! Hahahah it’s such a drug to me!
Next racing weekend is SPA. I’m sure everyone already knows by watching my videos how epic it was. And I can’t wait to tell you! See you 
