HARRY KING
2022’s Mobil 1 Supercup is the thirtieth Porsche Supercup season, kicking off in Imola in April and finishing at Monza in September. To stay sharp behind the wheel of the new 992 GT3 Cup Car, it can pay to run in a second racing programme, such as the excellent Porsche Carrera Cup championships...
Starting a new chapter with BWT Lechner Racing is incredibly exciting. I’m thoroughly looking forward to getting involved with the team after a strong start — in March, I had a successful weekend participating in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East round at Jeddah, which was a nice way to kick off the season and blow away the cobwebs.
My new team-mates are Dylan Pereira and Bastian Buus. Dylan brings a wealth of experience to the table. He’s exceptionally quick in a 992 Cup car and great in a team environment. Bastian is Carrera Cup Deutschland’s runner-up in the rookie programme and is also very quick. I think we form a very good trio. We’re all quite young and, crucially, we’re all hungry for success.
We had an intensive pre-season testing programme. With Dylan, Bastian, all the engineers and mechanics, I really enjoyed us working collectively as a team. I feel very much at home and this is a really positive environment to compete in. Of course, racing with Parker Revs Motorsport in Supercup last year was really good preparation. We didn’t complete a whole season because of the Carrera Cup Great Britain commitments I had as GB Junior, meaning there are circuits I’ll be visiting for the first time this year. This is one of the reasons I also added Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux as a second programme for 2022. I took part as a guest last season and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I have good memories of working with Parker Revs co-owner, Patrick de Groot, securing two wins in two races, as well as our successful time working together in Carrera Cup Great Britain.
Just as I did in 2021, I will be driving in the Benelux competition alongside my Supercup commitments in order to further improve my track time and to keep myself race-fresh throughout the season. My aim is to extend my knowledge of key circuits, including Zolder and Hockenheim. In addition, more consistency in the new 911 Cup car will mean I’m more comfortable, which will only help my Supercup campaign.
This is the best preparation I could have. I’m not classified as a rookie anymore (despite being at the same level of experience) — I know what to expect. Consequently, I’m a step ahead. I’m excited about the season and racing in Europe, which is always quite different to competing in the UK. There’s a lot more strategy involved.
The first Supercup race of the season took place at Imola and was a new challenge for everybody competing — not even participating Carrera Cup Italy drivers had raced the new 992 Cup cars. My expectations were high after free practice, when I ended up P3, but qualifying was a real challenge because the red flag hampered my first run and I didn’t get a clear lap thereafter.
When rain fell before the start, the team did a great job to get the car turned around for the conditions, giving me a fantastic platform to move forward. I had so much confidence in the car and could really push to make up places, getting us to a podium finish. It was a great way to set expectations for the rest of the year.
We’re happy with how things are looking, but in Supercup, the tides change quickly. In other words, we have to keep working hard and can’t get too relaxed. Every other team is toiling to be where we are, which is why we’ve got to keep our work rate high throughout the season.
I’m pleased to be returning to Monaco (for a second year) with a bit more experience and more confidence. We had a really good result on Circuit de Monaco in 2021, despite it being Parker Revs’ first time racing in Supercup. We finished in the top ten and I see no reason why I can’t improve on this result in 2022.
Competing in Jeddah has helped me feel more comfortable with the 992 around walls at high speed, which is always a very different experience when you drive on open circuits all your life and suddenly, you’re on a narrow strip of track — if you complete a fast lap at Monaco, you’ve definitely taken risks and are relieved to see the finish line. Supercup at Silverstone will also be a special weekend after we lost out on having a UK round for the series last year. Again, nobody’s really been here with the 992 Cup car.
Even though I’m a British racing driver, I’ve yet to compete on Silverstone’s full Grand Prix circuit. Under the BWT Lechner Racing banner, I don’t have any real home advantage. Even so, Silverstone is home of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC). Being a member of the BRDC Superstars programme fills me with even more pride at the prospect of driving the circuit.
Red Bull Ring is the home of BWT Lechner Racing. Needless to say, support will be high and the team — which has a very good record at the Austrian track — has high expectations for when Supercup rolls into town. I’m looking forward to returning after two wins at the circuit last season.
Paul Ricard is another new venue for me. After fun in France, we visit Spa, which is always an enjoyable place to race. I opened my 2022 Carrera Cup Benelux season there. To score pole position and take two wins with two fastest laps was a great way to start the campaign. It’s nice to be leading the championship at this early stage.
We’ll be also be racing at Zandvoort, a UKstyle circuit which really suits me as a driver. I’m extremely lucky to be able to do what I love and race these incredible 911 GT3 Cup cars. Rest assured, I will be giving it my all this season. ●