Latest / BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show / Screen to Speed No.45: Catharina Geissler & Jessica Weser; From Love at first Lap!

Transcript

Screen to Speed No.45: Catharina Geissler & Jessica Weser; From Love at first Lap! · BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show

0:00
Welcome to Screen to Speed powered by INIT Esports.
0:04
In this podcast, we dive into the journeys of remarkable individuals,
0:07
making waves in sim racing, and bridging the virtual with the real.
0:11
From the thrill of digital circuits to the roar of real life racetracks, we explore
0:16
the passion, Dedication and innovation that drives the world of motor sports.
0:20
We'll hear from athletes, creators, and pioneers sharing their stories,
0:24
insights, and the powerful ways sim racing is connecting communities and
0:29
creating pathways into motor sports.
0:31
So buckle up screen.
0:33
The speed starts now.
0:49
Hi everyone.
0:49
Welcome to any talks.
0:50
Happy to see everybody in chat.
0:52
Hello.
0:52
Hello.
0:53
Uh, welcome to our, uh, today's, uh, show and, uh, please
0:58
welcome Katherine and Jessica.
1:01
Hello.
1:01
Thanks for having us.
1:03
Yeah.
1:03
Thank you so much for joining.
1:05
Uh, it looks pretty.
1:07
Thank you so much.
1:09
All right.
1:10
And, uh, let's start from, uh, Katerina.
1:13
Can you tell how you start, uh, your way into motorsports?
1:17
I know you both in motorsports.
1:18
Uh, let's start with you and then Jessica can answer on this question as well.
1:24
Okay.
1:25
Um, my journey, um, yeah, started, um, pretty late, I guess, uh, which is
1:32
not common, um, because I was always interested in motorsports, watching
1:36
Formula One and, um, here in Germany, GTM.
1:40
Um, but I was never able to, uh, go karting or things like that as a child.
1:45
So, um, yeah, I have focused on playing, uh, Gran Turismo and
1:50
so on, so PlayStation's games.
1:53
And, um, I remember when the GT Academy started, I was, um, so hyped and I
2:00
thought, Oh my God, this is so cool.
2:02
You get the opportunity to race a real car.
2:05
And, um, that's when I started to, uh, buy a steering wheel and, uh,
2:11
Built a little small setup and I was really focused in driving GT academy.
2:20
So, um, yeah, that, that was the moment where it all made click and I
2:25
thought, Oh my God, this is so cool.
2:27
And I really can do it.
2:29
Um, and later I met Jessica, um, she's, uh, she was carting
2:34
at that time and I never sit in a cart or something like that.
2:39
And, uh, yeah, she introduced me into this world.
2:43
And we did a bit of real life racing there.
2:46
So, um, that was my twenties, I guess.
2:50
And, uh, yeah, about sim racing, um, really serious.
2:55
It got when COVID came because we couldn't do the real life racing any longer.
3:02
So, um, we decided to give it a try and, uh.
3:07
Build our setup forward and jumped right into iRacing,
3:12
which was a quite a big step.
3:16
Yeah, and um, yeah, my part started also with Gran Turismo many years ago, just as
3:25
gaming and but I focused at first on real time, also real life karting and yeah.
3:34
I had, I was lucky I had the opportunity to do it and yeah, so
3:41
I focused at first on this one.
3:44
Yeah, it was more like, uh, I introduced her into the sim racing and she used me
3:50
into the real life racing, which was kind of funny because we both coached each
3:54
other and yeah, that's really cool for me.
4:00
Yes.
4:00
Yeah.
4:00
For me, it was.
4:01
At the beginning, really complicated to start sim racing because the
4:06
feeling was really different.
4:09
I had just the steering wheel and yeah, so to adapt it from real
4:14
life to sim, that's not so easy.
4:20
Yeah, and for me it was, it was also crazy because, um, I mean, sim
4:25
racing can be exhausting too, but when you sit in a real, real car, you
4:30
feel the g force for the first time and it, your neck goes like this.
4:38
Quite an experience.
4:40
Yeah, that's awesome that you, uh, like started from sim racing.
4:44
She started in karting and you both, uh, kind of like, uh, get involved
4:48
into sim racing and karting as well.
4:50
That's really cool.
4:51
Uh, I started from karting when I was nine years old.
4:54
So yeah, I understand what you're talking about and, uh, actually karting because
4:59
we've got a really small kart circus.
5:01
Uh, circuits, it's really, uh, you know, pretty intense races, uh, compared
5:06
to what you got in the, um, normal road racing, um, like formalists.
5:11
It's a lot of things just, uh, happen, you know, uh, slower, uh, in, in formalists or
5:17
in the, in cars, uh, compared to karting.
5:20
So, yeah, it's, it's crazy.
5:22
Um, who, uh, who are your biggest motorsports?
5:27
Uh, Idol.
5:28
So for me that was Valentino Rossi.
5:30
So I started karting because of my dad, so he getting, uh, me into the karting.
5:36
And, uh, I was a big fan of Valentino Rossi.
5:39
I was watching MotoGPs and when I started, I picked the 46 number.
5:46
So who was it for you, uh, Katarina?
5:50
Um, for me, it was, uh, Michael Hecken, actually, even though I'm German, which
5:57
mostly means that most people like Michael Schumacher, so, um, uh, as a child, I
6:03
really looked up to Michael Hecken, and later on Sebastian Vettel, you know.
6:08
Yeah.
6:09
For me, it started with Michael Schumacher and, yeah, later
6:14
also with Sebastian Vettel,
6:18
Yeah, it fits good.
6:22
That's nice.
6:22
I also was a big fan of Michael Schumacher.
6:25
I remember I was playing this, uh, the card Michael Schumacher game,
6:29
uh, when it was in my childhood.
6:31
It was really fun.
6:32
Um, so can you tell me how you met each other in Karthing, how this happened?
6:38
And, uh, you also mentioned in your bio that you, uh, fall in
6:42
love with each other as well as you fall in love in Karthing also.
6:49
Um, actually it was, uh, uh, with the dating side,
6:56
it was, it was, it's quite a crazy.
6:59
I, um, I just, uh, yeah, got on the stating side and I thought, okay.
7:06
I just do it.
7:07
Maybe something comes up or even not.
7:10
I, I didn't believe in it that it would really work, uh, would
7:14
work out, but actually it did.
7:16
I, uh, just made, uh, three years, uh, three years, um, membership.
7:23
So, well, because I thought, okay, yeah, it will take time.
7:27
And yeah, not quite, I don't know, four weeks after I just met
7:31
them, made a membership, which is connected and it fit immediately.
7:37
So I, I paid for it three years and I never used it anymore.
7:43
So it was, yeah.
7:45
And you even did not manage.
7:47
You mentioned that, um, that you like motorsports at first, so we
7:53
just found out it a little bit later.
7:55
And, yeah, so the first time I came to you and I saw you have in
8:02
your living room a little sim rig.
8:06
And, yeah, I thought, wow, great.
8:10
Yeah, even though I was a big motorsport fan, I didn't thought
8:19
that anybody would love it like I do.
8:21
So, because in all my, uh, all my friends, they never really cared about motorsports.
8:27
So I thought, okay, I can, But yeah, then you found me.
8:36
Well, I think, you know, I'm just, uh, thinking that you're from Germany and,
8:41
uh, I think a lot of people in Germany are into motorsport because, uh, here's
8:45
a lot of, uh, racing tracks, especially the big Nordschleife where people, uh,
8:49
uh, doing track days and all this stuff.
8:52
So yeah, it's interesting to see that, uh, you didn't have anyone in your, uh,
8:57
surroundings who was into motorsport.
9:02
Yeah, it's crazy.
9:05
Yeah.
9:06
All right.
9:07
So you met each other, uh, at Karsing and How was the first experience
9:11
for you, Katerina, to, uh, like transition from sim racing to karting?
9:16
Like, was it really hard to adapt to it?
9:18
Uh, I know that you mentioned before, uh, there was a bit weird with G forces.
9:23
Uh, but in terms of how you understand the line on the track and, uh, all
9:27
the stuff, did sim racing help you, uh, to start your way in karting?
9:33
I think, um, the feeling of the car and, or the car in that case, and,
9:40
uh, the lines, I think I could, uh, adapt that really quickly and, uh, it
9:45
helped, it helped me definitely out.
9:47
But, um, also I had a very good coach, which is always fun to do it and, uh.
9:54
Yeah, I gave me tips.
9:55
Um, so I think it helps a lot.
9:58
Definitely.
9:59
So and still it does as well because we also train in the simulator for
10:04
our real life championships now.
10:08
So it does help.
10:10
Definitely.
10:11
Mhm.
10:12
That's awesome.
10:13
So I think the same stuff happened to me.
10:15
So it was in the open wheelers, it was in karsing before, then open
10:19
wheelers, then I jump into sim racing was quite easy to adapt.
10:25
Uh, it was crazy with all, uh, competition, which you
10:29
meeting in, uh, in sim racing.
10:31
It's absolutely crazy.
10:32
Uh, I know that you, you doing karsing in, uh, Germany.
10:36
Yeah.
10:38
I guess, uh, but I was doing it in Kazakhstan and I four times won the
10:42
championship here and, uh, I was just pulling away from everybody.
10:46
And when I jump into some racing, I'm like, wow, I finally can race with people.
10:50
And I finally got, uh, you know, someone who's.
10:53
Faster than me.
10:54
And it's really cool actually.
10:56
Um, so the same question for you, Jessica, uh, how was your transition
11:01
from karting, uh, to sim racing?
11:04
Uh, was it really hard to lose all the G forces and feelings, uh,
11:08
which you got in the real life?
11:12
Yeah, at first it was not so easy to, um, yeah, to miss the G forces and the
11:19
feedback from the tires in real life.
11:22
And, yeah, the motion of the card, the way it moves in a certain way,
11:29
because I, um, drove, um, yeah, a slalom championship, so not on track,
11:38
so you have just one time to look at the track, to walk around, and then
11:44
this one run must fit in a certain way.
11:48
And you have to just.
11:50
And yeah, it has to be perfect.
11:53
And in simracing you can try again and again and yeah.
11:59
It's a little bit different in a way, but yeah.
12:06
I got even to a good coach,
12:10
more experience and yeah, so we still learn from each other every time.
12:16
And yeah, this is awesome actually to have person who support you.
12:22
I also got husband, uh, he's into some racing and, uh, he also teach me a lot
12:28
in sim racing and, uh, also bring me into our racing because, uh, before that I was.
12:34
James, most of the courses and project cars too.
12:36
Uh, so yeah, we also help each other on the racing track and it's,
12:41
it's really, really cool there.
12:43
You got, uh, the same partnership.
12:45
It's a really.
12:47
Awesome.
12:47
Um, can you tell me about your biggest achievements in
12:52
karting and in some racing?
12:53
Let's start with Katarina.
12:57
Um,
12:59
I think one of the biggest things I achieved is, um, being third in the
13:06
championship, um, in my third year.
13:09
So, um, when you think of all the people I raced against, um, they are
13:14
all doing it since they were little.
13:16
So, um, I don't know, five, six years old and I started in my twenties,
13:20
so I think that's, uh, kind of cool.
13:24
And, um, also since, I don't, I think 2017 or so on, we, um, also do it with,
13:34
uh, drive cars and, um, I've managed to be, uh, three times a club champion.
13:41
So that's, uh, Also cool.
13:45
Yeah.
13:46
And yeah, I have, uh, I don't know how much, why second place, uh, hasn't
13:55
championships from the ADAC slalom championship and third and fourth places.
14:02
I can't count over the years.
14:06
Um, yeah, but I never got the title.
14:09
So the competition is really, really hard and all the other.
14:14
Um, yeah, I fight, or I fought with the last years, they all started even at the
14:23
age of eight years about, and so, if you go there on track, so the first seven,
14:31
eight, ten people, everybody can win.
14:35
And that's the thing.
14:36
It's every day just, uh, yeah, a tenth or even less after two runs and, yeah, every
14:44
little mistakes, yeah, the run is gone.
14:49
The day.
14:51
Yeah, but that's also the thing, the thing which makes it great because
14:55
it's not like you go there and you can win it easily, you really have to
14:59
fight for it and a lot of effort in it.
15:02
And that makes fun because, um, it's, it's hard, but it's also cool because you get
15:08
better and better and better and better.
15:12
You work on the card, have the opportunity to tune your card to, yeah.
15:19
to make it fit better to your own driving style.
15:23
And yeah, the regulations allow it in this class.
15:29
And yeah, so everybody has its own cart, uh, optimized for their own
15:38
racing style, I would like to say.
15:43
And yeah, the competition is really hard.
15:48
Well, I think it's always great when you got a high Competition level, uh, because
15:53
as you said, uh, Katerina, you always got, like, you getting better and better.
15:58
You always got a place to improvements and it's, uh, really cool.
16:03
Uh, you mentioned that you did some car, car racing.
16:06
Uh, what cars did you drive and did you race?
16:10
And, uh, what tracks if, or you did also some kind of, uh, car slalom as Jessica?
16:20
We own a Toyota Yaris, um, but not the super cool new one.
16:25
It's actually the car from 2005, so it's a little bit low budget.
16:31
Um, and it's, uh, we, you know, championship we drive.
16:35
It's pretty similar to carting slalom, but with cars, um, There are
16:41
different, uh, tracks and levels.
16:43
We have, um, we have a small local tracks, which is basically also on carting tracks.
16:51
And, but we also drove a German championship, um, some, some years
16:57
ago and they're on, um, old airplane fields, which is basically have a
17:03
track that's about two kilometers.
17:06
And um, yeah, that's, that's kind of cool.
17:09
Um, it's not, it's not that we drove with two or three cars at the same time.
17:14
Uh, You always drive your own run, and the fastest one wins, so it's more like,
17:20
uh, yeah, I don't, not like a drag, but a drag race, but, um, the best time counts,
17:28
because this is, um, the most affordable way to do some, um, racing in a, in a car
17:34
here for, um, I would say normal people, because when you come to, you mentioned
17:40
that you drove formula cars and so on.
17:42
Um, I think there's always the budget problem.
17:49
Things like that.
17:49
I mean, we, we also did, um, some, um, formula for car training on.
17:57
But, um, yeah, it was a one time thing where we just thought, okay, that's cool.
18:02
We really want to experience that.
18:03
So, but, uh, doing a championship in that is really expensive.
18:08
So.
18:11
Yeah, that's true.
18:12
So formal was really expensive and I had a good sponsor.
18:16
I had, I was part of the Astana Motorsports team, uh, they support
18:20
me as they closed the program.
18:22
I stopped to do any in real life racing because I didn't have this opportunity.
18:26
I'm not from the rich family.
18:28
Uh, just get opportunity to.
18:31
jump and continue my career, but, uh, you know, some racing, uh, found me
18:35
and, um, actually really happy about this, uh, because I'm still doing the
18:40
same and also got my own community.
18:42
I'm also streaming.
18:43
It's really cool.
18:45
Um, you also said that you started iRacing, yeah, in, uh, 2020.
18:50
So during the pandemic, like many of us started from this, uh, Can you tell me
18:55
more about, uh, how you choose iRacing?
18:59
Like, uh, you did some Gran Turismo.
19:01
Did you have any simulators between Gran Turismo and iRacing?
19:05
Or you just directly jump into iRacing?
19:07
Uh, let's start from Jessica.
19:11
Um, yeah, no, we actually started directly, uh, with iRacing and yeah,
19:19
during Corona, um, we, we informed about the simulation and, um,
19:26
yeah, the feedback was really good.
19:29
And that's, it's, yeah, would be hard to say, um, competitive,
19:36
competitive in a way.
19:38
And yeah.
19:40
So we decided to start directly with iRacing, and we liked it, and
19:47
yeah, but our, yeah, equipment was at that point not so good, but yeah.
19:58
Yeah, we only had a Thrustmaster, so with no basic feedback, no load
20:03
cell, nothing just really basic.
20:06
And, um, yeah, when you start iRacing, it's really hard when you hit the brakes
20:11
for the first time, you think, Oh my God, what's happening, why did I turn the car?
20:17
Yeah.
20:19
It was not that easy, but we, we quickly adapt because yeah, we had time, I mean,
20:24
um, I was new, working full time remote.
20:29
You were able to go out because your, um, company was, uh, you,
20:34
you have a job where you need to go out, but I was the whole time here.
20:38
So I had a lot of time to, uh, to get into it.
20:41
Yeah.
20:45
I also get into iRacing during pandemic, and, uh, I remember that I had a G27, so
20:53
you started from really basic equipment, uh, I started also, so now I got triple,
20:58
DD wheel, uh, load cell pedals, I think load cell pedals for me, that was the
21:03
biggest improvement which, uh, I got in my equipment, um, so speaking about
21:08
equipment, what do you have right now?
21:10
Because I see, uh, the AT20 rig behind you, I think.
21:14
I'm a pro, I'm a pro.
21:16
Uh, yeah, that's actually a new one.
21:18
We just built, um, the, the other ones in the other room, which, uh, we
21:23
started from, um, that was, or is still a basic setup with, um, uh, formula
21:29
one seat and, uh, a trust master.
21:33
300 RS and the TLC load cell break.
21:38
So we got that basic setup.
21:41
We, we, we started during pandemic and this other one was, uh, yeah,
21:46
it happened, but it happens.
21:52
Yeah.
21:52
Um, yeah, that, that we have a full, uh, camera set up actually.
21:58
Um, the camera C5.
22:01
And now with the load cell break, um, for those cameras and yeah, um, that
22:11
was, that was quite a story because we were less, less, two years ago we were
22:16
on the ADAC sim racing expo and right before we, we said, okay, um, we go,
22:23
we go there and we stick to one setup.
22:28
You will not build a second one and then there was some challenges and
22:33
we actually won the Camus C5 there.
22:36
So then we came back and said, okay, then we need to build a second one.
22:43
So it just happened and yeah, so yeah, it started and yeah,
22:50
so everything just a little bit.
22:55
New monitor.
22:56
Yeah.
22:56
Now triple screen.
22:58
At first, a single street screen now triple screen and
23:05
that's great.
23:05
Uh, do you have any plans for your other, which, uh, got T 300 right now on it,
23:13
not, not quite yet, but, uh, I. Yeah, maybe, um, maybe some new pedals.
23:20
I don't know.
23:21
Um, we still use it for PlayStation, uh, for Gran Turismo.
23:26
I drive a little bit more on Gran Turismo.
23:30
It's also fun to do weekly challenges at Gran Turismo.
23:35
And yeah, so it's a nice switch between iRacing and Gran Turismo.
23:44
And choose what you want to do.
23:48
Yeah.
23:49
Yeah.
23:50
It's more like a fun thing.
23:51
So, um, maybe some, some new panels if, um, there are some, um, good stuff
23:59
is coming up from Trustmaster, which, um, fits PlayStation and, um, PC.
24:05
I know it's all, it's always a compromise you need to go, but, um, it's okay.
24:11
We, we got the other set up for iRacing.
24:13
So.
24:15
That's great
24:18
Well, I think first master should have new pedals which they include to t598 bundle
24:23
and This pedal set should have loads.
24:26
So Keith, I'm waiting for it because I got this t598 Bundle,
24:32
and I really like this pedals.
24:33
So they great really cool that you can You know, move them
24:37
around as a, so to position, which will be comfortable for you.
24:41
It's really nice.
24:43
So yeah, hopefully Yorick will get new pedals in the future.
24:47
Um, so let's talk about, uh, iRacing.
24:50
Yeah.
24:50
So you jump into it and what's, what's your favorite series right now?
24:56
Let's start from Katarina and then Jessica.
25:01
Um, I'm actually more into cheek.
25:04
GT cars.
25:05
Um, at the moment, uh, this season I drove the, um, Toyota, uh, GR, uh, 68.
25:14
Um, because really a fan of Toyota.
25:17
So I really liked this guy.
25:19
I love Toyota.
25:19
I love the brand.
25:20
So, um, I also drove a little bit of Ferrari and then I actually
25:26
got into, uh, NASCAR series.
25:29
Um, so I'm currently at my oval face,
25:35
yeah, also with a Toyota, so it's kind of fun.
25:39
Yeah.
25:40
I like a little bit more the formula cars like you and yeah,
25:45
I drove the formula four wheels.
25:48
I started in November with iRacing.
25:52
At first we just had one account together because Yeah, it was really
25:57
not necessary to have two accounts.
26:01
And, yeah, I drove for fun a little bit, um, rallycross.
26:07
It was the W for how we people and yeah, so the difference between
26:15
the formula and rally course.
26:20
But it's both fun and I like it and yeah.
26:27
Yeah, rallycross and iRacing is awesome.
26:29
I also really like to do it from time to time.
26:31
I didn't touch it a long time because I was really into Porsche Cup and, uh,
26:36
recently I just returned back to Formula 3, uh, because I didn't race it long time.
26:41
And I did rallycross.
26:43
I did, uh, this, uh, big tracks with a rear wheel drive.
26:47
They're really fun to drive.
26:48
Love them.
26:49
Um.
26:51
So, yeah, and my favorite series will be Porsche Cup because here is no
26:56
traction, no ABS system on the car.
26:58
I really like it So, yeah, what what's your favorite combo will be, uh, Katarina?
27:07
My favorite combo, um Um, that's, that's a tough one.
27:16
Um, I, I think it, I really loved the Toyota 68.
27:22
I know it's, it's, it's a basic car and it's, uh, it's a beginner
27:26
car, but I really love it, uh, how it behaves and how it looks.
27:30
And, um, I really love Suzuka.
27:35
It's a cool track.
27:36
I mean, sure, for the Toyota, it's a little bit, uh, slow, but yeah, that's,
27:44
that would probably be my combo.
27:47
Yeah, my combo, I think it's Laguna Seca and the Formula 4 at the moment,
27:54
but the Formula 3, I like really too.
27:57
So yeah, at the moment, Formula 4, Laguna Seca, I would say.
28:03
Laguna Seca is a great track.
28:04
I think it's a little bit underrated by the community.
28:08
Um, and I think people are just afraid of this track a little bit in iRacing.
28:14
Maybe.
28:17
Yeah, Suzuka is a great track also.
28:19
I like Suzuka.
28:20
You know, when people ask me, like, what's your favorite combo,
28:23
I can't decide, but usually that's Porsche Cup and Road Atlanta.
28:28
Um, because Most of the time I'm at World Atlanta.
28:31
This is one of my favorite track.
28:33
I really like how it goes with the flow and with the uphills and downhills.
28:38
It's really cool to drive.
28:40
It's awesome.
28:41
Um, do you plan to do any championships in a racing in the future in this year?
28:46
So let's talk about them if you're planning some.
28:51
Um, we definitely want to, um, raise the screen to speed challenges, uh, uh,
28:58
coming up and, um, and otherwise, I don't know, I'm, we have some team members who
29:07
want to drive some long distance races, like, um, Good seabrings, uh, and so on.
29:14
So maybe we, we jump in at maybe the 24 hours of Newark ring, but,
29:21
uh, it's, it's nothing settled yet.
29:23
We mostly it's, uh, okay, we'll race that.
29:31
Yeah.
29:32
And, um, we also have a local sim racing center here, um, where
29:37
we, I think twice a week there.
29:41
And there's a little quiet community, uh, there where we can battle each other.
29:47
And they're also doing championships.
29:49
Um, we are mostly there and drive this ones too.
29:53
So.
29:55
Exactly, but they are not on iRacing, they are done on Assetto
30:01
Corsa from the simulation, so yeah, it's always a little bit different.
30:08
But yeah, it's always fun because it's, this is also cool because,
30:15
um, you have the, the sim racers who come there to drive and real life
30:21
racers who are, uh, really competing in the 24 hours of Nürburgring.
30:26
And that's, that's sometimes crazy when you watch them, how quickly
30:32
they can adapt to just sim racing thing and how fast they are.
30:36
That's really cool.
30:37
So of course we trained with this simulator several hours and this guy
30:47
sits there and yeah, one lap, two laps, three, five, and then he has the time.
30:54
We work for hours or longer.
30:57
Yeah, but yeah.
31:00
We can still learn and get better.
31:04
That's really nice that we got a local sim racing center where you got a great
31:08
community and can race also there.
31:11
Uh, you mentioned screen to speed event and, uh, events.
31:14
And, uh, I know that you finished P3 and P4, right?
31:19
Recently.
31:20
Uh, how is this, uh, for you?
31:22
And, uh, like, do you have any, like, team strategy, something like this?
31:29
Uh, actually, uh, you just jumped in.
31:32
Yes.
31:33
It wasn't planned, right?
31:35
Because we said we need to, uh, look that both simulators run.
31:40
But it runs when you were in, so let's go.
31:44
You didn't have any training.
31:45
Just one hour before it started, we decided, oh, let's, Let's have a look
31:50
and I jumped into the other Gran Turismo simulator, yeah, with nearly no feedback
31:58
and I drove and I just said, hey, try your best, you get a better setup and I just,
32:05
I don't want to collide with you with our first race last year together because at
32:11
the, um, first, um, screen to speed race.
32:17
At Okayama, it was the Toyota we drove together.
32:21
So, um, yeah, I crashed a little bit into her and she spun around and, yeah.
32:28
That was not fun.
32:31
Well, it was funny because we, we decided, okay, we are not crashing each other.
32:35
We try to, uh, to work together and then she just, uh, yeah, cut
32:42
the corner and kicked me out.
32:44
I can't see you.
32:44
Yeah.
32:47
But on Saturday it worked better.
32:50
We didn't kick each other out.
32:52
Yes.
32:54
Actually, there was no really strategy.
32:56
We just thought okay, we try to survive that one because always in all it's
33:01
always about surviving especially the starts and so on and We we also messed
33:09
up our strategy a little bit because I I was confused Everybody was running
33:16
on the safety car into the pits and we stayed out and I thought, Oh my
33:20
God, that was, that was not good.
33:26
Yeah, but we, we managed to, to stay in the pack.
33:28
And, uh, then I had to go to the pits and I, uh, did, uh, not
33:35
enough, um, fuel fuel into my car.
33:39
So I, I managed my gap, uh, to her, but, uh, then I realized, oh my gosh,
33:45
this is not going to last till the end.
33:47
I need to save her.
33:51
And, and, and then I just, uh, need to lift and coast more and more and she
33:55
comes closer and closer and closer.
33:59
I was so happy when I see the white flag and I thought, okay, it
34:03
will, it will, it will work out.
34:06
Yes.
34:08
Yeah.
34:08
And after my pit stop, I had about 70, 60, uh, 70 seconds.
34:16
Yeah, I was behind, and then I, yeah, I saw that you are slower than me,
34:24
but I didn't know the reason why.
34:26
I thought maybe a little accident, anything with your car happens that you
34:31
can't get, uh, go to pace, and, yeah.
34:35
So, every lap a little bit, a half a second sometimes, and I knew that.
34:42
To the end, maybe.
34:45
I was sweating.
34:48
I'm coming.
34:49
Yes.
34:52
But, yeah.
34:53
In the last lap, I think I had someone with me.
34:59
And, yeah, we finished.
35:01
You just could manage it and stay before me
35:06
and I, I really was over the line and then
35:14
less than a lap, not a half lap.
35:18
So yeah, it was really close one.
35:21
Yeah.
35:21
But I really wanted to avoid this second step because I knew when I do
35:26
the second step, I will be way behind.
35:28
So yeah,
35:31
Really nice that you managed to save fuel and, uh, and finish on P3.
35:35
Congrats.
35:37
Yeah, Sophie just, uh, said in chat that I wonder why you lost so much time.
35:44
Yeah, it was fuel saving.
35:49
How do you like the screen to speed community and how do you feel
35:52
overall about, uh, like girls into sim racing and, uh, do you feel
35:59
that, uh, sim racing community is friendly and nice, uh, to women?
36:04
What do you think about this?
36:05
Uh, let's start with Jessica.
36:10
I think it's really fun to drive there and yeah, I'm really excited.
36:16
Right now for the next races even, because that's the first time with
36:23
FF1600, so a little bit formula like, and I think that will be really cool.
36:31
And from the community, we Get good feedback and yeah,
36:36
it's always great to be there.
36:40
Yeah, I think There are always so good simracing girls and women
36:46
on Events that's so much fun.
36:49
And it's most of the time.
36:51
It's really really fair and I think it's really cool also, we just knew or
36:59
about screen to speed Uh, from the ADAC Sim Racing Expo last year, um, so that,
37:07
that was the moment where we met, uh, the whole community and saw the race.
37:11
It did it on, um, on the fair.
37:14
That was also cool to have a space only for women in this whole, uh, man area.
37:21
So because even.
37:23
On the Sim Racing Expo, it was when you come to the simulators
37:28
there and ask, can I try it out?
37:29
It always was, oh yeah, try it out.
37:32
You can.
37:33
And then after, when you do the first lap, they're just getting their
37:37
smartphones out and filming you.
37:40
Because they can't drive.
37:42
So.
37:44
Yeah, and, um, the community from Screen2Speed is really, really cool.
37:49
It's really nice.
37:50
Everybody's nice.
37:51
Everybody's cool.
37:52
So it's, it's, it's a lot of fun to get to know each other and, um,
37:57
race against, against each other.
37:59
Um, in iRacing, I think it's a bit split.
38:02
Sometimes you have Um, some weirdos who, who don't like to be beat by a
38:09
woman, so they might dive bomb you or things like that on the last lap,
38:16
but, um, yeah, I think that's happens.
38:21
And at the sim racing expo, we also got a little coaching from Nina Han, so
38:28
that was very nice from her and yeah.
38:32
So we met Yvonne and all the others there and got really good feedback.
38:41
Yeah, we are looking really forward for this year and be there too.
38:50
Yeah, we got a lot of great people in the Sports and, uh, they did a really good
38:56
job supporting women into some racing into motorsport as well and give opportunity to
39:02
girls who coming to some racing, uh, also to feel comfortable because sometimes,
39:08
uh, Like, I get used to that, uh, here's a lot of men, uh, in motorsports and
39:13
racing, and I just get used to that.
39:15
Uh, some girls can be a little bit afraid of jumping into, uh, male
39:20
dominated areas, uh, where here's a lot of men, and that's great to have
39:25
a, a place where you can feel safe and can, can feel, uh, every time welcome.
39:30
It's really awesome.
39:32
But, uh, from my experience, I also want to ask you about, uh, how can you compare
39:36
the, uh, karting community to simracing, uh, one, because, uh, when I was in
39:41
karting, it was really toxic, and, uh, when I was in open wheelers, I also was
39:47
like, you know, only one person, so, like, guys, they communicating with each other,
39:53
and they just, like, ignore me, uh, 100%, especially if If you're winning, if you're
39:59
on top three, top five, they're like, oh, we're not going to talk with you now.
40:04
So, yeah, it's really, um, you know.
40:08
I just get used to that, but I can feel that it can be a really painful thing
40:14
for some people, especially for new people who coming into some racing.
40:18
So yeah, what do you think about cars and community in Germany
40:22
and how they treat you here?
40:26
Let's start with Katerina.
40:29
Um, I think you have a little bit more experience about that, but I can say from
40:34
my side, um, I got lucky because we, um, are in the motorsports club and they're
40:43
In this club, it's really, really nice to, um, and you do, you get connected
40:49
really fast and you help each other out.
40:52
So, um, even with the other clubs, it was, it was good for me.
40:57
Um, when it comes to, um, long distance racing, we also did in the past.
41:03
Um, it depends.
41:04
You, you always have some people who are, yeah.
41:08
Like, I don't want to get to know you, or we are enemies,
41:13
and I don't want to buy you.
41:15
But, um, I think we, we are lucky that we always had some people around
41:21
us who support us, and, um, yeah.
41:25
Didn't look at our gender, if we are women or not, or, so, um, I think,
41:32
for me, it was really positive.
41:35
Yeah, for me too.
41:37
So even in the championship, I did it for about a really long time.
41:44
And it was outstanding, yes.
41:47
Um, yeah.
41:49
And so everybody grew up in a way with, with all this.
41:55
And they saw me year for year fighting for the, yeah.
42:01
Top podium positions and yeah, so you get over the long distance
42:08
a little respect of them.
42:10
And yeah, they see, you know, how good you are, how good you deliver
42:17
every time and then it grows.
42:21
Most of the time and everybody knows, yeah, it's even besides the track, you,
42:26
you stay overnight, you camp there, you, um, you eat barbecue together and so on.
42:34
So I think that that also helps to, to get to know each other.
42:37
Yeah, that's then one big community and yeah, everybody are
42:43
friends, most of them and yeah.
42:47
It's really cool time, just like a big summer camp you see every weekend
42:53
and yeah, you spend with this guys more than with some other guys, your
43:00
relatives or something like this.
43:04
Really cool that you got that positive experience.
43:08
That's really nice.
43:09
Um, do you see that, uh, now, uh, you can mention more girls into
43:16
karting and into some racing as well?
43:18
So how do you think the industry changing for this years?
43:26
Difficult.
43:27
Um, I think it, it gets better even with, um, uh, things like, uh, screen
43:34
to speed to help grow and you have more, um, yeah, female personalities in a sport
43:42
where you can look up to here in Germany.
43:44
It's a Sophia flush.
43:46
For example, um, I know that a lot of girls look up to her, um, yeah, but it's,
43:54
it's still tough I think to get some sponsors and, um, yeah, when you, when
44:00
these, my feeling is when sponsors, uh, could choose between a boy or a girl or
44:06
a woman or a man, firstly would choose the man because he is better to promote.
44:12
Um.
44:14
But, um, yeah, we need to keep work on it, that it gets better, and,
44:20
um, yeah, maybe someday we have a woman Formula One, competing, that
44:28
would, that would be great, yeah.
44:31
Yeah, that would be awesome to, to have a women, woman in the Formula
44:35
One, or even a lot of them, who knows.
44:40
Yeah, that would be great, but, yeah, keep pushing everybody, and never give up.
44:48
That's the message we could give to everybody.
44:52
And yeah, so just make the first step, try it out and yeah, if it's fun, do it.
45:02
Believe in your dreams and yeah, keep going.
45:08
Yeah, that's true.
45:08
We should just, uh, focus on our dreams and, uh, doesn't matter if we girl or
45:14
boy, like if you want to do some racing, you can jump to some racing and do it.
45:18
Uh, so I always, uh, answer to questions.
45:22
Like, how do you feel to be only one girl on the grade?
45:25
I'm like, I'm just a racing driver, you know, in the car and that's it.
45:30
So it doesn't matter if I'm girl or boy when I'm in the racing car.
45:35
Uh, so I believe that, uh, with some time, uh, people just going to race, uh,
45:43
with girls and there'll be absolutely normal thing, like nothing, uh,
45:47
really, uh, the thing which stand out.
45:52
All right.
45:53
Um, so speaking about other hobbies, uh, I know, Katharina, that you're
46:00
into Chinese Kung Fu, right?
46:03
So can you tell me more about it and how you started, how you get into this?
46:10
Um, I'm, I first started, I think when I was 14 or 15.
46:16
So a long time ago, um, it, it, I just came over school into it.
46:22
There was, there was a trial training and I thought, okay,
46:26
maybe I try it out for fun.
46:29
And I. Stick to it.
46:32
Um, I did a little break over some years because of, um, school and work, but, um,
46:38
yeah, I'm now really, really into it and trying to, um, get up to grades there.
46:46
And I think it's, it's, uh, crazy how similar things are from, um, Kung Fu or
46:53
martial arts to motorsports because Uh, about concentration, about breathing,
47:01
about, um, your body physics and, uh, feeling your body and feeling the car.
47:07
So you, you can adapt a lot of things from, from both worlds, uh, to each other.
47:13
And yeah, for me, it's, it's, uh, more a way to relax, even
47:17
though it's exhausting to do it.
47:20
So, but, but I always feel relaxed when I come from training.
47:24
So that's really cool.
47:26
That's nice.
47:27
Uh, what about you, Jessica?
47:29
Do you have any other hobbies outside of racing and sim racing?
47:34
Well, not so much.
47:37
It's always a lot of stuff to do around the SimRig, our real part,
47:43
the Toyota, the Yaris, and so Yeah.
47:50
Yeah.
47:51
A lot of things to do.
47:53
Yeah.
47:53
You, you like to, uh, to work on the things and, uh, try
47:59
to understand how it works.
48:00
Yeah.
48:01
And even improve it.
48:03
Yeah.
48:03
She's always, um, yeah, improving the paddles and says, yeah, I would
48:07
change that and this and that.
48:09
And I think, okay, yeah, do it.
48:10
Understand possible landing, but it will be great.
48:16
I asked her if I did something, so, yeah, is it better or not,
48:21
and she says, I don't know.
48:27
But after a few times, then, yeah, it's good.
48:31
It's getting faster and faster, and so, yeah.
48:36
So outside of being the driver, you're also trying to be the
48:40
sim racing engineer, yeah?
48:44
Yes.
48:44
Yeah.
48:45
And, and even mechanic on the cart and so on.
48:47
So she can do that.
48:51
I mean, I can change tires at least.
48:52
So no, I built a whole cart, um, completely from ground up.
49:02
So yeah, I knew every screw at the cart.
49:08
Yeah.
49:08
So.
49:09
Yeah.
49:11
That's awesome.
49:11
Try it out.
49:14
Yeah.
49:15
Really cool.
49:16
It's also a kind of Thank you.
49:20
Yeah, because, you know, I think that, uh, not so many drivers who's into karting,
49:25
into racing, they also, uh, kind of trying to dive deep into mechanic part of this
49:32
and, uh, do something with their own hands and, uh, it's It's really awesome, uh,
49:37
because I also really like to spend time with my, my dad, uh, my dad built, build
49:42
my carts and I also help him to build it.
49:46
Uh, it was really fun for me.
49:48
So I know I was always like, I want to screw something, do
49:53
something because it's really fun.
49:57
All right.
49:58
Um, do you have any plans for motorsport?
50:01
Do you have any plans for karting, uh, this year in 2025?
50:08
Um, we will compete in, in the, um, in our local car championship
50:14
with our Toyota, definitely.
50:16
Um, the season starts, I think, in May?
50:20
In May?
50:21
Um, unfortunately, there are not so many events like, uh, the last years, because,
50:28
um, for all the clubs, it gets harder to get the tracks and so on, and, yeah.
50:32
Also a financial problem for them.
50:36
So, um, I think it's four or five races.
50:40
Um, when it comes to karting, I think we will do some long distance races.
50:46
With our team, but nothing specific planned.
50:51
We will see, uh, comes up with
50:57
our own card.
50:58
I think it's more like a fun, fun drive.
51:00
We can use our club track for free.
51:04
So on Sundays we can go on a track and just drive without, um, yeah,
51:09
competing in a championship or so on.
51:13
'cause we need to focus on some things.
51:14
When you do want to do everything in, in a high level, it's a little bit too much.
51:18
So, yeah.
51:20
Um, I would say we do the carting stuff for fun.
51:23
Yeah.
51:23
And so, yeah, the screen to speed events we already mentioned,
51:29
um, I think that's quite a lot.
51:33
Mm-hmm . And some videos for our channel.
51:39
Mm-hmm . Yeah, I think that's good plans, which you got for 2025 and also
51:45
probably I'm going to see you see you on one of the screen to speed events.
51:50
Uh, we got a question for you in the chat.
51:52
How long is a regular stint in an endurance karting race?
51:58
It depends on the, uh, uh, distance for sure.
52:02
Um, normally it's about one hour you drive the car, but, um, it depends a
52:11
little bit because, um, the, the driver times you have for the, for the stints
52:17
is limited, so, um, I don't know when you have a six hour race like that and
52:22
you compete with three drivers, um, everybody needs to, um, at least drive,
52:28
I think, one hour or something like that.
52:31
But mostly it makes sense to just split it into two hour splits.
52:35
But, uh, there's also a lot of strategy when you come in to do the
52:39
driver change and the karting change, usually you need to change the karts.
52:45
And so, um, it depends.
52:47
But I would say one to two hours.
52:57
I can give a right answer because it depends on the distance, you
53:02
have three hours, six hours, eight hours, 12 hours, so
53:07
it also depends on the strategy which you're running, right?
53:11
Yes.
53:12
Yes.
53:13
Yeah.
53:13
I did some, some races, uh, encouraging endurance races.
53:19
We had like four hour race or something like this.
53:21
And, uh, we had, uh, three people in a team and, uh, someone Longer
53:28
stints and, uh, some other drivers, uh, drove, uh, shorter stints.
53:33
So, yeah, it depends on, uh, a lot of things, as you said.
53:38
All right.
53:38
And before we wrap up, I got, uh, a few questions for you.
53:43
Uh, can you describe your driving style in three words?
53:47
Let's start with Katerina and then, uh, Jessica.
53:50
You can try it as well.
53:53
Okay, um, three words.
53:55
Um,
53:59
I think Oh, that's really tough.
54:05
Um, I think smooth.
54:08
Um,
54:14
sometimes a bit crazy.
54:19
And, um, I don't know.
54:27
Hmm.
54:27
You have your own line.
54:29
Oh, yeah.
54:29
My line is special.
54:30
So special.
54:31
Definitely special.
54:32
Yes.
54:32
All right.
54:35
Drives in indoor karting or something like this behind her.
54:39
Um, the one crashes into the barriers.
54:42
So you can't drive her line.
54:45
It's not possible.
54:49
Yeah, it's fast.
54:52
I can't drive it.
54:55
Yeah.
54:55
And my three words, um, yeah.
55:01
What would you say ? Um,
55:15
maybe aggress aggressive or something like this.
55:20
Um, focused on perfection lab . That's, that's not my, that's
55:25
not word . That's a sentence.
55:29
Yeah.
55:30
Um, well, can say focused, uh, like perfect
55:36
or perfection.
55:38
Perfection, yeah, and I would say good looking, because it always
55:43
looks good when you drive, so.
55:45
All right, that counts, I think.
55:49
All right, and, um, the last one will be, uh, what a team song
55:54
would be for your racing career?
55:57
Catherine and Jessica, uh, that can be, like, your favorite song or something like
56:02
this, so, uh, when you see your racing career, what song playing in your head?
56:10
Oh, that's, um, for me, I really have all the time, uh, music in my ears.
56:16
So it's, it's, it's kind of hard to decide, but I would definitely go with
56:21
something from the Imagine Dragons because I'm a huge Imagine Dragons fan.
56:26
Um, Um, I think I go with Radioactive, that's, that's a powerful song,
56:33
and I saw it live and that, that just really gets me pumped up, so.
56:41
Um, yeah, good song.
56:45
Um, yeah, I don't know, there are so many good songs.
56:51
But, yeah, maybe
56:56
you go with your favorite band?
57:01
Hmm,
57:05
good question.
57:08
There are so many good songs to make you focus and yeah, I think every
57:14
time, every year has a good, you know, good new actors, good new songs and
57:23
you combinate them with the season.
57:30
So every season has one song or something like this.
57:35
So, but what does the best ? So you can pick, uh, you can pick
57:40
then, uh, your song of 2025
57:46
2025. Um, I dunno.
57:52
Um, could we take, I
57:58
dunno.
57:59
I don't want to listen to music at the moment so much, so,
58:05
yeah, you're not really into, into, uh, music.
58:09
You always need to listen to my music, so, yeah, all the time, music on and, yeah.
58:18
All right, so maybe we can count Imagine Dragons Radioactive
58:21
as your song for your family.
58:27
Let me take that one.
58:28
Yeah.
58:29
Okay.
58:30
Thank you so much for talking.
58:32
It was really fun, uh, to get in to know you closer.
58:36
Uh, wish you good luck for 2025 with your plans.
58:38
Uh, probably going to see you on track with screen to speed events
58:42
and guys, thank you so much for watching and see you next time.
58:47
Yes.
58:48
Thank you.
58:49
Yeah.
58:49
Thank you.
58:50
It was a pleasure.
59:01
Innate Esports focuses on sim racing events and digital tournaments.
59:05
They bring Esports content to fans and sponsorship opportunities to brands while
59:09
maximizing audience reach across multiple sports, industries, and platforms.
59:14
Innate Esports is a woman led company where diversity, equity, inclusion,
59:19
and accessibility is in their DNA.
59:21
And their platform aims to combat bullying and cheating to help make the e sports
59:25
world as safe and fair as possible.
59:27
To learn more, be sure to log on to www.
59:31
initesports.
59:32
gg or follow them on social media at init esports.
59:35
Join their discord, check out their YouTube channel or follow
59:38
their live content via Twitch.
59:41
This episode has been brought to you by Grand Touring Motorsports as part
59:44
of our motoring podcast network.
59:46
For more episodes like this, tune in each week for more exciting and educational
59:50
content from organizations like The Exotic Car Marketplace, The Motoring
59:53
Historian, BrakeFix, and many others.
59:56
If you'd like to support Grand Touring Motorsports and the motoring
59:58
podcast network, sign up for one of our many sponsorship tiers at www.
1:00:04
patreon.
1:00:04
com forward slash GT Motorsports.
1:00:07
Please note that the content, opinions, and materials presented and
1:00:10
expressed in this episode are those of its creator, and this episode has
1:00:13
been published with their consent.
1:00:15
If you have any inquiries about this program, please contact the creators
1:00:18
of this episode via email or social media as mentioned in the episode.