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PIOTR WIEÇEK, NEW DRIFT KING OF RIGA: " WINNING IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF EVERY RACER"

03.08.2022

The fourth round of the European Drift Masters Championship was held last weekend in Latvia. For sure it was going to be a tough race to decide which driver could name himself the next ‘King of Riga’ in the international Drift Masters Championship. We're very proud to announce that Polish driver Piotr Wieçek from the Worthouse Team successfully drifted his way to gold during the weekend. We had a chat with Piotr right after he stepped down from the podium.

PIOTR WIEÇEK, NEW DRIFT KING OF RIGA: " WINNING IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF EVERY RACER"

Piotr, what a weekend, what's going through your mind right now?

I still cannot believe what just happened to me. It was a tough race. Not as previous races, this weekend we constantly had to adapt to the changing circumstances. The grip was different compared to the practices, which made it even tougher. I was doing great, but the competition was fierce and I started to make some mistakes. The new grip level also made it a challenge to keep the car perfectly under control. Somehow, we managed our way to the final during the weekend and even won the final! It's unbelievable! This is such a wonderful place, with a great audience, even my father and family were supporting for me here.

Piotr, what a weekend, what's going through your mind right now?

What makes this place so special for you?

I love this place because the track has a specific character that I like. You have to focus and drive full throttle to nail it here. The track is very demanding; if you loose your focus here, you end up in places you don't want to be. Especially with these high curbs, if you pull the wheel on these curbs, the whole car can be out of its balance and it won't drive the same, as you want it to do. This weekend was very satisfying, first winning the qualification and subsequently winning the title.

What makes this place so special for you?

The Motul powered Nissan S15 has a proven track record. How long did it take to build your racing car to this level of performance?

We started building and racing this S15 in the USA, and we also used (and even abused - laughs) the car there. It's on ongoing process, although we perform at the highest level, I still like to be more 'connected' with the car. Every year we improve the setup and adjust some technical details, such as the chassis and suspension setup. That's nice, as it keeps the challenge going. We will see how the car performs as we reach the end of the season, and then decide if it needs extra upgrades or not. But that's for the future.

The Motul powered Nissan S15 has a proven track record. How long did it take to build your racing car to this level of performance?

It seems you feel 'one' with the car, how does this car suit you?

The car is doing what I want it to do. Once I get into my 'flow' during the weekend, which takes a bit of time for me, I really feel and can predict what's going to happen with the car. Sometimes I'm even doing things, which I did not think about and the car is behaving in a way I want it to do. It's hard to describe, after the final I even couldn't remember my lead run, I don't know how it happened. I felt as if I was somewhere else meanwhile chasing my competitor. This is the 'zone' we racers need to get into, simply forget what we should be doing and just do it.

It seems you feel 'one' with the car, how does this car suit you?

Speaking of the final, you and James have a historic bond. After such a close finish, that must have felt incredible?

Absolutely! I knew I lost a few points as I sacrificed some zones just to stay close to him. But in the end it was worth it. I won, and all the rest matters less. Winning is always a great feeling. It doesn't matter from who you win. If it is James, it's even better, but winning the final is the ultimate goal of every racer. Winning from James just made the taste of this victory sweeter.

Speaking of the final, you and James have a historic bond. After such a close finish, that must have felt incredible?

What do Motul's products add to the performance of your car?

Motul has done an amazing job, taking care of my car's performance. The whole care is lubricated and supported by Motul's products, ranging from the Motul 300 V oil for the 2JZ engine, to the RBF brake fluids and Mo Cool Coolants. It's all a matter of reliability. I don't even have to think about the oil. Once the oil pressure is on my dashboard I know we're good to go and we can perform. We trust the products blindfolded. Even during the event, I forget about the oil pressure and don't look at the dashboard once I see the temperatures are okay. I know the car is fine, I know I can trust Motul's oil, even if we should have a mixture with gasoline, it keeps on performing. We've never encountered circumstances that affect the protection by the Motul 300V oil. I'm really glad we're using Motul's products in our cars.

What do Motul's products add to the performance of your car?