S62 Mazda MX-5 Cup Honours & Marvin Mackenberg interview!

March 22, 2023  — 
 racerooms62

After a 6 month absence, RaceRoom returned to the forefront of activity to kick off the 2023 programme of racing at RRLeauges.

The newly introduced Mazda MX-5, one of the best small sports cars of all time, would provide the challenge for the Class of Season 62 and with it came an anticipation of a competitive, door-banging series.

Car 87, as driven by Marvin in this series.

With stops at Portimao, Sonoma and Zandvoort culminating in a season finale at Interlagos, 8 races featuring a reverse grid Race 2 would map the arduous journey any title protagonist would have to endure and prosper.

7 different names would occupy the top step of the podium during the season, reaffirming the challenge presented to the drivers, but it would be Marvin Mackenberg who finished at the top of the standings after taking 6 podiums en route to being crowned an RRL champion.

S62 honours

We caught up with the German to understand his experience of S62...

RRL Media:
Congratulations on winning the title. What do you think were the deciding factors for winning this championship?

Marvin:
Thanks. The most important factor was simply luck. Pavel was definitely the fastest driver here, but unlucky reverse grid races and disconnects put him out of contention. Without him challenging it was mostly about consistency and keeping my nose clean in the reverse grid races.

RRL Media:
What were your highlights of the season?

Marvin:
Definitely the final lap at Zandvoort, where I gained an incredible number of positions and also the complete chaos at Portimao. I don't think I spent a single second without battling there. Horrible result, but still great fun.

RRL Media:
Was this your 1st outing in the MX-5 and if so, what were your expectations going into the series?

Marvin:
I had driven the MX-5 a little bit before, just enough to get a general idea how to drive it. After a disappointing Masters last year I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The overall level seemed very high, but I also knew that this championship should suit me much more. I didn't expect to win the title, but I definitely targeted a position inside the top 3.

RRL Media:
How did you find the races and especially the reverse grid Race 2? Was it enjoyable making your way through the field and were you able to keep your nose clean?

Marvin:
I really enjoyed the contrast between race 1 and 2. We had one normal race at the start, which was a bit calmer and as a bonus, we got a real challenge for the frontrunner to fight through the field and show their racecraft. This also gave good chances to the slower guys to find a bit more success and everyone who had bad luck in race 1 had a chance for redemption.

During reverse grid races, I was always on the edge and rarely spent a lap not involved in a battle for position. I think I had 1 or 2 incidents in those races, but I guess that happened to everyone.

RRL Media:
What do you think made the difference compared to the Masters, where you were rarely at the front of the field?

Marvin:
I think the biggest difference was how comfortable I felt with the car. Picking the Bentley for the Masters was a horrible decision as I never got comfortable with it at all. The MX-5 on the other hand was great for me. Even after a very limited amount of practice I could push it towards it limit. I practiced way less than for the Masters and still felt like I got almost the maximum out of the car.

RRL Media:
As well as your induction to RRLs Hall of Fame, you had another notable success in taking victory in class in the showpiece Daytona 2.4H event. Is RaceRoom your preferred sim at the moment?

Marvin:
RaceRoom is where I started my sim-racing journey and where I have by far the most experience. It's by far the easiest for me to get up to speed and usually it's also where I am fastest. I don't think I could come anywhere close to winning such events or qualifying for esports races on any other sim.

Overall it probably is my preferred sim, especially because it has by far the best touring car experience you can find. Outside of touring cars it really depends though.

RRL Media:
You and your brother are set to compete in our next series, S63 Super Trofeo Evo 2 Cup. Can we expect back-to-back titles for Marvin Mackenberg?

Marvin:
He's in fact my twin brother. I wouldn't expect too much from us in the Super Trofeo. I have never driven the car before, have no idea how to get the most out of the setup and probably will need a bit more time to get up to speed. Finishing ahead of guys like Bram sounds impossible to me. If I could finish on the podium a few times and maybe get around P5 overall, I'd be happy with the season.

written by: Simon Fillingham