CURBS Interview with Stefan Mücke!
CURBS: Stefan, the Corona crisis has not spared motorsports either. To what extent has it affected you as the „Mücke Motorsport“ team?
Stephen: We were actually hit in the middle of the Formula 4 UAE season. Fortunately, we had already finished our first championship there. The GT3 season didn't even start, as we had our annual season preparation there, which was interrupted by the coronavirus. The team had to react accordingly, shutting everything down to save costs as well.
CURBS: Despite the situation, that sounds very confident, doesn't it?
Stephen: We are, of course, trying to see it positively, I can tell you more at the end of the year. (laughs) It's important to us that we keep everything alive, can keep our employees, and can continue where we left off in March. From 100%to 0% and then back to 100%, that is an absolute exceptional situation. For us, it means making the right decisions and taking the right steps now.
CURBS: Have you been forced to look for new business areas? If so, which ones?
Stephen: We are pleased that we have significantly expanded our Classic department since the beginning of 2018. We have been involved in historic motorsport for decades. Having the Classic department here at our Berlin location has also ensured good capacity utilization. We have been able to continue exciting projects, and these have naturally also helped us to minimize our costs.
CURBS: What are your biggest challenges as a team manager right now, and what topics are you paying special attention to at the moment?
Stephen: The whole thing is a complex topic, but hygiene measures simply need to be observed everywhere. We need to organize separate breaks and have masks available for customer visits. However, the biggest challenge for a racing team is deciding when the right time is to determine when things will start again. It is especially important to us to offer security to all our employees and drivers.
CURBS: What is your current statement regarding the Corona crisis? How are you handling external communication about it, and are there any particularities regarding social media?
We are racers, we are motorsports people, and as soon as there's an opportunity to do motorsports again, we'll do it. (laughs) But safety for everyone is the priority and we will implement it, but we won't let the fun be ruined. We will do motorsports and enjoy it, and we will also stand behind it with the highest motivation.
CURBS: What are the financial consequences regarding the race events? How do you assess the situation for you as a professional racing team, but also for everyone involved in motorsports in general?
Stephen: I'm sure it hits some teams hard. Even without the crisis, we can see a shift in the motorsport world after every season change. The GT Masters in particular consumed a lot of budget. We are blessed with the luck that we could start the Formula 4 UAE at the beginning of the year. With the Classic department, we were well positioned and could therefore absorb everything more easily.
CURBS: How are your sponsors acting in the crisis?
Stephen: We are, of course, in regular contact with our sponsors. Fortunately, the TV presence continues to exist, and I actually believe that interest will be higher than before. As a team, we're trying our best to do justice to everyone. In the end, you can say that you're back at square one, the cards are reshuffled, and you're basically back in the fall planning your season. Everyone is fighting right now and trying to find an adequate solution.
CURBS: The topic of esports has really taken off, especially during the Corona crisis. What are your thoughts on the establishment of sim racing?
Stephen: From my perspective as a former Ford factory driver, I also traveled to England and America for vehicle development. Especially for Le Mans, we spent many days in the simulator. Whether it was setup variations or different tire compounds – we could adopt about 90% of that. At that high level, you can really try out a lot of things on the vehicle. But I didn't grow up with simulators, though I find it interesting and impressive what kind of testing can be done there.
CURBS: And what are your explicit thoughts on SimRacing?
Stephen: Simracing is certainly interesting, but it's not motorsport. It's an interesting sport that deserves respect. There are experts who are really good at it, and when we race car drivers jump in, they show us what the simulator is all about. But for us, motorsport is about touch, sound, and a unique atmosphere, which simracing simply doesn't convey. For my taste, simracing is nothing, but as a team manager, it's interesting for me to be representative for sponsors there.
For reaction and concentration, it's a good thing, but you should just see it as a training aspect. However, it doesn't replace motorsports, because it isn't motorsports.
CURBS: How do you rate the racing series with electric motors?
Stephen: It is definitely the future to incorporate it into motorsport as well. Personally, I grew up with combustion engines, and I simply miss that with electric motors. For training, for example, I really enjoy riding my enduro, which is also available with electric motors, and it's certainly interesting to ride with an electric motor sometimes. Both have their own appeal, but what historical motorsport, for example, offers us is incomparable. The sounds, smells, and emotions are simply missing in the topic of „e-mobility.“ You see great development in e-mobility, and many sponsors are going down this path. Whether it's the right path or not is hard to judge, but you also have to look beyond your own nose and be open to everything.
CURBS: So, you're an enthusiastic supporter of internal combustion engines?
Stephen: I've driven many cars – modern cars like Aston Martins, but I've also driven old cars that gave you blisters on your hands. (laughs) Modern cars have a lot of driver assistance systems. And being able to experience both worlds is simply fantastic. You have to accept the future and help shape it. But in the end, you also have to look back at the past sometimes; that's also fun.
CURBS: How will the corona crisis affect future motorsport?
Stephen: The current situation is certainly significant and has even accelerated some things, as can already be seen with some manufacturers. The entire system will also sort itself out somewhere. I am also convinced that electromobility is also having an increasing influence on the promotion of young talent.
CURBS: Do you think motorsport will continue as it did before the COVID-19 crisis?
Stephen: I think there will be a rethinking. I believe every individual has been a little shaken up. People have seen how quickly situations can change. It will continue, and motorsports might even evoke more enthusiasm than ever before.
Josephine Weinhold
Images: Mücke Motorsport
