Ayhancan Güven is one of the most talented young drivers in international GT racing, and is already on the cusp of becoming a star in his native Turkey. This season, he lines up alongside Christian Engelhart for the Joos Sportwagentechnik team in the German GT Championship. The Turkish youngster has spent several years gaining GT experience in Porsche one-make cups, twice winning the Porsche Carrera Cup France and finishing runner-up in the German Carrera Cup in 2021. In an interview, the 24-year-old talks about his career so far, his new team from Balingen in Baden-Württemberg, and virtual motorsport.
You start for the Joos Sportwagentechnik team in the 2022 ADAC GT Masters. That is a big step in your career.
I spent the last two years as a Porsche Junior. I have now completed that training and am remaining in the Porsche Motorsport family as a driver. It is through Porsche that I came into contact with the Joos Sportwagentechnik team, and consequently my next challenge will be the ADAC GT Masters. I am very pleased with the amount of trust that has been put in me, and am looking forward to my new role. I did not know the team personally beforehand, but did follow last season’s ADAC GT Masters.
In Christian Engelhart, you have a very experienced team-mate alongside you in the car. Does that increase the pressure to perform, or are you predominantly excited about how much you could learn from him?
Having Christian as a team-mate is a fantastic opportunity for me. He has an awful lot of experience and is a fast driver, who was crowned ADAC GT Masters champion in 2020. I see it less as additional pressure and more as a very big advantage for me. I will learn as much as possible from Christian and the whole team. As such, I am very optimistic ahead of my first season with a GT3 car.
Have you and Christian been acquaintances for a long time?
I met him in the paddock a few times last year. We will definitely be spending more time with each other this year. I am really looking forward to it.
How much of a challenge is it to now be lining up in a Porsche 911 GT3 R instead of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup?
The two cars are different in some areas. It is definitely a big challenge, as the ADAC GT Masters is a demanding series with fast drivers and cars. To drive a Porsche 911 GT3 R is something I have been working towards for a long time. As such, I am very excited and can hardly wait to get started.
How do the two cars differ?
I think the biggest difference is that the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, unlike the Porsche 911 GT3 R, does not have any ABS or other driver aids. Furthermore, the GT3 car has more aerodynamics. I hope it won’t take me too long to adapt to the new car.
Last year, you raced in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, which holds the majority of its races on the support programme for the ADAC GT Masters. How does it feel to be a part of the “other” paddock in the future?
One big advantage of the Carrera Cup is that, as a driver in a support series, you get to know the ADAC GT Masters very well. It is always great when you are part of the paddock in the main racing series. That is something I am really looking forward to. I know the atmosphere in the ADAC GT Masters paddock from my last season in the Carrera Cup, and also know the majority of the circuits. However, there is still some new territory for me.
Will you travel from Turkey to the ADAC GT Masters races, or do you also have a residence in Germany?
Before the start of the season, I will be with my family in Turkey. However, as soon as the preparations begin, I will live in Gronau in Germany again. That makes it far easier to travel to the individual racetracks. I will then probably spend time with my family in Turkey during the summer break. I have done that in the past, and it has proven to be successful.
You are also very active on the eSports scene and compete for one of the most successful sim racing teams. Does that help in real motorsport, particularly now as you make the step up into a GT3 series?
Sim racing and real motorsport are definitely different. However, as a driver in virtual motorsport there are many things that you can transfer to the real racetrack. I drive for Coanda Simsport with the best sim racers in the world. I learn a lot from them, and can often use what I have learned at the racetrack. Last year I drove the virtual Porsche 911 GT3 R, and I think that will help me this coming season.
What goals have you set yourself for your first season in the German GT Championship?
My focus is currently on getting to know the new car and the new championship, and on finding my feet. We are obviously hoping for some wins, but we will see what happens over the course of the season.