The opening round of the season at Grobnik also marked the start of the season for Aliyyah Koloc. The Buggyra Zero Mileage driver raced with a Renault Clio. How did she enjoy the race weekend? What are her plans for the rest of the season? Is she going to continue in the ESET Cup? She answered all that and even more in our interview.
Aliyyah, you were racing in Grobnik with a Renault Clio car in Renault Clio Cup, TC-2000 and Endurance categories. In the Renault Clio Cup, you managed to take two 5th places, while in the TC-2000 you took two victories. In the Endurance race, you finished in 14th position. How would you rate your race weekend at Croatia?
I’m really happy with the way it went in Croatia. Especially, considering it was my first race. It was great that I could learn, gain various experience and try different situations across categories.
You faced some really tough competition in the Renault Clio Cup with drivers like Tomáš Pekař, Pawel Wysmyk, Miha Primožič, Zoran Poglajen or Mark Mramor. Do you think you’ve already learnt something from them? What, for example?
I’d say that I’ve especially learnt to react quickly to other cars. But because all those mentioned drivers were faster, I didn’t get a chance to race with them. But on Friday, Tomáš Pekař was really kind by allowing me to compare our data and he gave me some advice about the racing line, where to go over the kerbs and where to brake. That was really nice.
In Grobnik, you also watched your sister Yasmeen racing in an F4 car. How does it feel to watch her from the pitlane? Especially moments like the accident she had in her first race?
Of course, I was nervous. When she’s racing, I try to get every information to know, how is she doing. So, when I saw that she didn’t enter the next lap, I started to be nervous and I packed. I ran into Turn 3 to find her. She was in pain, so I felt bad. Luckily, it wasn’t anything serious.
Can you imagine a situation when you and Yasmeen would be both on the track? Racing against each other? How would that go?
We were thinking about it. For sure, we wouldn’t do anything to hamper each other race. We’ll have to be careful, look around and see what’s going on around us.
Your father, Martin Koloc, is a former European champion in Truck Racing and also a Buggyra Zero Mileage team principal. How is he supporting you? What is the best advice, that he has ever given to you?
My dad is my biggest support. I’d say, that when it comes to my racing and setting up the car, he understands me the most. He helps me to express things that I can’t do. He always gives me good advice. One of them was: “Don’t waste your time, you’ll never get it back.”
Thanks to Buggyra Zero Mileage you can also work together with some great drivers like the only Czech Formula 1 driver Tomáš Enge or former European champions in Truck Racing David Vršecký and Adam Lacko. What have you learnt from them?
Of course, I’m learning from them. They teach me a lot about different things, there’s so much that I can’t go into details, but I’ve been learning how to get the maximum from the car, what to do before getting behind the wheel, about the technical side of things or even life lessons.
This year, you will be racing also in the European Truck Racing championship. How would you compare the Renault Clio car with a truck? Are there any similarities?
There’s not much to compare. They’re totally different.
Do you think that Grobnik has given you something you can use in truck racing?
Every race gives me an opportunity to learn something.
Despite you will be racing in the European Truck Racing Championship, are we going to see you also in the next rounds of ESET Cup?
I’d really like to take part also in other ESET Cup races because I’ve enjoyed the racing here a lot. However, my schedule is full of truck racing.
And what about any other championships?
I’ll be racing also in the French Truck Racing championship.
What are your long-term goals? Do you want to do only truck racing? Or are there any other series or categories that you would like to try? Single-seaters, GT cars? Do you have any racing dream?
Currently, my goal is to do truck racing. But I’m also part of our GT team and I’m working on my career in off-road racing as well, so I could race in the Dakar Rally one day. My dream is to be the best in everything I do.