![\"\"](\"https:\/\/motormix.cz\/site\/assets\/files\/5375\/viktor_mraz.774x0-is.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\u201cI came here to learn, to see what the championship is like, and to try the car. After qualifying, I didn\u2019t believe we could make it to the podium, so I\u2019m really happy that it worked out in the end,\u201d said Viktor Mr\u00e1z after his first race in the GT2 European Series, just three weeks after his first test of the KTM X-BOW GT2 in the ESET Cup.
Mr\u00e1z benefited from the experience and advice of Jan Krabec, the reigning GT2 European Series AM champion and last year\u2019s double Monza race winner. Krabec was impressed by his new teammate\u2019s performance. \u201cViktor did an unbelievably good job. It\u2019s his first season with KTM, first GT2 race, first race at Monza. Achieving such a result is exceptional,\u201d commented Jan Krabec. <\/p>\n\n
The GT2 lineup had to contend with a significantly faster Monza track, thanks to a new surface. \u201cThe new surface has huge grip, it turns and brakes better. We\u2019re two seconds faster than last year, we\u2019re posting quicker times than the GT3 cars,\u201d said Krabec. This was confirmed by team executive director Tom\u00e1\u0161 Fanta. \u201cQualifying times are three seconds faster than last year, and we were higher in the standings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
The faster track posed a challenge for the team as well. With an average speed exceeding 190 km\/h, fuel consumption increased, and the team had to prepare for the possibility of having to refuel during the pit stop. \u201cWe had to adapt and change the setup. In the end, the safety car saved us, as we drove a few laps slower. We had to make a tough decision about whether to risk not refueling, but it paid off,\u201d explained Tom\u00e1\u0161 Fanta. <\/p>\n\n
Viktor Mr\u00e1z started the race and managed to navigate the first slow turn safely, avoiding any collisions. However, just three laps later, a crash involving a competing X-BOW GT2 from Razoon Racing brought out the safety car. Mr\u00e1z had to deal with the restart but managed to create enough space to focus on the competitors ahead.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/motormix.cz\/site\/assets\/files\/5375\/krabec_mraz.774x0-is.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Mr\u00e1z made his pit stop at the start of the pit window, allowing Krabec to take over. After a perfectly executed stop, Krabec rejoined the race in the lead. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know how we were doing compared to the others, so I had to push straight away. I had space in front of me,\u201d said Krabec. He managed to bring the KTM X-BOW GT2 to a third-place finish in the AM class. In the overall standings, RTR Projects finished fourth, with Krabec and Mr\u00e1z being the fastest pairing from the Austrian brand. <\/p>\n\n
The team aimed to follow up their strong performance with a similar result on Sunday, despite a five-second penalty on their pit stop. However, their chances of repeating the result were thwarted by another collision at the \u201ccursed\u201d first chicane. Klaus Angerhofer of True Racing made a mistake and collided with the right front of the RTR Projects X-BOW. While the offending driver continued the race, the RTR car was left unable to continue due to damage to the front suspension. <\/p>\n\n
Despite the setback, the team had already shown its ability to get multiple drivers onto the podium this season. Alongside Jan Krabec, Ma\u0165o Homola and Petr Lisa have also secured podiums for RTR Projects, with Viktor Mr\u00e1z now joining them. \u201cIt shows that we are compatible with a variety of drivers and can get them onto the podium. This gives us great strength in building our driver lineup for 2025,\u201d said team leader Tom\u00e1\u0161 Fanta. \u201cI want to thank the drivers for their great work, and I\u2019m also proud of the team.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It was meant to be a learning weekend for the new driver in the GT2 European Series, but Viktor Mr\u00e1z, in his debut race, surprised everyone by securing a spot on the podium. Along with Jan Krabec, he finished third in the AM class. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1880,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[31],"class_list":["post-2059","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-gt2-european-series-en"],"acf":{"photo_gallery":{"photogallery":[[]]}},"yoast_head":"\n