When you talk about impressive debut seasons, Jan Krabec’s maiden foray into the Fanatec GT2 European Series takes some beating.
Having raced sports and GT cars regularly since 2017, Krabec only stepped into the GT2 family at the start of this year, and went on to enjoy a stellar campaign at the wheel of the RTR Projects KTM X-Bow. Of the 12 races this season, Krabec claimed six class wins and 10 podium finishes, eventually sealing the category title during a tense finale at Circuit Paul Ricard.
With previous experience of racing KTMs in the 24 Hour Series, and then switching to GT4 machinery in Germany, we thought we’d get to know Krabec more with a few questions about his stunning GT2 season.
Firstly, Jan huge congratulations on winning the Fanatec GT2 European Series 2023 Am crown. You’re a champion! Has the feeling sunk in yet?
"Thank you. What a season this was. Yes, indeed, it did take me a couple of days to realise that we did it! It was and still is a great feeling. It gives you so much energy!"
The title fight was still agonisingly close going into the season finale at Circuit Paul Ricard, just how tough was it to retake the class lead and then seal the title?
"The title fight was a challenge during the whole season! It was fun to race against Klaus, Sehdi and Leonardo each event. I also cannot forget Mantas and Aurelijus, the fights I had with them and their win in Valencia. The truth is that I made a couple of mistakes in Valencia, especially in the second race, and that cost me the class lead. Therefore, I truly wanted to be as ready as possible for Paul Ricard – I trained quite hard, both at the simulator getting as many laps as possible (it was my first time at the track) and physically. Then, while sitting in the race car, I tried my best to deliver the plan we have made together with Tomas Fanta, who plays the roles of both team CEO and my race engineer in one person."
At what point did you know the title was really yours?
"The title itself? Only when crossing the finish line under the chequered flag! I was too focused to think about anything else beforehand and I believe that is the only correct way to do any sport on a competitive level. We were racing until the very last metres of the second race at Circuit Paul Ricard and any incident could have been very expensive. But, I have to admit, I felt strong during the weekend – the training and preparation worked well, and I could focus on setting up the car and myself for this very fast but also very technical racetrack. You truly must be precise while racing at Circuit Paul Ricard, anything else is either too slow or killing the tyres, or both. Then, after getting pole position for both races, I felt we have the right momentum and I started to believe I can get the title back."
How difficult was it to win the title in your maiden year in the series?
"Overall, it was a tough job, that is true. From our inside view, I think the story of season had two different phases. Chapter one, we did not know what to expect, how competitive we can be, even the KTM X-Bow GT2 was a new car for us. However, we spent some good time testing over the winter and that helped us in the first couple of races. In Monza, two victories were a miracle! We used to say that it was unbelievable, unexpected, we were simply stunned. But we also knew that we needed to fight hard and improve several things. Each weekend, we tried to make ourselves a bit stronger, make the car faster while staying consistent, use the time on the track wisely. Each weekend of the first chapter, we were able to score points and even keep the class lead.
"And that led us to the second chapter. Right in the middle of the season, it was the first time we started to believe we could fight for the championship. Naturally, that had somewhat changed our approach to each of the following weekends. We had to avoid mistakes, penalties, technical difficulties and hopefully also driver errors in the crucial moments. We simply added one more layer of responsibility – not only for the race weekends – but also for the time when we were getting ready for the next event. At this stage, the team did a perfect job, the car was always 100% ready. Over the year, we have dramatically changed the car setup to be faster and more responsive. We have worked hard and that is the reason we succeeded in the – possibly more important – second chapter.
"Overall, for me personally, I feel like I got two or three years of experience over one season."
What was your toughest moment on the way to the title?
"That clearly was the mistakes I made in the difficult second race in Valencia. Those cost me the class lead. But I tried to learn from those and felt it was fair for Klaus to take the lead in Valencia with his strong performance together with Sehdi there. I said to myself, well, we will simply have to decide the season in Circuit Paul Ricard."
Was there ever a moment where you thought you might not be able to win the title?
"Of course, all the time during the season. We were not even thinking about the title in the first half. I am also aware that motorsport – even more than many other sports – relies on many different aspects that are often outside the reach of the driver or the team. But we kept trying our best and it worked out."
What was your stand-out moment of your season?
"I would say I have two events that I will never forget, the first two wins in Monza, and the second race and its several last corners at Circuit Paul Ricard. These were truly unforgettable."
Do you hope to come back next year to defend your crown?
"I would first like to thank the whole team RTR Projects for the 2023 Fanatec GT2 European Series Season: Tomas Fanta, the best mechanics, team managers and, of course, the team owner Mr. Tomas Miniberger. Without them, there would be no championship title and I am honoured we have become close friends.
"For 2024? Of course, we are already discussing the options for the next season. If everything works out well, we might even introduce two RTR Projects KTM GT2s! But let’s see, everything is still open. The truth is it would probably be difficult for me not to race next year – I am afraid I would simply miss it too much. And by the way, the GT2s are amazing cars to race."
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The Fanatec GT2 European Series will return in 20204, with the six-round calendar due to get underway at Circuit Paul Ricard on April 5/6.