Q&A

Interviewer: Katia Indigne

Inerrviewee: Niki Lanik

Katia: You were 16 when you started to race. Why have you chosen for carsports?

Niki: I always liked speed and I always wanted to compete. As a kid I had the opportunity to drive old cars around a big field at the family farm house. This is were I learned how to drive, and wanted to do more and more of it. Originally I wanted to drive in the World Rally Championship like Colin McRae, but I was too young and so decided to take up circuit racing, which I have now grown very fond of.

(more…)

A top ten finish in the second of two FIA GT3 European Championship races at Paul Ricard in the South of France gave Niki Lanik the lead of the Porsche Manufacturers Cup.  The 22-year-old Austrian, who lives in Ashurst Wood in Sussex, was handed the car by Finland’s Mikael Forsten in 14th and drove a determined race to finish the 60-minute encounter in a creditable 9th overall.

The weekend got off to a poor start with Niki only getting eleven laps in the car on the unfamiliar Paul Ricard circuit during free practice on Friday due to technical problems.    He then qualified the car 14th out of 30 cars for the first of the two 60-minute races on Saturday afternoon.  A short rain storm on part of the circuit caused the race to be stopped on lap 2 after several cars crashed heavily, with Lanik classified as 14th in the final results but scoring one more than his Porsche Cup rival David Ashburn.  In the second race Mikhael Forsten drove the first part of the race handing the car over on lap 12 in 14th place.  Lanik then drove well to move up the order to finish 9th overall to secure the lead in the Porsche Manufacturers Cup with two races remaining. (more…)

UK based sportscar driver Niki Lanik heads to the South of France for the penultimate FIA GT3 European Champion race meeting this weekend and has his sights firmly on the lead of the Porsche Manufacturers Cup.  The 22-year-old Austrian, who lives in Ashurst Wood in Sussex, has a new driving partner in the #12 Prospeed Competition Porsche 911 with Finland’s Mikael Forsten sharing the driving duties in the two 60-minute races on the 5.8km Paul Ricard circuit.

Three weeks ago in Portugal Niki Lanik, along with Marco Holzer, scored two Porsche Manufacturers Cup victories to cut David Ashburn’s lead in the #22 Trackspeed Porsche to just two points with four races remaining.  Lanik is confident that the change in driving partner wont affect his performances this weekend and he is sure teaming up with Mikael Forsten will help him move closer to his goal of becoming the top Porsche driver in the championship.

Niki Lanik said: “I am looking forward to racing with Mikael.  This will be the first time we’ve raced together but I’m very confident we’ll get the job done this weekend.  My goal is to leave Paul Ricard leading the Porsche Cup, but after getting two 4th place finishes in the previous races, an overall podium finish here would be a nice bonus.  This circuit at Paul Ricard is fantastic, a real driver’s circuit, and one that should suit the Porsche.”

Qualifying for Rounds 9 & 10 of the FIA GT3 European Championship will take place on Saturday 3 October at 12 Noon, with Round 9 the same day at 17:30.  The second of the two 60-minute races will get underway on Sunday 4 October at 16:45.  Live coverage of the two races can be seen on the championship website at www.fiagt3.com, with highlights shown in the UK and across Europe on Motors TV.

Read more on: http://fiagt3.com/newsitem.php?key=458

Title: FIA GT3 - Paul Ricard - Round 9 & 10
Location: PAUL RICARD, FRANCE
Description: Practice, Qualifying, Round 9 & 10 of the European FIA GT3 Championship.
Start Date: 2009-10-02
Start Time: 09:00
End Date: 2009-10-04
End Time: 18:00