Following initial guest participations in ADAC GT4 Germany in 2021, KTM customer team RTR Projects embarks on its first full-season campaign this year. In contrast to the previous season, the Czech team with principal Eva Beníšková at the helm is now running the Evo specification of the KTM X-BOW GT4. During the season opener at Oschersleben, the team not only collected experience, but also scored its first points for the junior standings.
“We are still lacking mileage and experience with the new set-up, but we are learning with every stint,” Eva Beníšková summed up after the first race weekend with the new KTM X-BOW GT4 Evo. While Josef Knopp still had to make do with the penultimate starting grid spot in the first-ever GT4 qualifying session of his young driver career, Matěj Pavlíček found valuable time during the second qualifying session and placed the X-BOW in 20th position in the field of 28 cars.
“We are still struggling with the balance of the car, we are having sudden oversteer time and time again. Altogether, however, we have made a significant step forward since yesterday and today, we were already over a second faster than the day before. Sadly, the competition has improved as well, so that we are still quite far down. We have planned to make up at least five positions and bring home a championship point,” said Pavlíček, who was the starting driver in the race on Sunday.
On the previous day, this duty had been allocated to 17-year-old GT4 rookie Josef Knopp, in line with the ADAC GT4 Germany format. Per race weekend, every driver has to complete one qualifying session and one race start. After the mandatory driver change, the team managed to make up a few positions, but concluded the race on Saturday in a rather dissatisfying 22nd place overall. By virtue of better lap times, the duo eventually secured 17th place in the overall classification of the race on Sunday, marked by numerous accidents and safety car interventions.
The considerable competitive spirit of the drivers and the relentless effort by the team were rewarded with the first points in the junior standings. Together, Knopp and Pavlíček scored a total of 13 points and are in eleventh place prior to the next round at the Red Bull Ring (20 to 22 May).