With his eyes set on competing in the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring 24 Hours, Enzo Trulli achieved his Nordschleife A‑Permit at NLS7; driving the track for the first time alongside Yasser Shahin, Jürgen Marzi and Marcus Amand in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS for Four Motors Bioconcept‑Car. By getting his permit as an Asia Pacific‑selected Porsche driver, it opens up more ways to show himself and work towards the goal of becoming a professional driver.
Getting to grips on the Nordschleife: “I love it already”
The 21‑year‑old Italian competes in ELMS, leading the Pro/Am Championship with Algarve Pro Racing, and in the China GT Championship where he sits fifth. With no racing there, the timing fell perfectly to take the chance and go for the Permit. “It’s a busy year; we had a higher chance of good weather, which we have; I think it’s the best choice to do it now.”
Trying to get the Permit A with Four Motors Bioconcept‑Car in the SP7 class, and being the only car specified in the AT category, was not a specific reason behind it, as Porsche has done this before according to Marcus Amand, who told GT REPORT earlier. “We are not really focused on that. We are mainly here just to get the Permit, so try to drive as much as possible and learn the track.”
Having only done laps in a slower car on Friday morning to get the B‑Permit, the tricky parts were already discovered.
“This track is absolutely insane, very nice. I love it already,” he tells GT REPORT as he elaborates on the challenging sections. “The high speed and the bumps combined, I think it’s something unique, which you don’t find anywhere else. So that for sure will take some time to adapt. The slow‑speed corners are good; you can get the rhythm quite easily. It’s more the high speed, medium‑high speed, which needs a bit of time.”
Asia and Europe combined; with the 24 Hours race in mind
Finishing third in their respective class and securing the Permit on Saturday after the 6‑hour ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken‑Serie race, the aim to race more in Europe isn’t immediately there for the newly named Asia Pacific‑selected Porsche driver.
“I love racing in Asia. If I can combine Asia and Europe, it’s amazing,” says the Phantom Global Racing driver, as he drives the #66 Porsche 911 GT3 R in the China GT Championship alongside Chinese driver Chris Chia On. “I don’t want to race only in Europe; I also want to continue racing in Asia, because it is growing every year and it’s a very good market for Porsche, so I would love to do both.”
But making more use of the Permit in the coming years is part of the plan, as he aims to compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours and to prove himself to become a factory driver in the future.
“Absolutely, next few years, for sure it’s a dream.”
Having done the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year and the 24 Hours of Spa, the experience of what it takes to drive these races is already there.
“First, it’s patience; especially here you have to have patience. It’s always a long week, so always try to get into your rhythm and don’t stress or overdo too much. Because in the end it’s a very long race, so you have to arrive fresh and be ready for the race.”
