Jakub Knoll: Competition has increased a lot in the GT3

Jakub Knoll: Competition has increased a lot in the GT3

Jakub Knoll in the colors of the Šenkýř Motorsport team finished three times firsts this year in sprint and endurance races, and with his stable results earned the title of ESET V4 Cup champion. Yet the season wasn’t easy for him, because the competition between the GT3 cars is still growing.

In sprint you finished second and in endurance you finished in the seventh place, which together brought you a victory in the ESET V4 Cup. As you are satisfied with this year’s season?
My feelings from this season are quite mixed. On the one hand, I enjoyed the Šenkýř Motorsport teamwork, because everything worked perfectly. Throughout the season we did not have a single technical problem and the car was very well prepared. On the other hand, I’m sorry for my performance, which unfortunately hasn’t been very good. In the end, the total results worked out well, but it was largely due to luck and coincidence.

You went through the last season with a BMW Z4 GT3, and this year you got behind the wheel of a newer model, the M6. How long did it take you to get used to the car?
In general, it always takes me a while to get used to a new car, and this year was no exception. Both cars are very different, but they are high-tech, and it is a pleasure to race with them.

GT3 cars are truly leading-edge technology, how strong is the competition in this class from your perspective?
Compared with previous seasons the competition has increased a lot – at least in the number of modern GT3s, which was only good for the championship and I hope this trend will continue.

Compared to the last year you went through a few endurance races, what was behind this decision?
This year I took part in two endurance races, and in both cases it was mostly about getting more practice. At Hungaroring, it was primarily about getting up to speed at the start of the season, while in Brno I took the one-hour as a preparation for the last race – the International GT Open, where I plan to race.

What is your best experience of this season?
To be honest, I don’t have any top memory of this season. Although I finished first three times, neither of these victories was entirely deserved and adequate. However, the best experience for me was probably the Red Bull Ring race.

When did you feel the worst behind the wheel?
For sure during the races in Most, where I gave very weak performance throughout the weekend compared to my expectations.

What plans do you have for the next season?
If nothing unexpected happens, I should race in the team of Robert Šenkýř with the BMW M6 GT3 even in 2018. The decision on the championship hasn’t been made yet.

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