Ronald Dobmeier has been at the wheel of the safety car in the ADAC GT Masters for a good ten years. Six races into the current season, he is still waiting for his first outing of the year. This is a new phenomenon for the 54-year-old, who lives with his partner in Bavaria. When “Ron” is not in his Audi R8, he works as an officer in the fire brigade. In an interview, Dobmeier discusses how his job at the racetrack came about, what he has to observe, and which circuits he has the most respect for.

Where does your love of motorsport come from?

I started karting when I was four and a half, after which I drove in various disciplines in motorsport clubs. After I had signed up to the German army, in which I flew the BO 105 helicopter, I repeatedly had to put motorsport on hold. However, when I had time, I was involved in the DMSB safety team and remained true to motor racing.

How did you become the safety car driver?

Peter Lux was the safety car driver for 35 years, including in the ADAC GT Masters. He was like a mentor to me. It was through him that Jürgen Kastenholz and I found our way into this job and became the only permanent safety car drivers in Germany. We basically cover pretty much everything. I am also on duty in the Porsche Carrera Cup, Formula 3 and Formula 4. I have been driving the safety car in the German GT Championship since 2012. The whole thing is very time consuming, but I travel to the circuits in a motor home with my partner, and am quite self-sufficient.

What does an everyday race day look like for a safety car driver?

I wait in full kit with the engine running, usually at the end of the pit lane. If there is a hazardous situation on the track, a crash, an oil spill or a sudden change in the weather, the race director decides whether to send me out and, if so, when. He then gives the order “Safety car ready”, I switch the orange lights on and check whether the pit lane is clear. This is followed by “Priority safety car”, after which I head onto the track and wait for the field. Finally comes the order “Safety car go”. The location of each car is conveyed via a transponder, and race control uses this to try to send me out in front of the leading car. However, if there has been a bad crash, I am ordered onto the track immediately, which sometimes means I am not at the head of the field. The cars must then sort themselves into the right order behind me, which I signal using an additional green light.

There has yet to be a single safety car phase in this season’s ADAC GT Masters. Why have you had nothing to do so far?

That is definitely unusual. In previous years, I have made at least one appearance in every race. Sometimes, I have been out on the track six to eight times. Perhaps a lot of drivers are holding back. Motorsport is expensive and some drivers are no longer driving at 180 percent and in combat mode all weekend, as they were before. We have also not had any bad weather so far, and have come through the races without any trouble. That is good for the spectators, who don’t want to see any interruptions or slow laps in formation.

When you are required, do you have to drive at the limit?

Certain factors play a role in whether or not we are right at the limit. Among other things, it depends on how high the ambient and track temperatures are, whether the cars are air-cooled or water-cooled, and how long they have been driving. As a general rule, however, the motto is: Foot down! However, you try to keep an extra five to eight percent in reserve. In clear danger zones with marshals or the medical car at the track, there are clear speed limits, set by race control. Otherwise, you drive as fast as possible.

Which circuits are particularly demanding and difficult for a safety car?

The Sachsenring is a challenge, with the Omega section and the back straights, on which you head downhill over a crest and cannot see anything. It depends whether you are in an Audi R8 in the ADAC GT Masters, or in an electric Porsche in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. Zandvoort is also tricky, particularly when it is damp and the sand mixes with the water to form a slippery film. I am always particularly careful there. The Nürburgring is not so demanding from a driving point of view, but the weather can be a real issue, with downpours, 40 degrees or thick fog.

How is your relationship with the drivers?

Many of them have, like me, been driving for a good ten years. We get on really well and have a very good relationship with the newcomers too. There is obviously a bit of whining sometimes, but it is never personal. In difficult situations, the drivers look for someone to blame. In that case, the safety car came out too soon or too late. Sometimes, whether or not you benefit from a safety car phase just comes down to luck. It usually evens itself out over the course of a season. If there is any trouble, we discuss the situation later and draw a line under it. The drivers are generally much more disciplined during a safety car phase than they used to be, when it was a struggle to keep them behind you.

Have you ever been out for so long that you have run out of fuel?

A few years ago, I was frequently required on the track at Spa-Francorchamps. The display said that I only had enough fuel for another 60 kilometres – that is three to four laps at full speed. Fortunately, it all worked out ok. I came even closer to running out in an ADAC GT Masters race in Zandvoort. The weather was crazy and I was constantly in action. The tank was empty and we were about to change safety car, but we just managed to hold on. At least we probably led the race for longer than anyone else.

What are your hopes for the future?

It would be a dream to drive the safety car in Formula 1. The pinnacle of motor racing gets the most attention, but in principle the work is the same.