{"id":69889,"date":"2021-02-25T20:08:52","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T19:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monaco-tribune.com\/2021\/02\/interview-maro-engel-mercedes-amg-i-dream-of-taking-part-in-the-24-hours-of-le-mans\/"},"modified":"2021-02-27T08:45:50","modified_gmt":"2021-02-27T07:45:50","slug":"interview-maro-engel-mercedes-amg-i-dream-of-taking-part-in-the-24-hours-of-le-mans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.monaco-tribune.com\/en\/2021\/02\/interview-maro-engel-mercedes-amg-i-dream-of-taking-part-in-the-24-hours-of-le-mans\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview. Maro Engel (Mercedes-AMG): \u201cI dream of taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Driver and ambassador for Mercedes-AMG, Maro Engel spoke to us at length about his recent victory at the 24 Hours in Daytona. Aged 35 and living in Monaco, he also shed light on motor racing today, as well as Formula E and endurance racing. Naturally, talk also turned to Formula 1.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A beautiful sunny day in the Principality. After finishing lunch with St\u00e9phane Richelmi and Vincent Abril, the Munich born driver took some time out of his afternoon to talk to us about the ever-evolving sport of motor racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

>> READ ALSO:<\/strong> St\u00e9phane Richelmi: \u201cI still have a few good years ahead of me\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only is he a racing driver and ambassador for Mercedes-AMG, but he also works with the Peace and Sport organisation. He is one of over 100 high level sportsmen taking part in the movement \u201cChampions for Peace\u201d. Growing up as a child in Monaco with the famous Nico Rosberg, \u201cwe went to school and did our first laps of the track together\u201d, he has now claimed his own victory in Florida, winning the 24 hours in Daytona in the GT3 category. He was also the first winner of the SCG Pole position trophy after scoring pole position for the N\u00fcrburgring 24 hour race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N\u00fcrburgring is an incredible circuit!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Maro, how did you feel when you won this race?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I was so proud. It was such a great win. The first one for Mercedes-AMG in Daytona. We\u2019ve competed in the past, but never had success. A 24-hour race is always hard to win. It\u2019s not good enough to just be the fastest on the track. You have to know how to work the whole course. Everything went right for us this year, the team, the drivers, the car. It\u2019s fantastic, especially with this being the first endurance win for Mercedes-AMG in America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mercedes-AMG-24-heures-daytona\"
\u00a9<\/strong> Mercedes-AMG<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

After Daytona and N\u00fcrburgring, you just need to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans to complete your set of titles\u2026<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

(He smiles) I dream about that all the time! For racing drivers the 24 Hours of Le Mans is such a special race, everyone wants to add that title to their name. The first goal is always to try and win one of the classics, such as Daytona, Spa-Francorchamps, N\u00fcrburgring or Le Mans. For the moment though, due to the current regulations, we aren\u2019t allowed to race Le Mans because the course isn\u2019t suitable for GT3. Although maybe in the future we\u2019ll be able to, especially as LMDh<\/a> are set to be allowed from 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ve mastered some of the most legendary courses throughout your career. Tell us about N\u00fcrburgring and the record lap you made driving a Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This circuit is absolutely incredible. I really don\u2019t have the words to describe it. Circuits like Spa-Francorchamps are great, but N\u00fcrburgring isn\u2019t like anywhere else in the world. It\u2019s in a league of its own. Taking bends at 280km\/h, the distance covered by the concrete track, the ups and downs and sudden drops, not forgetting the forest surrounding the track\u2026 Racing here just feels different to everywhere else. I\u2019ve been in pole position three times here and recorded the fastest lap for a Mercedes-AMG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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