Daniel Skalický makes a switch from BMW cars to Audi R8 LMS ultra GT3. But the Czech driver says that he is ready for the new challenge and that life is a change anyway.
You are making one big change for the 2018 season, what is it?
It’s a big one – I’m switching from BMW cars to Audi. I’m staying with my team Duck Racing and we will do endurance races with the Audi R8 LMS. Petr Kačírek will enter sprint races instead of me, but in case that he’s not available, I’m going to step up and do the sprint races too.
It’s not easy to make a switch from BMW M6 or BMW Z4 to Audi R8 LMS. What does it mean for you as a driver?
I have to optimize my driving style. Every car has a different engine placement or a weight distribution. It’s a shame for me because I was already used to the BMW Z4 and now I have to adapt again, but life is a change. I’ve tried Audi in Dubai in a three hours race and it was quite good.
There is a new addition to the calendar – Automotodrom Grobnik circuit. Have you ever been there before? Is it going to be a challenge?
Every new circuit is a challenge, of course. But I don’t think it makes any sense to race at a place that is so similar to the Most circuit. It’s not an interesting track and it’s 900 kilometres away. If they want to make a change, let’s visit places that are closer and have more interesting circuits like in Hungary or Italy.
How does your winter preparation look like?
I focus especially on sports. It is very important to be physically ready because when it’s hot. It can be up to 50°C in the car. And if the race takes one hour, it is very physically demanding. And well, when I have some time at home, I usually go to the simulator and try to drive on some circuits.
What do you think about the ESET MMSR and Czech-Slovak circuit racing scene in general?
Despite the Czech-Slovak circuit racing scene is not the biggest one, it definitely has its quality! It may be quite similar to the situation in other countries, but we have so many drivers that can compete with the best drivers in the world. They are not far behind them, on the contrary, they can even beat them. When we did a Divinol Cup at Red Bull Ring, there were some Blancpain GT Series and Porsche Cup drivers, including a future champion, and we won. Also, we can compare our times from circuits with other series and we are very close. And don’t forget that we use older cars in our series! These are the reasons why I think that if our countries had more sponsors involved or more opportunities for our young talents, our drivers would be amongst the best. ESET MMSR is doing very good of course. I think it’s a high-quality championship with some nice circuits. I’d just appreciate some changes and to look at some Italian circuits – Mugello, Imola or Monza.
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