RTR Projects worked with six drivers this season, achieving an impressive success rate with five of them securing at least one podium finish. The final race weekend in Barcelona confirmed this achievement with a double podium.
“We’ve demonstrated all season that we can assemble strong driver pairings who can fight at the front, even with newcomers like Lennart Marioneck, who returned to racing after two years,” said team owner Tomáš Miniberger.
Marioneck was paired with Maťo Homola for this event, following Homola’s strong performances earlier in the season at Paul Ricard and Spa. “We knew this pairing was very strong and capable of being on the podium. We owe a big thank you to Tomáš Miniberger for enabling us to race with such a strong lineup,” said team executive director Tomáš Fanta.
Before the weekend of the race, the team mechanics worked late into the night to adjust the gearbox and ensure the KTM X-BOW GT2 was as competitive as possible. This work paid off in qualifying, with Homola setting the second-fastest time, and Marioneck securing fourth, also the best among the AM-class drivers, despite having only a few minutes of GT2 driving experience. “We were the fastest KTM, and we maintained that position throughout the weekend,” recalls Homola. This success was due in part to the aggressive setup chosen by the team. “It was a tough choice, but the drivers handled it brilliantly,” says Fanta.
The weather on Saturday turned the race on its head, as the Catalan track was drenched by rain from midday onwards. For both drivers, this meant racing in conditions they had never faced in a GT2 car before. Despite this, Marioneck made a strong start and quickly moved up to third place. He then handed the car over to Homola during the pit stop. “I think we did the best we could. I’m happy with my performance,” said Marioneck after the race. Homola then comfortably brought the car to the finish in third. “I managed to catch up to the Mercedes ahead, and in some places, I was even quicker. But overtaking would have been an extreme risk for both of us, so I decided to bring it home in third,” Homola explained.
For the Sunday race, Homola made an excellent start, but was hit by a competitor from the side just seconds into the race. The experienced driver managed to save the situation, with the other driver receiving a 10-second penalty. “I honestly don’t know how I managed to keep control. It happened at around 240 km/h, and I think if it hadn’t worked out as it did, we wouldn’t be standing here with the car,” Homola reflected after the race, pointing to the nearly undamaged car.
The incident slowed Homola temporarily, but he quickly regained pace and fought for third place. The only car capable of pulling away at the front was the Mercedes AMG of NM Racing, which had fresh tires. After his pit stop, Marioneck emerged in third place and quickly passed the X-BOW GT2 of new European champion Martin Koch, embarking on an incredible chase for the leading Mercedes. “Lenny was the fastest driver in the second half of the race,” emphasizes Tomáš Fanta. The German driver closed the gap to the leader by the final lap but ran out of time, settling for a narrow second place after a fierce battle with Jörg Viebahn.
The X-BOW from RTR Projects crossed the line just seconds behind in second place. “Unfortunately, we were one lap short for the Czech anthem to play, but we can still be proud of our performance. I must thank the entire team for their excellent work,” concludes Tomáš Fanta.
With this fantastic result, RTR Projects wrapped up an outstanding season in GT2, during which they aimed to make the series accessible to as many drivers as possible. Apart from Homola and Marioneck, last year’s AM class champion Jan Krabec, Erik Janiš, Petr Lisa, and Viktor Mráz also had opportunities behind the wheel. The team only left the Misano weekend empty-handed due to technical issues.
“We’ve shown that we have an experienced team, both in management and technical aspects, that can bring in drivers who fit well with us and complement each other. We know how to get these drivers on the podium and even to victory,” says Tomáš Miniberger. His words are echoed by Tomáš Fanta: “We can work with different types of drivers and nationalities and help them be competitive in a championship that’s rapidly improving and growing.”
