This year, there are two new pilots joining the Mercedes-Benz DTM team ranks: Maximilian Götz and Lucas Auer. The latter of the two would like to say hello and offers you the chance to get to know him better through this short and very cozy video.
I don’t know what it is about it – is it the innocence of the 20 year old pilot, his pure and unadulterated excitement or the lovely relationship he seems to have with his mother? – but I can guarantee this movie will leave a warm impression on you.
You may not know this, but Lucas Auer is the nephew of former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger. His mother, Claudia, also featured in the video is Gerhard’s sister and runs a transport business in Lucas’ hometown of Tyrol, Austria.
But don’t think for a moment that Lucas Auer is the kind of pilot who rose through the ranks based on his uncle’s fame (after all, mentioning Ayrton Senna as his biggest idol might have weakened the family relations. Nah, just kidding). Not by a mile. He’s been involved in motorsports since early on (obviously, he began with karting), winning his first major title in 2011 where he won the title of the JK Racing Asia Series season (winning 7 of the 18 races and finishing on the podium 17 times).
Next season saw Lucas Auer join the German Formula 3 Cup where he finished runner-up at the end of the season and then he was off to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship where he finished fourth in both 2013 and 2014 campaigns.
In the off-season he managed to secure a race seat for the 2015 DTM season after passing the subsequent tests, so look forward to seeing him race in the Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM car.
This is what Lucas Auer had to say: “Joining the DTM is an important step in my career. I’m really proud to be part of the Mercedes family. Testing towards the end of last year in Jerez de la Frontera was a fantastic experience. I can’t wait to get back in the car and continue preparations for my DTM debut. I would never have thought it a year ago. I realise that it won’t be an easy task. The DTM is a top-class racing series with formidable opponents, but I’m willing to learn and ready to embark on this adventure. I intend to grab this chance at Mercedes‑Benz with both hands.”
The fact that such young pilots manage to make their way into top competitions should serve as inspiration for all the other kids out there who are just getting into karting and are thinking about the long road ahead until the much coveted world recognition. If you’re good enough, it’s not that far away.
