So how did this unique adventure come about? Yvo Schnarrenberger: “Peter Posavac, owner and driver of the PP Group Zetti, invited me along to the ROWE 6-hour race as a thank you for all we did at the 24-hour race in mid-May – the RONAL GROUP provided the team with a huge amount of support. I drove to the Nürburgring on Thursday – two days before the race – where I lapped once in my Porsche.”
It all kicked off at 9:30 a.m. on Friday during practice for Saturday’s race. Yvo started with three or four laps of the Grand Prix track as Peter Posavac’s co-driver – initially with slicks. The Zetti then had to switch to rain tires – and our CEO did his first few laps at the wheel with Peter as co-driver. After a break, Yvo took the wheel again, this time with Jörg Müller – professional racing and Zetti driver – sitting next to him. “He gave me some great advice – on taking the bends, for example. Then he took the wheel and showed me how it’s really done.”
And then, after lunch, it was finally time – Yvo took to the track on his own, speeding round at up to 240 km/hr. “At breakfast on Friday morning, I did wonder whether I’d done the right thing in accepting the invitation”, he grins. “But”, he continues, “the Zetti and I are still in one piece! It was the first time I’d ever driven a car like that – a forgotten childhood dream came true just like that, and I’d definitely do it again.” And what was the biggest challenge for our CEO? “Starting it up wasn’t straightforward and was quite stressful for me, but I didn’t stall it!”, explains Yvo proudly. “And it took courage and resolution to drive round the bends instead of braking.” All the mechanisms that had to be synchronized were really impressive – as was the coordination of team and driver – “that demands amazing teamwork!” And he also had a lot of respect for the other vehicles on the track the whole time.
He put in an amazing performance for a newcomer to the track, but Yvo knows there is plenty of potential for improvement: “I’d really like to take every bend faster. But I know it will require a lot of training and expertise. I reached my limit as a driver – but the vehicle didn’t. Though when all is said and done, it was all about the pleasure of driving and not trying to prove anything.”
And what do (co-)drivers Peter and Jörg have to say about our CEO’s first few laps in the Zetti?
Peter:
“I’d heard that Yvo likes fast cars and I wanted to show him my gratitude for all his support. Driving a GT3 racing car around the track is something really special. It was great that he had the nerve to do it – I had mixed feelings beforehand, to be honest. But all that went away after the first few bends! Yvo was clearly at ease – you can tell immediately as a co-driver. He drove confidently and consistently, improving with every lap. So I didn’t think twice about letting him take the wheel on his own. It’s great that he enjoyed it so much!”
Jörg adds:
“Yvo put in a sensational performance with the Zetti! Given that the PP Group Z4 GT3 is one of the fastest cars on the Nordschleife, I was totally thrilled with how Yvo took charge of it, remembering everything we’d told him about our racing car. These cars aren’t easy to manage due to their complex electronics, but Yvo did everything he was taught straight away. I hope he felt at home with us and that it’s not the last time he sits in the Zetti.”
