As well as established prototype drivers Markus Pommer (33/Untereisesheim), Valentino Catalano (18/Westheim) and Sven Barth (43/Eberbach), Gebhardt Motorsport has also brought young Belgian Maxim Dirickx on board for this season’s Prototype Cup Germany. The talented 19-year-old will share a Duqueine D08 with Sven Barth.
“I am sure that the Prototype Cup Germany is the perfect choice at this point in my career, in order to achieve my goal of sometime becoming a works driver,” says Maxim Dirickx. The Belgian was a latecomer to motorsport, although he actually inherited a love of motor racing. “As a child, I tried all kinds of sports. However, I was 16 before I sat in a kart for the first time. When my parents saw that I loved karting more than any other sport that I had done previously, they were very happy. After all, they are both actively involved in motor racing – my mother Yannick Dillon as a driver with the Audi Driving Experience, while my father Johan Dirickx has a workshop for vintage Porsche cars, including a collection, and takes part in historic car races.”
Maxim spent three years driving karts and was twice crowned Dutch champion and once Belgian champion in the Rotax-DD2 class. “When I started out in karting, my parents said: ‘We are very happy to support you, but we are going to do this properly.’ To this end, I entered about 30 races per year – as a late starter, I had a lot of experience to catch up on.” At the age of 19, it was time to take the next step. “I was able to call on the advice of Marco Werner, a colleague of my mother, with whom my parents have been friends for a long time. Marco advised me to go into prototypes, and that immediately made sense for me. It was also through Marco that I came into contact with Gebhardt Motorsport. I immediately felt good there and find it great that I have three experienced team-mates in Markus, Valentino and Sven. I hope I can learn a lot from them.” And the rookie can continue to depend on former Le Mans winner Marco Werner. “Marco is my driving and mental coach. I am very pleased about that, and am sure he will really help me.”
To prepare for the season, Dirickx has already completed four days of testing in the Ginetta G61-LT-P3, which Gebhardt Motorsport ran in last year’s Prototype Cup Germany. “Together with Valentino Catalano, I will contest the Prototype Winter Series in Aragón and Barcelona in the Duqueine, my car for the coming season, at the start of March. That will also allow me to familiarise myself with the processes during a race weekend, as a test day is totally different to a race weekend. I think I should then be well prepared for the season-opener at Spa-Francorchamps, which is immediately a home race for me.”
The marketing student has yet to set himself any goals for his first season in an LMP3 car. “It is difficult at the moment, as I have not yet driven the Duqueine and don’t know the standard of the field in the 2024 Prototype Cup Germany. Every racing driver obviously always wants to win, but I think it is particularly important to improve consistently in your first year, with regard to both lap times and the way you drive. Should I come away with a podium too, that would be excellent; if not, I won’t have a problem with that. My mid-term goal is to make a living from motor racing – preferably as a works driver. I would also very much like to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and ideally to win it.”
