“I’m heading into this season with the goal of being one of the fastest drivers,” says a determined Maťo Homola, who this year serves not only as a driver for RTR Projects, but also as a coach. “We want to fight for the top spots. We’ll see how it goes,” adds the Slovak racer.
This will be Homola’s first full season with RTR Projects. Until now, he has made his mark mainly in touring cars, with victories in prestigious series such as WTCR and TCR Europe, and he is also a two-time TCR Eastern Europe champion. He gained his first experience with the KTM X-Bow in GTX and GT2 specifications last year. Across six starts in the GT2 European Series with RTR Projects, he claimed five podium finishes in the Pro-Am category, including one win.
Paul Ricard Circuit in Le Castellet has historically been a successful venue for RTR Projects. In 2023, Jan Krabec sealed his GT2 European Series AM class title there. Last year, the Czech driver also impressed at the same circuit alongside Homola. The duo finished third in the first race and took victory in the second. “The KTM performs well here. Consistency throughout the weekend will be key,” Homola adds.
Homola is joined this season by experienced and competitive partner Laura Kraihamer. The Austrian is a factory KTM driver and brings experience not only with GT2 machinery but also the X-Bow GTX and GT4. Last season, she raced for the factory-backed True Racing team in the GT2 European Series alongside Hubert Trunkenpolz. The pair finished sixth overall in the Pro-Am standings, with one podium finish. Kraihamer also has experience in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and boasts a win in the ADAC GT4 Germany series.
“It came as a bit of a surprise, but I’m happy this opportunity came along. I’m really looking forward to racing with RTR Projects and Maťo Homola. He’s always been quick in the KTM, so I believe it’s going to be a great weekend,” says the Austrian racer.
Ačkoli oba jezdci už mají s GT2 European Series zkušenosti, francouzský víkend pro ně bude v nejednom ohledu neznámou. Jednou z nejvýraznějších změn je prodloužení délky závodů. Ty už nepotrvají 50 minut jako doposud, ale rovnou hodinu.“It may seem like a minor change, but it affects a lot of things,” Homola explains. “It means higher fuel and tyre consumption. It’s only a few more laps, but from this perspective, it’s a big shift,” he adds.
Tyres represent another unknown. “We’ll be getting a new compound. Let’s see how it performs,” says Homola. Still, the Slovak driver believes the change could benefit RTR Projects. “The KTM allows for good tyre management. I think that could be an advantage for us, especially if the new set is softer and wears out more quickly,” he says.
First outing for the Mercedes
RTR Projects is also fielding two additional line-ups in the AM class for the season opener. Team owner Tomáš Miniberger will share a second KTM X-Bow with Viktor Mráz, while Petr Lisa and Ondřej Rokos will rotate in a customer Mercedes-AMG. For Rokos—who only completed his first three race weekends last year in the ESET Cup (now the GT Cup Series)—the French weekend will be a complete debut on every front.
“This will mostly be about getting familiar with everything. The GT2 European Series is a completely different world compared to what I’ve experienced so far. Our main goal is to gain experience and adjust,” he says. However, the rookie won’t be diving in entirely blind. During an intensive winter testing programme, he and RTR Projects visited Le Castellet among other tracks. “We really tried hard. We invested a decent amount of time into preparation,” he adds.
Rokos doesn’t hide the fact that switching from the KTM X-Bow GTX to the Mercedes is a big change. “We’ve done some mileage already. We’re still fine-tuning the setup and similar things. But I’d say we’re getting to grips with the car. It’s not 100% yet, and I think it will take a while before we know the car inside out,” he admits.
Rokos will also face his first-ever rolling start. He’s yet to experience one during his previous outings in the ESET Cup. “In endurance races, I always took over from Petr mid-race. In the Brno sprint, I had to start from the pit lane. So this weekend will be my first real start alongside other competitors,” he explains.
Even for the more experienced Petr Lisa, this will be his debut at Circuit Paul Ricard. He approaches the weekend with the same level of respect as his teammate. “This year is mostly about gaining experience. Ondra needs to log race kilometres. When it comes to car setup, we’ll prioritise what works for him,” says Lisa.
The former Dubai 24 Hours participant will also need to adapt to the new machinery. “Compared to the KTM, it’s a completely different style. The Mercedes is significantly heavier. We’ll need to be more careful with the tyres,” he acknowledges.
Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet is considered a technically demanding track. It stretches 5,842 metres and features 21 corners. Races there test not only drivers’ abilities but also the performance of their cars – especially on the famous Mistral straight.
The weekend programme kicks off on Friday with free practice. Saturday will host qualifying, and both one-hour races are scheduled for Sunday. The first begins at 9:00, with the second at 14:55.
Photo: RTR projects
