Antti Rammo (41/EST, MRS GT-Racing) is the Trophy champion in this year’s Prototype Cup Germany. The Estonian won one race this season in his Ligier, and also made it onto the podium in third place on a further occasion. He now looks back on his first year in the German LMP3 series.

At the start of the season, did you believe you would be crowned champion in the Trophy competition? “One of my goals was indeed to win the Trophy. However, you obviously can’t assume that you will achieve that goal. LMP3 was a new class for me, and there were a lot of things I had to get used to. The team and the majority of the circuits were also new to me. With this in mind, you can never be certain that you will achieve your goals. However, I was confident that I would get good results if I performed well. After all, although I did not have any LMP3 experience, I do have a lot of kilometres of racing in the bank and had a rough idea of what I was capable of. By the way, my main goal was not to win the Trophy, but to have fun, learn as much as possible, and always to do my best. Unlike results, that is something I could control. Incidentally, I always received great support from my team and team principal Karsten Molitor. They gave it everything for me. They all played a big part in the good season we enjoyed together – I am very grateful for that.”

What was your first impression of the LMP3 racer? “My first impression was really good. The LMP3 has enough power and handles well. This car is actually easier to drive the faster you are. For a kart driver, which I was for a long time, driving an LMP car comes more naturally than a TCR, which I drove previously. Of all the race cars I have had over the course of the career, I think I like the LMP3 best.”

Was it a mistake then, to switch to TCR when you returned from karting to automobile racing two years ago? “No, I don’t think so. TCR allowed me to familiarise myself with the big racetracks again, which are quite different to the smaller kart tracks. Furthermore, I was a latecomer to motorsport anyway, so the fact that I possibly spent one year too long in TCR does not really make any difference. However, I do believe it is possible to make the step up from karting to LMP3 racing. It is important to be able to build your trust in the LMP3 car, which is best done by attending many tests. In my opinion, time spent in the car is one of the keys to success in motorsport. By the way, Maxim Dirickx has shown that it is possible to switch directly from karting to the Prototype Cup Germany – I think he did a good job.”

Let’s come to this season. It got off to a miserable start with a crash at Spa-Francorchamps … “Actually, it began with a good test day and a decent first free practice, in which I was not far off the front-runners on the wet track. I then aquaplaned and hit the wall heavily in FP2. It was not a big mistake, but was down to the conditions and I was a bit unfortunate. I have learned from that situation. In the end, however, I was fortunate that the weekend, which would have been over for me anyway after the crash, was completely cancelled after the first qualifying session due to adverse weather. As such, I did not miss a single race.”

You were also a bit unlucky in Lusatia… “That is true, although it was a completely different weekend to the one in Spa. We were unable to use the test day, because we were still lacking spare parts. That would have been valuable to ensure the car was set up perfectly. Then I missed the pit entry in the opening race and came in too late for my pit stop. I was too fast in the pit lane in race two, and then had to retire from race three after a collision with Keanu Al Azhari, although I had led for a long time. Although the results were not optimal, I had a lot of fun that weekend and showed that I could compete at the front of the field. That gave me a lot of confidence.”

Then came Zandvoort, where everything went perfectly. “Not entirely, as we missed the free practices again there. I went out on old tyres in the first qualifying, and was last. I then took to the Zandvoort track on slicks for the first time in the race. To be honest, I have to admit that the safety car shortly before the pit stops really helped me. Thanks to my short stationary time, because I am only a Bronze driver, I was able to take the lead and even extend it by the time I reached the finish. My car was great and I had a bit of a cushion behind me, as Torsten Kratz did a really good job of defending his second place. It was one of those races, in which many things went in my favour. I also found it really cool that two Bronze drivers finished first and second, in the form of me and Torsten.”

All things considered, would you say that the move to the Prototype Cup Germany was perfect for you? “It was definitely a very good decision. The series is well organised and I found the mix of circuits, at which we raced, a really sensible one. It was also excellent to start on the DTM platform. I also found the atmosphere in our paddock very pleasant; all the teams and drivers got on very well with each other, and you did not mind your rivals having a bit of success. Incidentally, I also thought it was great that Ralf Schumacher made a guest start. He has won a few Formula 1 races and to have made it onto the podium alongside him was a real highlight for me. I have not yet decided where I will race in 2025, but the Prototype Cup Germany is currently number one in my list of options.”