This year, Martin made a successful debut in a Formula 4 race by securing pole position at his first attempt. However, the high budgets required and the lack of prospects forced his family to give up on single-seater racing and redirect their efforts towards touring or GT car races as there are many car manufacturers involved and the chances for a professional career are higher.
In April 2024, Martin will turn 15 years old and will be eligible to participate in these races. The DMV BMW 318ti Cup is the largest one-make championship, with over 50 cars in each race this year! The drivers compete with identical BMW 318ti cars. The race weekend includes 40 minutes of practice sessions, a 20-minute qualifying session, and two one-hour races with a mandatory pit stop. The first race starts with a flying start, while the second race starts from a standing position. The races take place on major tracks including Hockenheim, Nürburgring, Zolder, Zandvoort, Lausitzring, and Assen while in 2022 Spa was also part of the schedule(the 2024 calendar has not been published yet).
The level of competition is quite high but unlike Formula 4, where only young drivers take their first steps in racing, the BMW 318 Cup features many experienced drivers, including former Formula 1 driver Timo Glock. Of course, the fastest and most experienced are the so-called “specialists”, drivers who have been competing in this championship for many years and know the cars, tracks and all the tricks very well! The championship also attracts many young talents like Martin. Young drivers aged 15 to 18 receive training from BMW and compete to win the company’s support. The top three young drivers receive a test contract with BMW for the GT4 program.
Last week, Martin tested with a BMW 318 at the renowned Henry Morrogh Racing School at the Magione circuit in Italy. During the tests, the weather was variable, giving Martin the chance to drive under different conditions – dry, wet, and mixed. This was excellent preparation. The next test will take place in November at the Most circuit with one of the leading teams in the championship – Cerny Motorsport. Since the budget is not fully secured yet, Martin will continue testing with other teams until the end of the year to find the best option in terms of price, performance, working conditions, etc. We hope this will be a two-year project, with the first year focused on gaining experience and the second year aimed at achieving high results!
