A new category, a different car, and a fresh racing format – Josef Hrdlička’s current season in the Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland is marked by significant changes. The Mičánek Motorsport driver is gradually adapting and aims to secure points from the final round.
„This season we are approaching primarily as a learning and preparatory year. On top of that, we are facing very strong competition. Many professional drivers, with experience in the Carrera Cup or Supercup, are taking part,” Hrdlička explains about his current campaign in the Sprint Challenge GT3 category. He is, more or less, satisfied with his performance. “With every race weekend, we improve and feel more confident. There are, of course, areas to work on, but the important thing is that we know what needs improving,” he adds.
Although Hrdlička has appeared on the scene in the Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland over the past two years, he was competing in the Driver’s Competition Pro category, where he finished fifth overall last season. The Sprint Challenge GT3, however, is a significant step up from his previous arena. While the Driver’s Competition Pro races are structured around regularity runs, the Sprint Challenge GT3 delivers full-fledged wheel-to-wheel racing. The technical challenge has changed as well. In the past two seasons, Hrdlička drove the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. This year, he takes the wheel of the 911 GT3 Cup 992 – a substantial change.
„This year, it’s a completely different style of racing. You really have to forget everything you’ve learned so far. Now we’re driving a Porsche race car straight from Weissach, and everything is different – the brakes, the steering, the suspension, the gearbox, and even the tyres,” he explains.
Although Hrdlička is navigating uncharted waters this season, he has already come close to scoring his first points. His best results came during the August races at Oschersleben, where he finished 12th and 11th in the 2d class, respectively.
„At Oschersleben, I managed to overtake around seven cars. Considering it’s such a narrow track, where overtaking is almost impossible, that was a pretty good result,” Hrdlička recalls. Nevertheless, the circuit didn’t exactly win him over. “It’s a technical, flat track, and as a driver, I don’t find it particularly exciting. Of all the circuits we race on, this one is the least interesting to me,” he explains.
Although Oschersleben produced Hrdlička’s best results of the season, he looks back more fondly on the July races at the Red Bull Ring. In Austria, he finished 13th in both races, all against a field of nearly 30 cars. “I think I managed to put in a very solid performance there. On top of that, it’s a completely different track compared to Oschersleben – faster, better, and simply more exciting,” he says.
This year marked Hrdlička’s first-ever race at Spa-Francorchamps. The legendary Belgian circuit hosted a round of the Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland in September. “It was an incredible experience. It’s the best track I’ve ever raced on,” Hrdlička says, clearly impressed. But not everything went smoothly. “In the second race, I was taken out from 13th place by a competitor. I dropped to last and had to claw back nearly a minute. In the end, I managed to overtake around five cars, but still finished 18th,” he adds.
This year’s season will reach its climax on the weekend of 12–13 October at Hockenheimring, which also hosted the opening round. The Mičánek Motorsport driver heads into the two final races with a clear goal. “We hope to score at least a few points. The top ten is my target, but every time I’ve come close this year, some collision or other misfortune has set me back,” Hrdlička explains, fully aware of the tough competition. “Hockenheimring is a very popular track, so we can expect a large entry list. Every position will be hard-fought,” he adds.
