Stepping up to endurance racing
Racing driver Colin Bönighausen from Germany is shifting up a gear. He will make his endurance racing debut on 6 September in Spa.
“I’m ready for the future — and that means endurance racing,” the 20-year-old explains with determination. Colin knows all about the trending sport.
“Millions of fans watch the 24-hour classics at Le Mans, Daytona, Spa or on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Factory teams from major manufacturers such as Ferrari, Porsche, Toyota, Ford and McLaren compete with hypercars and GT vehicles.”
The switch to endurance racing therefore comes as no surprise.
“We want to gain a foothold in endurance racing,” he emphasises.
He has already made his mark during test drives in a GT3 car, achieving impressive times despite the unfamiliar environment.
Colin will make his racing debut at the 12-hour race on the legendary Spa circuit. He will drive a current Porsche 911 GT3 Cup there. What makes this special is that in the Michelin 992 Endurance Cup, all teams compete with identical cars, which promises to make for an extremely close race. Colin will share the car with three American teammates. Thanks to his previous successes, the FIA has categorised him as a silver driver, meaning he is the team leader.
He is looking forward to this responsibility:
“Even if you are alone in the car, in motorsport it always depends on the team. This is particularly true in endurance racing, as I share a car with other drivers and strategy plays an even bigger role.”
The Porsche will be fielded by Bas Koeten Racing from the Netherlands. Colin has previously worked with them in the BMW M2 Cup and has also competed in several races in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux with them. Colin has set himself ambitious goals for the 2026 season:
“I want to compete in the Dubai 24 Hours. The next logical step is the ADAC GT Masters, which has a strong line-up.”
This racing series is partly held as part of the DTM. Although GT3 cars are also used here, the endurance element is more pronounced, with two drivers sharing each car and sometimes longer races. For the driver, this means that you don’t always drive at full speed; the car has to be brought to the finish in one piece; fuel has to be conserved; and tyres and brakes have to be managed over the driving time.
As a double programme would be almost impossible to manage in terms of time and money, Colin has decided to focus fully on endurance racing and end his involvement in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany for the time being.
“My time there was great – I learned a lot and was able to hold my own in close competition. That will stand me in good stead for the next challenges.”
He would like to express his special thanks to Team Proton Huber Competition for their support this season.
Bild: Bildagentur Kräling/PCCD
