Maxime Martin: Three 24h races in a row - that will be a huge challenge!

• Three 24-hour races in three weeks for the Belgian endurance racer

• Huge physical and mental challenge for drivers and teams

• Different conditions for GT3 cars at Le Mans, Spa and Nürburgring

This year sees a special challenge in European motorsport: all three major 24-hour races take place back-to-back. Le Mans (11 - 15 June) will kick things off, followed by the 24h Nürburgring (19 - 22 June) and the race at Spa-Francorchamps (25 - 29 June). Only a few drivers have the confidence to complete the triple. One of them is Maxime Martin. The Belgian switched to Mercedes-AMG in the winter and will be competing in the three endurance classics with various teams. In this interview, he talks about the challenge ahead of him and the peculiarities of the three races.

???: You're one of the endurance professionals who will be driving all three major European 24-hour races this year - back-to-back. Certainly a big challenge ...

Maxime Martin: „ Yes, it will definitely be a challenge. In general, I think it's pretty crazy for everyone who does these three big 24-hour races in a row - including the teams. I don't know if there is even a team that will contest all three races. But even with two participations, it's extreme. For the crew, the mechanics, the engineers, the drivers - it's definitely a huge challenge.”

??? : What is the most important issue for you personally?

Maxime Martin: ”I think the biggest challenge is physical. Especially after the Nürburgring straight after Spa - that will be intense. The Nürburgring and Spa are very physically demanding. Le Mans is a bit different because the race is driven differently and the track is different too. I'll be competing there in LMGT3, where the Pro driver usually completes about half of the race. So it will definitely be physically demanding. That's why you have to try to recover as well as possible between races. But it's also mentally demanding because these races are basically sprint races from start to finish. The standard is extremely high, everyone is pushing to the maximum. It's all pretty tricky.’”

???: Do you have a special strategy for recovery?

Maxime Martin: ”To be honest, none in particular. I just try to use all my experience to recover in the best possible way. Relax when I can. Eat enough and drink a lot - no beer! Seriously, you have to be as well hydrated as possible, eat well, sleep well. And that starts before the events - you have to be fit and rested beforehand. For me personally, there's also the fact that I drive a race every weekend before and after. These three 24-hour races are in the middle of maybe ten or eleven race weekends - that's high-performance sport.”

???: What is the biggest difference between the three races?

Maxime Martin: ”They are all very different. Le Mans - because of the track and the type of racing - is the most famous in the world. The atmosphere there is great. But as I drive in LMGT3, we are the slowest cars there. We fight in our class, but we constantly have to look behind because the hypercars are coming and with a very big difference in speed. At the Nürburgring, it's the other way round - we're the fastest cars there. So we have constant traffic in front of us. I would say that the Nürburgring is probably the toughest race. Because of the track itself, the traffic and the changeable conditions. The track is so long that you can have dry and wet sections at the same time. You're always on the wrong tyre. That makes it very demanding - mentally as well. Spa is - I think - the most intense race when it comes to the duels. It's like a sprint with over 70 GT3 cars. That's where the racing is at its closest. But each of these races has its own peculiarities - that's the great thing!“

???: And do you go straight from Le Mans to the Ring and then on to Spa Francorchamps? Or do you have a break?

Maxime Martin: ”No, I'm lucky - I live in Belgium not far from the Nürburgring and Spa. So I always have one or two days at home. Whereby ‘at home’ is not always synonymous with ‘break’ - I have three children who want to see their dad sometimes! But we manage that. It's good to recharge the batteries - with the family and the children. We travel a lot throughout the year, and then a short break at home, a day or two, doing something completely different - that also helps with regeneration.”

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