Andre Lotterer

After i woke up i looked out of my balcony and I could see Mount fuji so clearly (100km away), I though i have to go there and put some miles on my super bike… I called up Loic to join, he used my ex bike, also he had some bike wear which was practical for a unplanned quick escape. We started well… my old bike had a flat before we even started… so we grabed some kitchen knives and managed to remove the tire, not easy but we manged it…. Lucky I had a spare tube. Was fun to ride together and hopefully Loic will get into it, I’m trying to gather a few guys, maybe Ben to one day so we can do small group tours which is nice, specially in that area, many routes are possible

Was a fantasic scenry with this clear weather. Great to get out of Tokyo for a training day filled up with fresh oxygen and satisfaction!

2 days of development testing in Motegi for our team in the new car, second time for me after the shakedown in fuji couple month ago. The car has improved a little bit, we managed to drive a lot and learn a lot to. Bridgestone brought some new tyres that matches this car much better. The long runs were really consistent, should be good for the races obviously. 

Just to inform you about the design and assure you its not our teams colors… It was a design contest for kids. a 10 year old girl won it, real sweet idea actually…

My good friend Ben did it! Well done bastard!! This guy did some real strong races this season in GT, the best i have seen so far form him! yep… he desrves it. I officially want to congratulate him thru my blog…

Well, lets not sound to happy here cause I also wanted to win the drivers championship!! We had a small chance at the last race but it didnt work out for us.(race report comming soon…) We still managed to win the Team championship wich is a real nice reward for our team, they did a strong job this year, no mistakes, good teamwork, fast, great atmoshpere. I think we all leave the season behind with the feeling that we are ready for another title fight next year under more equal technical conditions and every one of us feels to keep working together!

My team-mate Juichi and his beautiful family! IPE & DAISUKE

Some special young talented art…. 

Part 1: An up close and personal encounter with Andre Lotterer

One of three new additions to the PETRONAS Motorsports family in 2008, the partnership with TOM’S to form the PETRONAS TOYOTA TEAM TOM’S was designed to meet the corporation’s aim of pursuing a strategic business objective in the Japanese market. Riding on TOM’S long racing history and impressive racing credentials that extends more than three decades, the PETRONAS TOYOTA TEAM TOM’S competes in the prestigious and highly competitive Japanese Super GT Series.

At the helm of the team’s Lexus SC430, the team is served by two drivers, both seemingly a world apart, yet it is a relationship that has seen the duo chalk up impressive results. One half is made up of a lanky and charming German with an impressive racing pedigree; on the other is a Japanese “veteran” whose youthful exuberance belies almost two decades worth of experience racing.

With a legion of fans to boot, Andre Lotterer and teammate Juichi Wakisaka (the subject of the second part of our special interview) already have a championship to their name and have produced consistent results in 2008 that has earned them an outside chance at the championship. At the time of this publication, the PETRONAS TOYOTA TEAM TOM’S currently leads the team championship with 87 points, and in the drivers’ ranking, Andre and Juichi are third, 15 points adrift off the No. 23 Xanavi NISMO GTR team and just a point behind the second place No. 18 Honda Takata Dome NSX team.

With the championship headed for a dramatic showdown at the very last round at the Fuji Speedway this weekend, we caught-up with the younger half of the pair, Andre Lotterer. Friendly and unassuming, and only 27 years-old, Andre already possesses a long list of racing accolades that includes his accomplishments in almost all the major single seater championships around the world, including Formula One. Currently plying his trade with the PETRONAS TOYOTA TEAM TOM’S in two major racing series in Japan - the hugely popular Super GT Series and the Formula Nippon championship - Andre Lotterer is as down-to-earth as they come.  He talks about the season, the stiff competition, his philosophy and colourful career in an especially candid interview with us.

Teammates in arms - Juichi Wakisaka (left) and Andre Lotterer (right)
PETMOS: Andre, we are nearing the end of the 2008 Super GT season, and it looks like a tight fight for the championship with a few teams gunning for the title. From your perspective,tell us about the season so far and your overall feeling.
Andre Lotterer: “I’m pretty satisfied with how the season has gone so far, because we have been really consistent which is not easy to do in GT, especially with the regulation. The GTR is really strong this season, and though for sure we want to win, it has also been important for us to be consistent. We have been doing that so far, with a few rounds where the weight has been our achilles heel. We have had four podium finishes, so there really isn’t much to say, as we have been doing more than the best of what we could do. At the beginning of the season, the changes in the regulation was a concern, but now with the weight handicap performance adjustment in place, we know what to expect. So far, everything has been going as planned, my teammate is great and the team has been very strong. So, we will fight to the end.”

PM: You’ve been with TOM’S for a few seasons now, and what in your opinion, has been the most unique characteristic of this team?
AL: ”To be honest, this team has an incredibly long history in racing, which is a great history when you look at what they have done and achieved in the past with sportscar in Group C World Championship in the 1980s and early 1990s; and in Le Mans.They are the best team for Toyota. They would have made it to Formula One were it not for the economic downturn in the late 1980s. They are still very big with a big name, which is one of the most unique thing for a Japanese team, especially having achieved and gone so far in racing.”

PM: Based on your experience, what has been the biggest challenge for the team and for you this season?
AL: “I think the challenge is basically always the same, which is to win and to do the best you can. You cannot approach a season without having this challenge. We are a winning team and that’s what we want to do every race. We always approach every weekend trying to do our maximum best because there really is no satisfaction with being second or third.”

PM: One of the races in the season is the round in Sepang. What is the major differences between this Sepang round and the other rounds in Japan, aside from the weather? 
AL: “Unlike the races in Japan, the round in Sepang really has a different atmosphere. It’s fun for me and for everybody to go outside of Japan and enjoy our racing on a bit more on an international basis. Personally, I enjoy it a lot because I really love the track as I like high-speed courses. I like the hot weather, and I think everyone on the team enjoys to get out of Japan, they come a few days earlier and enjoy the things they might not get the chance just racing in Japan. The weather is the other big difference but it’s OK. Actually, mid summer in Japan is not much different from Malaysia though the humidity is obviously a big factor. I usually come earlier than most of the other drivers, this year I went to Thailand a week earlier, did some training to help adjust to the conditions.”

A visit to the PETRONAS Twin Towers  

PM: And what was the highlight for the round in Sepang.
AL: “For me, the highlight of the round had to be the fact that we came this year in PETRONAS colours. We came with a completely different support and it became almost like a home race for us, which made the round in Sepang rather special. It was unfortunate that we arrived in Sepang with a lot of handicap weight and we couldn’t really shine in the performance and we hope that the fans can understand that. They can see that our ranking is good in the championship. I also really enjoyed visiting the PETRONAS offices this year. I’ve always been curious. You know, every year we come to Kuala Lumpur and we marvel at the towers from the outside. This year, we got the chance to see it from the inside, which was really nice!”

Andre and Juichi play mind games at PETRONAS’ science discovery centre - PETROSAINS 

PM: Now let’s find out a bit more about you. Obviously people know the Andre Lotterer name, and they know you’re a GT driver. Like everyone else, you made your way up from go-karts but what made you decide to become a race car driver?
AL: “Well it all came pretty naturally through my father. He was involved in racing as a part-team owner / team manager and as an engine specialist. They even used to call him the ‘magician’! I had a great childhood because although I was born in Germany, I grew up in Belgium where my father had the team. It was a successful team in Europe with touring cars and rallying, and my father always used to take me to the workshop. For me it was a natural environment, similar to like how other parents would take their kids to play baseball or football. So it was my natural environment to be around race cars and to go to the race tracks.

“I would say that since I was born I’ve heard race engines and race cars around me all the time and it became a part of my blood. The day when a kid starts to think about what they want to grow up to be, for me there was only one answer and that was to be a race-car driver. It was great to grow up like that because there are some drivers that come into racing when they are 16 or 17 and it’s hard to articulate and explain what racing is all about. There are so many things about the way things go in the world of racing. In that respect, I was lucky that I had that exposure from early on, even before I started racing go-karts.”

PM: Who and what would be your greatest inspiration?
AL: “Because I grew up around racing, my father really gave me a lot exposure on the technical side and I had the advantage of seeing how a team is run. He is a perfectionist, so he always made sure everything was done right. From that point of view, I learned a lot and got very inspired. I really don’t like to see things half-done or not well done, so when I see things on the car, I will tell the team to change it because I get bothered by it! But actually, I would say that my biggest inspiration comes more from myself. I always try to extract the most out of my own abilities.

“If there is one person that I admire greatly, that would be the late Ayrton Senna. At that age, he was winning everything and he was ‘the man’! I followed every F1 race he raced in and I admired him. He was a great character, had a lot of charisma which even as a 12-year old kid you realise that. It was a shame that he left us in 1994, and I never got the chance to meet him and continue enjoying his racing. I remember his races and even today I still watch some of his races or some of his interviews, because there is so much behind his personality that I find out now more than when I was a kid.”

Ayrton Senna

PM: What has been the most defining moment of your career so far?
AL: “I think when I won the Go-Kart World Championship at 13, it made me realise that I have a future in the sport. There were hundreds of drivers from all over the world and I beat them all. I thought to myself that this could become something. I had won a lot of races that year in general, but winning that championship was really a defining moment for me. For sure there are a lot of things to prove afterwards but that win gave me a huge boost and told me that I had what it takes to do it. From then on I had a target.

“But even before that though, when my father bought me my first go-kart he asked me if I really want to do this. And my answer was ‘YES!’. He said ok but on one condition. He said, ‘from here until Formula One, we don’t do things half!’ So, everything we did always focused on the one goal. I made it to become a test driver in Formula One but I am grateful that I got that chance as not many drivers get that break.”

PM: What was the worst moment in your career?
AL: “I never really like to remember them actually! I think it has to be when I was racing in Formula 3 in my first year in Germany. I had just graduated from Formula BMW and was leading the championship halfway through the season and it was going really well. But by the second half of the season the championship was starting to slip away from me. On the last race, I spun the car on the warm-up lap trying to warm my tyres up. It was the worst and most embarassing moment in my career but probably also a defining moment.”

PM: A lot of race car drivers would have given us the same answer prefering not to talk about their worst moments. Why was it a defining moment and how did you move on from a situation as you have shared with us?
AL: “Actually, it’s pretty simple. The key is to use the mistakes as part of a learning process. You learn from the mistakes and don’t do them again. You go home and for sure you’re angry, but there’s no point getting angry and banging your head against the wall. Instead, you try to analyse the situation, understand why this moment happened and what you can do to make sure you never make the same mistakes again. At that stage of my career, I was still young and still learning the ropes.

“Sometimes when you’re still climbing up that the ladder quickly, you might miss a few steps. Things like this brings you back down to earth. You’re learning everytime, whether its about driving or about your own character or even relationships. It’s all part of the learning process.”

PM: What do you do when you’re not racing? What about your family?
AL: “When I’m not racing, I focus on my fitness and do a lot of fitness training. During the season it’s a bit tough if there are back-to-back races because you do want to relax for a couple of days. I have a personal trainer and we do lots of training. We went up to Mount Fuji, and we trained around the area surrounding the lake, which is nice. Occasionally I leave the city and spend three or four days to enjoy the countryside. I also play a bit of golf and in the summer I go wakeboarding. I like to travel too.

“If there’s a long break, I usually go back to Europe to spend time with my parents. As I am the only child, I am really close to them. My father is a big sportsman as well, and we do a lot of rowing and cycling together. My parents do come over once a year to visit me, though they can’t come to all the races since it’s very far. To be frank, I am 100% grateful to my parents and thankful for all the sacrifices they have made so that I could achieve my goal to become a race car driver. While my father and I wanted the same goal, my mother was an important balance in our family, which was important especially as I was growing up.”

PM: Finally, Andre, there are so many young and upcoming drivers, what would your advise be to these young aspiring race car drivers?
AL: “Of course there are different approaches for all the different categories of racing, whether you’re in Japan or in Europe. But the main thing is to work hard on that goal you want to achieve and really live it. Live your sport everyday. It has to be in your head and it has to be your main priority. You might lose friends and stuff, but at some point you have to do everything in your power to achieve that goal. Especially these days as there are so many drivers, talent alone is not going to help you as you have to work your way up. Fitness is also important, you might think that what you do now is enough, but if you climb up the categories and you are given the opportunity to test a more powerful car and if you’re not ready for it, you’re done. Finally, always be ready for the next step!”

Carlo van Dam (guest driver), Juichi Wakisaka and Andre Lotterer

Couple of weeks ago I recieved my super high tech bike. Its an amazing piece of art and work!

I allready took it for a few tours, a bit cold at the moment but its still fun and I can say that this bike goes real fast! So stable and stiff!

I ordered some great winter cycling clothes from Assos ( http://www.assos.com/ ), they have the best stuff, check it out!

My uncle Bernhard from Peru came to visit us for 10 days. I convinced him to get into cycling with us and get the same bike as me. We got lucky, there was only 3 left in whole europe. He might be the only guy in south america to have a TREK MADONE 6.9 PRO… 

My GF, posing… used my old bike, also in carbon from treck, she did well, a bit scared going down hill but real good for the first time. I think she will get into it… if she finds pants with better pading…

My great boss Tachi called me up and asked me if i wanna join for a heli ride to the GP. I say : SURE!

Real cool views over the Tokyo city skyline and the race track! Thanks to our friend and sponsor Matsumoto Kyoshi for inviting me!

Weather
All weekend: Sunny and dry
Temperatures: 22 - 24°C (ambient) / 31 - 37°C (track)

Circuit: Autopolis (Ōita Pref., Kyushu, Japan)
Track length / race distance: 4.674km / 65Laps

Car & number: PETRONAS TOM’S SC430 / 36
Qualifying: 7th 
Race: 8th

Despite carrying a hefty weight penalty of 70kgs after the podium finish at Motegi last month, the PETRONAS Toyota Team Tom’s were able to collect three more points to add to the team’s overall haul after securing an eigth place finish at Round 8 of the Super GT championship last weekend. Taking place at the Autopolis circuit in the Ōita prefecture on the southern Island of Kyushu, the result from the penultimate round at the season has helped lift the burden of the weight handicap by 15kg for the team as it prepares for the final showdown at Fuji in early November.

Qualifying, Saturday
From the outset, the weight was a crucial factor heading into the round at Autopolis. The track layout with its up-hill sectors and gradient climbs, particularly in the final sector leading into the home straight meant that the car would ultimately be slower. However, a series of unforeseen circumstances during Saturday’s qualifying session favoured the team as they were able to qualify into the Super Lap. With German Andre Lotterer at the wheel, the PETRONAS Toyota Team Tom’s was able to get a fourth row start for Sunday’s race after qualifying 7th fastest.

Raceday, Sunday 
With clear weather dominating the proceedings on Sunday, the German retained his position as the team’s starting driver for the race. Maintaining his seventh position start, a two-stop strategy saw Lotterer drive two stints back-to-back. Taking over from the German for the final stint was his Japanese teammate Juichi Wakisaka. Although both drivers were unable to challenge the front runners, the team instead opted a points-finish strategy. Though Wakisaka originally took the PETRONAS Tom’s SC430 car to the finish line in 9th, the revision of the results following post-race penalties by the stewards meant the team were awarded with 8th.
Juichi Wakisaka (JPN)
“Although we came into the round with a huge disadvantage carrying 70kgs, our style always remains the same, which is to fight for the championship. Obviously, we knew we could not fight at the front so we opted for the strategy to score as many points we could and this was the right approach. Andre produced another fantastic drive this weekend to maintain our position in the first two stints of the race, which I was able to maintain during the final stint. The team did a superb job again with the pit stops, which were also crucial. Now we are a bit lighter going into the final round at Fuji, so we will continue to fight!”

Andre Lotterer 

Andre Lotterer (DEU)
“From an observers point of view, it is probably hard to imagine what carrying a 70kg weight penalty means in a race like this. It is incredibly hard, especially at a circuit like Autopolis, which its twisty uphill sections. However, despite this, we were able to produce a good and more importantly, a points-finish result. Despite what was a difficult situation for us, we didn’t lose all hope and as a result everyone did a really great job this weekend and I am happy that we managed to get some valuable points from this round. Now we head to Fuji with a 55kg penalty, but we will definitely do everything to fight for the championship.”
Masanori Sekiya, Team Director
“This was another better-than-expected result at the Autopolis round. Heading into the round, we knew that it was not going to be easy trying to challenge the other teams with the carrying the 70kgs weight penalty. So, coming away with points from this round is a great result. Both the drivers and the entire crew did a fantastic job this weekend! Now as we look ahead to the round in Fuji next month, we know it will be another tough race but we are looking forward to the challenge as everyone is geared up to fight for the championship.”

My good friend & partner EIJI has been helping cement a collaboration inbetween me and giant brand…world famous eyewear brand DITA!!

This picture was taken at his brand new select shop in Naka Meguro, MEMENTO. Its very nice and has special goods from Brazil and unique inhouse designed items amongst well selected brands.

www.mementomori.jp

rocking the fresh A.L Model Samples…

We are definitely collecting the podiums this year! 4 out of 7 in GT and the same in FN.

Don’t have much to report from Motegi other than thank the team for their great job! The car setup was really good considering our 50kg handicap weight and the pitstop was amazing! We had a good speed during the whole weekend and collected some important points!

We are now in the lead of the drivers and team championships , 2 more races to go!

Next race will be tough as we will have to carry 70 kg handicap weight, lets hope the others wont do to well and we can fight back for the last round in Fuji. 

Ok… I know… its been a while since I haven’t showed any signs of life on my Blog but don’t worry!! Its not cause I’m lazy or tired of writing… Its just simply that I have been really busy recently and had to set my priorities. 

My trainer Helmut is still here, we have been doing a lot of training and also experience great moments during the last 4 weeks. 

As we really enjoyed our first climb to the Mt. Fuji we planed to do it again for a great training session and go for a first record attempt before it gets to cold! 

This time it was without the bikes and we did the climb in 2h07 min. Witch is a good time I think. But for sure we are confident to go under the 2 hours next time.

We had a clear view all the way, was fantastic!

Next day we did a easy recovery session up to the 5^th station with the bikes.

Great satisfaction again!!

I can’t wait to go up there with the new bike I ordered!

It’s the top bike out on the market! Best of the best!!

Super strong, super light and a killer look!!