Bullet Athlete Benjamin Goethe re-joined Team WRT for the first endurance race on the motorsport calendar, sharing the #31 Audi R8 LMS GT3 with Arnold Robin (FRA), Maxime Robin (FRA), Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (FRA), and Frederic Vervisch (BEL). Despite his young age, Benjamin already has 3 years of endurance experience behind him, including a podium finish in last year’s 24H of Dubai.
A flawless display this weekend, which has been one of his best drives ever. The 18-year-old didn’t put a foot wrong and completed eight impeccable stints, including several hours in the lead, controlling the 80-car strong field, and the final leg of the race, bringing the #31 Team WRT Audi home in second place behind the sister car.
ROFGO Junior driver Benjamin Goethe:
“P2 in the end in the Dubai 24! Our pace and consistency were really good and we made zero errors. The team as a whole did an incredible job, having a 1-2 is a superb display of how dominant Team WRT is and bodes well for the 2022 season. It’s a great way to start off the year and hopefully, I can carry the momentum for the rest of the season ahead.”
Oliver Goethe had to face a wide array of new challenges this weekend. The 17-year old Dane made his GT and 24H race debut in Dubai, sharing the Dragon Racing Mercedes with his father Roald Goethe, his coach Stuart Hall and Jordan Grogor.
Despite having only two years of single-seater experience under his belt, Oliver has been flourishing in the new environment, absorbing all the information like a sponge. The youngster completed the assignments with flying colours, from adapting to a car much heavier and more powerful than the F4 and F3 cars he’s driven before to dealing with the traffic caused by the 80 cars in multiple classes, and of course racing in the dark and staying sharp for 24 Hours instead of 30 minutes.
He did a terrific job from the get-go, improving from practice to practice, so much so that he even set the fastest time of the car in the qualifying, playing an important role in putting the #408 Dragon Mercedes P3 in class. Oliver continued to excel throughout the entire race, making no mistakes and crossing the line in P1 in class.
The 17-year-old Millfield School student will now stay in the UAE for the upcoming five weeks, competing in the Formula Regional Asian Championship with 3Y by R-Ace GP.
ROFGO Junior driver Oliver Goethe:
“Dubai 24H winners! A perfect start to the 2022 season in my first ever GT race. It’s been an incredible experience and to share it with my Dad, Stuart and Jordan made it extra special. Thanks to everyone at Dragon Racing for providing us with the perfect car. It’s been just the first of many, but now my focus turns to next weekend’s F3 race in Abu Dhabi.“
