In 2023, I had the opportunity to try out the GFS Racing Team’s car for one race, a cup Lotus Exige V6 Cup-R car. The team prepared it according to the rules of the Lotus Cup Europe and I raced on semi-slick tires, and surprisingly, the pace was quite good. It was then that we decided that we somehow had to continue this in 2024. We didn’t expect to have such a strong start to the season!
After last year’s test race we agreed with Burkus Egon and the team that the car would not compete in the Lotus Cup Europe, but in the ESET V4 GT Sprint Championship which is essentially the FIA Central Europe Championship. Since the car is not homologated as GT3 or GT4, it falls into a category called GTX, which is a more open class. The front of the field is mainly composed of recently introduced GT2-spec cars, such as the KTM GTX, which is a 1048 kg, 530 horsepower, 615 Nm beast.
During the winter, the Lotus underwent weight reduction, mainly thanks to carbon components, bringing its weight down to 1000 kg. It received stronger suspension components, improved brake cooling, and changes to the engine oil system. There were no changes to the engine itself, so for the first race of the year, I had 370 horsepower and 413 Nm of torque at my disposal.
Before the race, our goal was to improve our lap time from last year by 2-3 seconds and to complete all the races. Based on the preliminary entry list, we expected to finish last, as every car had at least 140-150 horsepower more, which is a lot.
However we surprised everyone, including ourselves, the most. The modifications made to the car, the Michelin slick tires, and my own improvement by the end of the season opener resulted in a 7-second improvement at the Balaton Park Circuit. The difference was astonishing!
In Friday’s qualifying session I clocked the 13th fastest time out of 19 cars, setting the second fastest time in the GTX category trailing the KTM GTX by 1.6 seconds. We were satisfied, although we hadn’t fully grasped the tires yet. There was an issue with reaching operating temperature, as I struggled to warm them up adequately.
Half of the field consisted of GT3 cars, such as Lamborghini Supertrofeo and Porsche GT3 991 or 992. The other half consisted of homologated GT4 cars. There were four of us in the GTX category. My pace was clearly ahead of the GT4 cars, but I managed to overtake a few Porsches. However, the leading KTM GTX in the GTX category was unreachable.
In the first race, I was able to maintain my pace, both the KTM GTX and I were running 1:41 lap times. However, there was a Porsche 992 Cup between us. Although I caught up to it in the corners, it pulled away on the straights, making it impossible for me to overtake. Therefore, I finished in 9th place, second in the GTX category. I was completely satisfied with the result.
In the second qualifying session I found some more tenths and managed to set a time of 1:40.333, which was enough for 10th place. The KTM set another impressive time and started from 6th position. It was intense to see everyone putting on their new tires during qualifying. A set costs 1600 euros, which is more than half a million forints. Crazy.
Before the race I already knew that I would have a tough time again. And it proved to be true. At the beginning of the race, I caught up with the KTM, but I couldn’t find a passing opportunity, and my eagerness turned into struggle, wearing out the tires, and two Porsches passed me. I finished 10th overall and again second in the GTX category. I won the Hungarian evaluation in both races, so I am leading the Hungarian championship in the GT category.
Before the weekend, I would have signed anything to successfully finish both races because there was no opportunity to test the developments on the car. However after the weekend I feel that we can achieve more than that. The team also thinks so. Although there won’t be significant improvements for the next race, GFS Racing is already working on providing me with more horsepower without risking reliability significantly.
Three weeks from now, we continue at the Red Bull Ring, where my job will likely be even tougher because it’s a faster track. The middle, technical section favors me, but I’ll lose a lot in the two long straights. If the usual local rain comes, then maybe I’ll have a better chance at first place, although more GTX cars will be competing, and we don’t know them yet.
Seeing the costs involved in such a weekend, we need to continue seeking sponsors. I hope that with my results, I can show appreciation for their support.
Thank you to GFS Racing and Egon Burkus for their unwavering trust and professional work. Thanks to Spuri Fuel Additives for being the main sponsor for Hungarian races, and to Spurishop for their continued support. The sponsorship with Miroil continues, aimed at promoting Mabanol products. Thank you to all of you who continue to donate, buy shirts, share, and like my content. And a big thanks to my family for helping out whenever they can! Together, we can do it!
Continuation on 17-19 May at the Red Bull Ring!