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00:29
You've been fortunate enough to actually share some experiences on the track with Max.
00:33
Do you really think that in 2026 this place is just going to be crazy?
00:39
One billion percent.
00:42
In October, you and your team came first in the NLS race.
00:47
We have a curse that we're just like getting P2.
00:49
It became a meme. We need to assume that everyone else is an idiot because someone might crash into me or I might crash myself.
00:56
Max's performance in the Nürburgring has already made it extremely popular.
01:00
Is there still stuff that you're learning every year about the track, every lap?
01:04
Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely.
01:06
I wrote down a quote that you put when talking about the Stappens GZ3 debut,
01:11
which is Sabine Schmitz did with a Top Gear transit lap on the Nürburgring.
01:20
Misha, I'm so pleased to say that this is now our fifth episode together in the back of this van.
01:26
Can you believe in two years we've done all of that talking?
01:30
Wow, that's actually quite insane.
01:33
I am the most recurring guest on your channel.
01:35
But I think that's a good thing because unlike a lot of other guests and like myself,
01:40
the rate at which you have experiences and produce content is so far beyond most
01:46
that I think there's actually a reason to come around more often to do it.
01:51
And as an example, before we recorded today, I got Toby to look up a little stat.
01:57
And I've recorded 36 podcasts since the last time I was here.
02:03
Sometimes that's two a week. I've been to America.
02:06
You've recorded 168 videos you've put out since then just on the main channel,
02:14
excluding Mark 2 and other stuff.
02:16
So I think I'm right by saying that the pace of your life moves a lot faster.
02:22
Yeah, partially you are correct if we speak about content,
02:25
but there is a lot more than content alone what I'm doing.
02:29
Some things you do see on the channel or on my socials,
02:32
the businesses that I have founded, co-founded, you name it,
02:36
and the other ventures that I'm doing.
02:38
Most importantly, of course, also my family that you almost do not see on social media,
02:42
occasionally you post here and there, so there's a lot of things happening,
02:45
of course, in my life, yes.
02:47
So that's why I'm actually going to come all the way back to our first episode,
02:51
because so much has happened in that two years between then and now,
02:54
and ask the infamous question to you again of, in your own words,
02:58
who are you and what do you do?
03:00
Oh, wow, okay. That's actually a nice one.
03:03
I like that you asked because the answer now is going to be completely different
03:07
than when we started, because back at the time, my answer was probably I'm a content creator,
03:13
I drive laps at the Nürburgring, and it still is.
03:17
I'm a content creator, which is my main job, quote-unquote.
03:21
Most people know me from living and working at the Nürburgring,
03:25
which of course comes with the fact that I drive the truck either as a hobby,
03:29
either professionally, semi-professionally, I race professionally,
03:33
and I drive mostly other people's cars, and also my own, of course.
03:38
But since two years ago, there's also a lot more to it.
03:43
So two years ago, I co-founded a company called Volkan Alpha,
03:47
where we are sitting right now, actually, where the van is sitting in,
03:50
that is focused on engineering for the automotive,
03:55
with focus on aerodynamic mods.
03:57
So wings, splitters, everything in between,
04:01
and we're now even venturing out into complete car builds,
04:04
something you have actually seen off camera,
04:06
and we will show you maybe later in the future to the public.
04:10
So there's Volkan Alpha, where we build cars, our own cars, customer cars,
04:14
In addition, I've also raised Treto, which is a coffee bar at the Nürburgring.
04:19
So we do coffee, I have an event agency, I have a car giveaway company,
04:24
I have a steak in a merchandising company that I'm wearing right now.
04:29
What else do I have? I think I'm missing something out.
04:33
Well, that brings us nicely, that bit right there,
04:37
to say that this was going to be our Christmas special,
04:40
but we couldn't link up close enough to Christmas
04:43
to put the episode out even closer towards Christmas.
04:46
So this is the pre-Christmas special that's pre.
04:50
And because it's that, I think we've actually got a little gift for one another.
04:54
Am I right in saying so? Yes.
04:55
I've got for you, the kind people here are a wonderful hoodie to don around the track.
05:06
I've probably got that wrong, but it's absolutely insane if you can get into the bag.
05:13
And that will keep you warm because it's actually,
05:16
there's literal frost on the ground outside.
05:18
And it's extremely cold at the minute.
05:22
And I believe in the festive spirit, you have something over there too,
05:26
which I'm pretty sure the kind people here are from one episode won't mind me donning.
05:31
Yeah, absolutely. I got, well, since I'm wearing a Christmas sweater.
05:35
It's the Christmas special.
05:37
I think the kind guys at here won't mind me popping on a Christmas special.
05:43
I'm giving you a very special one.
05:44
It's a limited edition, one of the 300 Marina Wall Nürburgring Sweaters.
05:51
I don't think the camera angle would have been on me for that.
05:55
If the editors still want their jobs.
05:58
Well, there we go. Now we're wrapped up.
06:00
I actually want to properly begin with a success story that's come from this year
06:05
because Road to Success is all about success stories.
06:08
And in October, you made a rather cool post after you and your team came first
06:15
in the NLS race with Jimmy Broadben, who's been on the podcast and the other guys.
06:19
What was that like for you?
06:21
Because you wrote in your own post that it was the breaking of a curse
06:25
that's kind of been over you for some time.
06:30
As some may or may not know, I, as mentioned already at the intro,
06:33
I'm racing professionally this year and for the last three years
06:37
we've been racing for Bilstein, managed by Team Black Falcon.
06:41
In the last two years, we've been running BMW M4 GT4 on the Nürburgring
06:44
and the Endurance series on Nürburgring NLS and the 24 hours of Nürburgring.
06:50
So this year started actually phenomenal because our first race, we immediately got P1.
06:56
So we won our class. We were like, okay, we set the pace. It's great.
07:00
Second race, P2. Third race, P2. Fourth race, P2.
07:05
Again, P2, P2. So the rest of the season was P2 and always because something silly,
07:12
we would either have a code 60 ahead of us or would be slowed down
07:17
or we had also this advantage that we are with four drivers,
07:20
whereas the other teams are with three drivers, so we're missing out on the pit stop time.
07:24
So we would literally like the gap between us and the winner would always be like,
07:30
literally just maybe like three seconds or exactly 30 seconds,
07:34
which we'll be wasting on the pit stop. So it became a meme.
07:37
It became a meme of a fact like, hey, we have a curse that we're just getting P2.
07:41
Although we won beginning of the year, we won already like last year's multiple times.
07:46
And then, well, luckily, finally, the last year, just like we started great,
07:50
we finished on a positive note, we have won the Nürburgring Endurance race, which was quite good.
07:55
I saw the postcard and it was also really nice for Jimmy because I've had him on the podcast
08:00
for the first time this year and going from his beginnings and where he started some racing
08:05
to also being, I know he's done lots of other races, but just seeing him celebrate with you guys was so nice.
08:11
I know he's just done his race for mental health on YouTube as well,
08:15
which I checked this morning was on like 90 something thousand pound and went ahead of the target.
08:20
But if any of you guys want to go and check out that,
08:22
I'll leave a link in the description to donate towards Jimmy's cause.
08:25
But the emotions that we're going through at that point,
08:29
because that's a big deal for the Nürburgring that race, isn't it?
08:33
I mean, at the end of the day, Nürburgring is the most challenging track in the world to drive.
08:39
So driving here by itself is already quite an achievement.
08:43
Making to the finish line is already something to be proud of.
08:46
Being in a top three and then let alone winning in the GT4,
08:50
which is one of the highest classes together with GT3,
08:54
maybe even more difficult ones because the cars are a bit harder to drive
08:57
because you don't have as much downforce than a GT3.
09:01
Now before people are going to start bashing me like,
09:03
are you saying GT3 drivers are less professional than him?
09:05
No, the car is more challenging.
09:06
The level of competitiveness is also higher.
09:08
Anyway, hard to drive.
09:11
So, yeah, to win that is quite a big deal.
09:14
It's something to be proud of.
09:16
So I've got to ask because it's something that I don't necessarily understand or knew,
09:21
which I think will be the same for a lot of the audience.
09:23
So you're competing with a team of four, but you don't have to compete with a team of four.
09:28
Some people drive it on their own.
09:30
They drive a four-hour race all by themselves.
09:33
That's also possible, for sure.
09:36
So obviously the disadvantage of having four of you is pit stops.
09:40
But do you gain sharpness because of the level of the race?
09:46
In our case, it's really like because the project started by a project
09:51
that called our team of drivers to going from influencer to the professional driver
09:55
or from a sim racer to a professional driver or from who knows what into who knows what.
09:59
It was Steve, Jimmy, and myself.
10:03
Them two sim racers, me, just a local regular guy who has some racing experience
10:07
and they put us in a race car.
10:10
And then they put number four with us, which is Manuel Metzger.
10:14
He has won the 24-hour race overall in the GT3 and back in 2016.
10:19
He was a P2 in 17 or 18, I believe.
10:22
So someone with a lot of experience to actually bring us up to the real pro level,
10:27
like to give us all the inside-outs and do all the data analysis.
10:30
And also to function as a team for the main event, which is the 24 hours of never cream.
10:36
So for us, it was more like we're a team, we're going to be driving,
10:39
we're going to be having fun, we'll be driving as is, and we stuck to that.
10:44
The only thing what we've actually done differently in the very last race,
10:47
we realized if the first driver drives only, I believe it was four laps or something,
10:53
so less than a full stint because the less you drive,
10:57
the less of a mandatory pit stop time you have.
10:59
So if someone is willing to take the sacrifice to drive less,
11:04
we are going most likely to win if everything goes well.
11:07
And this is what we've done.
11:08
Did you have to have that conversation prior to the race?
11:10
We've done it and you know what's the funny thing?
11:13
I said, I'm doing it.
11:15
And you know what's the funny thing is?
11:17
I've never done a start of a race in my life on the Nurburgring before.
11:21
Like I've done multiple other races, also on the Nurburgring like a short sprint races,
11:25
but not the endurance because I was kind of whatever, you know?
11:28
And it was extremely tricky one because it was drizzling, it was raining,
11:32
but not raining enough to put the car on wet slicks, so everyone was on dry slicks
11:36
and the conditions were horrible.
11:38
It was proper mixed, wasn't it?
11:39
Yeah, it was lots of crashes.
11:41
Like the first lap, it was I think one third of the field in the make
11:46
towards the end of the race, it was quite tricky, but it was a good decision
11:50
because I made two fastest laps of the overall class,
11:56
so the pace was really good, all the wet laps have paid off.
12:01
And yeah, I handed over the car to...
12:05
might have been Jimmy or something back at the time.
12:07
I don't remember, so yeah, and yeah, it was a very good race.
12:11
I want to pick apart a little thing that you said in there,
12:14
which was you brought in the fourth member of the team, is it Manuel?
12:17
So you brought him in because he was a Nurburgring 24-hour winner,
12:23
and you just described him as on that other level of ability and talent.
12:27
When everybody see you daily uploading,
12:30
they can take in all of those laps that you're doing,
12:33
all those mixed conditions in all of these different cars,
12:36
and the fact that you have the engineering expertise behind them,
12:40
what is the bit that makes him...
12:43
you describe him as that level maybe versus yourself?
12:49
Well, first of all, the experience,
12:51
and if we speak about me as a driver or as a content creator,
12:55
we can actually immediately say, and I'm open about saying it,
12:59
that all of those laps in racing world are useless.
13:03
They even hold me back in a certain way because I drive on street cars,
13:07
on street tires, not having the downforce levels,
13:10
not having the full slicks, not with the car that I should not crash,
13:16
also not a race car, of course,
13:17
but I'm always having a bit of extra holding back.
13:21
Whereas in the race, you need to push to the limit,
13:24
and you can push and you should push.
13:26
And more importantly, races one are quite often not by minutes,
13:34
Even in 24-hour races, after 24 hours,
13:37
sometimes the gap is just 10 or 15 seconds.
13:40
Over the course of how big the nerve is as well.
13:43
Over the course of 24 hours.
13:45
So after 24 hours, the gap could be still like 10 or 15 seconds between P1 to 3.
13:50
So you need, you're looking for literally milliseconds per corner
13:54
to see like, okay, I could go faster there because I lift only 10% of the throttle,
14:00
or I should be like 10 centimeters more to the right.
14:03
There are like these kind of things that you would figure out.
14:07
And especially when you're just new in the car,
14:10
when you have more opinions about the car setup,
14:13
what could be done differently, you can test a lot of things.
14:16
And one person can show that it's actually working.
14:19
Whereas the other person might say like, oh, no, this is bad.
14:22
But like, no, you see, this is actually working.
14:24
So let's keep it that way.
14:25
And this is how you should drive that part of the track.
14:27
So there's a lot of things to it.
14:30
To film this podcast with Misha,
14:31
myself and Toby set off on the nine hour each way journey to the Nurburgring.
14:36
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16:04
Well, when you look at how big the Nürburgring is
16:08
and you said it at the start, there's nothing quite like it on Earth.
16:11
I think you almost have to go to tracks that aren't tarmac necessarily.
16:16
That doesn't mean like Pike's Peak is what I'm getting at.
16:19
To get to the level of how different of an experience it is driving on the Nürburgring.
16:23
So what are like a couple of challenges during that race
16:26
that you would only come across on the Nürburgring versus maybe doing it as Spa?
16:32
Well, actually Spa is very similar to the Nürburgring
16:35
when it comes to the biggest challenge
16:37
and that is being geographically located in the mountains of Eiffel.
16:42
So the weather can be, I mean Spa is slightly smaller.
16:44
It's seven kilometers versus 21 or 25
16:49
depends how many, what configuration you're counting.
16:53
Therefore here we can have four seasons of the year in one lap.
16:57
In Spa you might have just two or three basically.
17:01
So that's the biggest challenge.
17:03
Have every lap having different conditions that of course.
17:06
Then again you have also bumps, jumps, elevation changes, the grip levels
17:10
because here over the years they change the tarmac
17:14
because they resurface certain area
17:16
because it's cracking or it's being not that good.
17:19
So one part of the track is becoming more grippy.
17:21
The other one is becoming less grippy.
17:23
So if you're a regular here you can get a lot and a lot, a lot of win
17:28
by knowing simply the grip levels, not even the bumps.
17:32
So for example like every year like I said
17:34
they resurface the part of the track
17:35
and the major difference is wet and dry line
17:38
because in the wet, when the track is covered in wet
17:42
the Nürburgring Nordschleife is the most occupied piece of tarmac in the world
17:47
because you have here industry pool, you have here prototypes testing, racing etc etc
17:51
every day there's non-stop pretty much traffic going on
17:54
and they leave a layer of rubber on the track.
17:56
So when it becomes wet it becomes like ice.
17:59
So in the wet you need to be completely on the opposite side of the track
18:02
and avoid that in braking zones and turning points and etc
18:04
but when they resurface the part of the track
18:06
for about two and a half to three years it has optimal grip
18:10
so you can actually take the ideal line on those surfaces
18:13
but you need to know where you can do it.
18:15
So you can actually full send it pretty much there
18:17
and you can gain between five to ten seconds a lap maybe.
18:21
There are so many things.
18:23
That's the difference, right?
18:24
There are one of the differences between what makes the Nürburgring, the Nürburgring
18:27
I know on lots of tracks there ends up being a line that's more rubbered in
18:31
and when I've driven the Nürburgring in the wet on cup twos
18:34
and in a four wheel drive R8
18:36
you realise just how slippy and dangerous it can be
18:39
but is it sometimes hard out there to almost drive a line
18:43
that you know isn't the optimal racing line
18:46
versus where the grip is?
18:49
I'll make that calculation.
18:51
For sure, for the beginner driver that would be always the case.
18:55
You would always incline to drive the normal line
18:58
and then just think like, no, I need to be because that's how it goes
19:01
but that's indeed what separates someone who knows what to do and what not to do.
19:05
Is that a lot harder for the Sim racers?
19:08
Because even though the software they're racing on, the iRacing etc.
19:13
so advanced, but is it advanced to that level?
19:17
You say you spend that much time out there
19:19
getting to learn where that grip is and where it isn't.
19:22
Would you say on iRacing for example
19:25
that's anywhere close?
19:29
When you put the funny enough, like now that you mentioned iRacing
19:34
or even a set of quarter competition
19:35
when you put the wetness level of the track and the Sim to the highest
19:40
the grip levels of the tarmac might be equal
19:43
but the amount of puddles on the ideal line will be higher
19:47
so in the Sim you would still have to avoid the ideal line
19:52
but essentially, I mean, of course you would need to learn
19:55
that the small things that the Sim does not have always
19:59
and that comes also to the wet and dry line.
20:01
I think also the bit I'm leading on to
20:03
which we'll get on to later in the podcast
20:04
is drivers like Max who haven't had a huge amount of experience on the circuit
20:10
it's only when you understand these like little additional details
20:17
and facts and the thing that the casual Nürburgring visitor
20:20
might not kind of get down to the nitty-gritty of
20:23
that you realise and people like Jimmy who's raced so much on the Sim
20:26
that you realise what a jump they've essentially taken to get it right
20:31
and not make those mistakes and they'll be putting in the lap times that they're doing
20:34
but stick into the time on track for a minute.
20:37
With everything else going on this year
20:39
Vulcan Alfa, Race Threto, the events company, giveaways
20:43
have you spent as much time in the cars doing laps?
20:49
I think by my Excel sheet from this year
20:53
Oh, you can tell he's got the German in him, can't you?
20:56
German, hold on, let's behave.
20:59
No, I think I've done this year maybe like 30 cars less than last year
21:05
which is still towards 400 cars and towards or over a thousand laps
21:12
So a similar amount, I would say still
21:15
A thousand laps, 8-10 minutes a lap on average
21:19
Something like that, a lot of hours in the car out there
21:25
A lot of hours in the car
21:26
When you are doing that year after year after year
21:30
for that many laps, for that many hours
21:32
that I'm not even mathematically capable of calculating
21:34
so I'm a bit stupid in that sense
21:36
Is there still stuff that you're learning every year about the track, every lap?
21:41
Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely
21:42
Does it surprise you sometimes?
21:45
Yeah, actually one of the things that I hate doing
21:48
but I love doing is going out as a passenger with other people
21:52
that are more experienced, I hate because I'm like
21:56
the better driver you become, the more you want to be in control
21:59
and the more scared you are of not being in control
22:02
So part of me is like
22:03
but the other part is like, oh, that's an interesting line
22:08
I could maybe try it myself and like, oh, it's actually working
22:11
maybe not with this car, but maybe with the other car
22:13
or maybe in any other weather conditions
22:15
So what you're telling me is in one of our previous podcasts
22:19
you told me that you were going to stop allowing so many passengers
22:22
in the car with you and kind of go out on your own
22:26
and what you've decided to do is flip that completely on the head
22:29
lose all control and go in the passenger seat of their cars
22:32
No, not correctly true
22:33
I mean, I'm still avoiding as much as I can
22:36
and also in the past to going out with people that I don't know
22:39
the people I know that have like a ring record
22:42
not a lap record, but a proven X amount of laps
22:46
that they show that they actually know what they're doing
22:48
I'm happy to go out with in like a proper circumstances
22:52
of course if I know the car and the driver and etc
22:54
Because you've been out with, excuse me, I don't know her name
22:57
but I know she's like growing in terms of popularity
23:00
of the laps that she's doing at the Nürburgring
23:04
Yeah, you've been out with her recently, I saw and did a lap
23:06
Yeah, a few times, yeah
23:08
Actually, like especially when I went out with her last year
23:12
in her car, that's pretty much really
23:15
rocket launched her influencer career
23:17
because that video got like over a million views
23:19
people all of a sudden like hold on a second girl
23:21
at the Nürburgring, what's happening?
23:22
This hasn't happened since Shabin Smith
23:24
Yeah, and a lot of people
23:27
actually called her like the next Shabin
23:30
because it's unique, there are more girls out there
23:33
but she has the same kind of
23:36
and I don't want to say it in a disrespectful manner
23:38
but like this really farmer humor
23:41
like very like, Shabin was also like that
23:43
because essentially Shabin, why everybody loved her
23:46
is because she was just like a local village girl
23:48
was doing laps and but she was like
23:51
although she made it to winning 24 hour race
23:54
to top gear and everything
23:56
here around she would still be at the pub
23:59
like she would be tapping beer straight into
24:02
the some guy's mouth
24:04
from the bar, like you know this kind of things
24:06
and because she was still the local village girl
24:09
and that's what Vika is essentially
24:11
also she gives that kind of vibe, you know
24:13
and of course driving skills and etc.
24:17
I think you need to make sure you get some kegs
24:19
in race, race tractor in the evening
24:21
and we can turn it into a bar from a coffee shop
24:24
every now and then.
24:25
Dude, I would have had so much more not only with race tractor
24:28
but also with any other business
24:29
if we were in some other country
24:31
where you would not have regulation after regulation
24:33
after regulation after regulation.
24:35
We spoke about this before and it's only
24:37
I never knew anything about this
24:39
until I spoke to you
24:41
in one of our previous podcasts
24:43
but to do anything in Germany
24:46
relating to any form
24:51
for every one hoop you'd have to jump through
24:53
there's kind of three over here
24:55
together it's insane, right?
24:57
This is horrible, I mean
25:02
this place and myself included
25:04
we went probably bankrupt like nearly
25:06
like you know these stories that you hear from
25:09
like top businessmen like
25:11
Tesla, NVIDIA and stuff where they had
25:13
okay we have just one week left
25:15
to pay our people and then we're screwed
25:19
five, six times where I'm thinking
25:21
like alright we'll find now but
25:24
if this is not gonna solve
25:25
we're in big trouble like you know
25:26
and some of it was literally caused by
25:29
the fact that we could not
25:33
like I'll give you, it started already from the start
25:35
I might as well give you like this
25:39
we decided to start Volkan Alpha
25:44
basically beginning of last year
25:48
we signed our rental
25:52
our previous first workshop for the first
25:54
of February and then we would start
25:56
moving so January was still
25:58
spending time with our family and friends
26:00
on the holidays and etc etc we come back
26:02
we start moving in in February
26:06
we kind of want to start doing business
26:08
we set up the workshop, we set everything
26:10
and we're like still waiting for a text
26:14
you know like what the hell is happening
26:16
like why and we're waiting
26:18
simply from the beginning we were thinking
26:20
like okay maybe it's holidays
26:23
because so we decided
26:26
tax office because no one is picking up
26:29
the phone when you call them so we
26:30
arrived there at the tax office like half
26:32
an hour away from here from the
26:35
the German tax authorities
26:37
and it says yeah we're closed
26:38
we're only open like Tuesday and Thursday from
26:40
11 till 1 we're like
26:44
sure no comment we went there then the
26:46
following day on a Thursday and we're like
26:50
kind of would like to have a tax number
26:52
so we can operate business
26:53
like who are you like
26:56
you're this and this company okay
26:59
yeah we thought this
27:00
might be money laundering
27:02
like you thought what
27:07
yeah well because you know
27:08
motorsport it's very known for
27:10
money laundering and you're at the
27:12
Nürburgring and the biggest also issue
27:14
is that you are a team
27:17
with four shareholders
27:23
back at the time also making my wife and Marta
27:26
actually five because we founded two different companies
27:30
the 3MD event management
27:32
company which we're overlapping with
27:36
yeah so you are like five shareholders
27:38
but none of you are German either
27:41
so it's like we're thinking
27:43
like maybe this is not legit oh
27:45
thank you for thinking
27:46
could you not like ask us
27:48
or like maybe yeah okay
27:51
we're gonna send an expert
27:55
to the UK and I think it's very rare that
27:57
I think everybody from England
27:58
and Scotland and Wales would ever
28:03
would all agree with me here
28:04
it's very rare to say to be fair to the UK
28:06
but it does cost 12 quid
28:09
and a couple of clicks to set a company up in the UK
28:13
business in the Netherlands
28:14
I have had businesses in also
28:17
other countries I was involved in
28:19
like the stuff in creation etc
28:20
so I know how stuff goes there same thing
28:23
you have one mouse click you do everything
28:27
up until certain point
28:29
and maybe still is to a certain extent
28:31
the leading country in the EU
28:33
was the worst country
28:35
when it comes to the communication
28:36
like all the digitalization
28:39
just simply does not exist
28:40
if you need to do to government officials
28:42
you still need to send a fax
28:43
and at one point I needed something from the government
28:47
I sent them a freaking fax
28:48
I had to find a fax machine
28:49
I called them up like hey
28:51
could I please get an answer because I sent you this
28:54
which was a deadline for me to send to you
28:56
you know what the reply was
28:57
oh yeah the app that we use to read the fax
28:59
is not working I was like
29:02
the app you use to access your fax files
29:05
is not working why don't you use a freaking email
29:10
anyway the expert comes
29:12
he checks at Vulcan Alpha
29:14
because we're like kind of workshop is set up
29:16
and etc it's like yeah okay this
29:17
looks good he goes to the other office
29:19
of 3MD of the other company and because we decided to
29:22
operate from one company to the other
29:24
it's like yeah but here like the chairs are missing
29:26
I'm like yeah well guess what
29:28
I need to have a freaking tax number
29:31
hmm yeah makes sense but
29:34
yeah this this doesn't look like
29:36
a functional business I'm like yeah because you need
29:37
a tax number so you can actually function
29:39
yeah okay we'll do that but
29:42
I'm gonna come back after to check it
29:44
so there were so many things
29:46
that I'm like guys really
29:50
the fast forward to now
29:52
for example I might be getting sidetracked
29:54
but let me like vent like you know
29:56
we moved into this new location here at the
30:00
literally got Manti next door
30:05
Aston Martin's literally there
30:06
good year I've got the biggest
30:08
half tire everybody is here
30:10
the biggest names are here
30:11
so what would you need
30:13
since we're already brought up this topic
30:15
what would you need in UK to start a workshop
30:17
a couple of clicks on
30:19
companies house maybe
30:23
a health and safety report
30:25
make sure that somebody in there is qualified
30:27
to fix somebody up if they
30:29
fall down in the middle of the day
30:30
yeah you can pretty much get it all together
30:33
about the building can it be just like
30:35
building it depends
30:37
what class the unit is
30:39
so we do have classes of units
30:41
and I'm not an expert in it but
30:43
most of the time if it's an industrial
30:47
and they expect those types
30:48
of businesses to be on the part
30:49
they'll be that class I think Jim struggled the most
30:52
in the UK to get the right
30:53
kind of class to trade
30:54
well basically here to start
30:59
my goal was to have a workshop running
31:03
well we had it everything finalized when the season was
31:05
already pretty much over because
31:07
of course first of all to work on the cars
31:09
you need to have not just a qualified technician
31:11
but so called like a mechanic that owns
31:13
a meister brief that is really qualified
31:15
to work on other people's cars
31:17
that of course only applies to working
31:19
on the German street registered cars
31:21
that in case like a wheel falls off
31:24
you know you're still insured
31:25
fair play should be should be like that
31:29
you need it to have everything
31:34
the building needs to be
31:35
actual purpose to be workshop
31:37
so the beginning the purpose of this
31:41
Nutzungsänderung it was
31:45
so we had to have a team
31:47
of architects come here
31:48
to check everything to make a report
31:53
what we need to change to qualified
31:54
from a warehouse to like
31:59
and to see if that is okay
32:05
of wiring but this mostly
32:07
even for the lifts we
32:09
installed a few fire extinguishers
32:12
four months to get everything approved
32:14
and a few tens of thousands of euros
32:18
at that point to pump in extra money
32:21
from your other earnings
32:23
because you're not able to fully operate
32:26
to the point that you need to
32:28
and the reason why we started also like for example
32:30
the workshop is because I saw it as a necessity
32:33
to put more money in the company
32:34
because our main business
32:36
which what we found it on
32:38
to actually engineer design
32:40
and manufacture aerodynamic
32:42
components or other components
32:44
was also not really going well
32:45
because we were reliant on
32:49
CNC and carbon fiber etc
32:51
who were promising a lot
32:54
but were either not delivering at all
32:56
or delivering faulty products
33:00
one and a half year of the business
33:04
and the problem is you're naive
33:06
to a certain extent, you're trusting people
33:09
you're trusting first certain individuals
33:11
who tell you like I'm gonna make you the best product
33:13
and he delivers the first product
33:16
on par with the top of the line there
33:19
but then the next time he delivers
33:21
a wing that is literally
33:23
narrower than the spec you ordered
33:25
for the car for a customer
33:27
or doesn't deliver anything at all
33:29
and then goes MIA for two weeks
33:31
and then when he delivers something
33:32
after that when you start already pressing him
33:36
the wing that he delivered like splits open
33:38
in half or something at a high speed
33:41
there were so many things
33:42
that we had to go through from the first
33:44
and then we went to another supplier
33:46
which also promised a lot
33:48
and we put a down payment in December
33:50
and then it would not happen for months
33:51
so it was quite challenging
33:54
before we move on, if you're enjoying this podcast
33:57
make sure to hit that subscribe button
33:59
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34:01
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34:03
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34:07
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34:11
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so subscribe and see you at the next time
34:16
I will be on this show
34:18
so when you're going through that
34:20
or when you remember going through those initial
34:22
kind of growing pains
34:24
the deep growing gashes by the sound of it
34:27
did you ever think that
34:29
you would be at the point where you see
34:31
the 190 and the Civic
34:33
exactly the Civic, the 190
34:35
but stuff like the Mustang
34:37
that's like one of your main projects
34:39
at the minute up there
34:40
and what you were telling me you're going to do with the wing on that car
34:44
I don't know if you want to give anybody a little secret with that
34:47
no, on the Civic that's going to be the other wing
34:49
is that going on the Civic
34:51
not the Mustang, is it?
34:52
the Mustang already has its wing, it's a DRS
34:54
but the other thing
34:56
we have some plans too
34:58
because of course we're always evolving
35:00
and we need to bring out new and exciting products
35:02
on the market so Civic is going to get something
35:05
more extreme what I want to say
35:06
but to answer your question
35:08
was I ever thinking of that?
35:20
or with the intention of remaining
35:24
behind another workshop
35:26
that is changing brake pads
35:28
and making occasionally a fast car
35:30
for the Nürburgring
35:35
not if you want to pony-esque for a unicorn
35:38
well actually, essentially also that
35:42
if you want to go to the moon
35:44
shoot for the stars or something like that
35:46
that's what we're doing
35:48
and over the years more importantly
35:54
very inspirational stories
35:56
that also started from
35:58
either absolutely nothing
36:00
or have been also gone broke
36:02
and now are leading car manufacturers
36:04
of the world for example
36:06
a bit like Matteo Remac for example
36:07
exactly, he's a good inspiration
36:12
sort of a friend of mine
36:13
I spent every Christmas with him together
36:15
so there's a lot of things we do together
36:17
we're very close and I know
36:19
he's been also through the same things
36:23
like literally back in
36:28
electricity was switched off
36:30
like two or three times a year
36:32
like the company had no electricity
36:33
because he chose to pay the salary
36:35
so the people, not electricity
36:37
you know, there were things like that
36:39
he had to sell his own cars and his own assets
36:41
to make the company running and now he is
36:43
quite okay I would say
36:45
he still has other problems of course
36:47
that are very luxury to have
36:50
but you know, sometimes I would
36:51
go to him with advice and say like
36:53
dude, we have this issue with
36:54
product or supply or this
36:59
be ready, this is nothing
37:01
like it's gonna get worse
37:02
that quote you said there is one of my favorites
37:05
in starting Road to Success
37:07
which is if you wanna go to the moonshoot for the stars
37:11
that quote to what you're doing in Vulcan Alpha
37:13
and I wanna try and make this visual
37:15
for people because they can start to build
37:17
a picture in their heads because I always think of the audience
37:19
you guys listening as kind of
37:21
a core audience that know absolutely
37:23
everything but the vast majority
37:25
will be the casual audience
37:27
of dip in and dip out and when I think you're saying
37:29
things like workshop versus
37:31
the work that we're doing at Vulcan Alpha
37:33
I think that people might just mould that into
37:34
the workshop part of
37:37
this building was you allowing
37:39
people to come to the Nurburgring
37:41
and basically use the facility to work on their cars
37:46
was actually making the parts to go
37:49
on cars. Yeah no I mean
37:51
it goes hand in hand, I mean there's a lot of things we're doing
37:53
like I said in essence we're engineering
37:55
company with focus on
37:57
aerodynamic enhancements so it's
38:00
manufacturing or designing
38:01
and also well partially
38:05
wings, splitters, canards
38:07
flat floors you name it, bespoke
38:10
more bolt on direct plug and play
38:13
kits so we have kits for BMWs
38:15
for G-series, for F-series
38:17
for 9 and 2 GT3 for Porsche
38:19
that consists out of wingsplitter and suspension
38:23
but we also doing completely
38:25
bespoke things so for example
38:27
someone has built I don't know
38:29
2000 horsepower twin
38:31
turbo Huracan we had actually a client like that
38:33
and he said I'm doing drag racing
38:34
I need a wing that has more stability
38:37
at acceleration but it can go open
38:39
on the fastest rates
38:41
can you make me DRS wings but DRS wing
38:43
that is really specific for drag racing
38:45
application that is actually opening up
38:47
more than the traditional DRS wing, we can do
38:49
that. We can tailor
38:51
tailor made like really to a car
38:53
with all the CFD analysis etc
38:55
How would you do that without a wind tunnel?
38:58
Nowadays I can tell you that
39:01
a very good and a very
39:08
can get you already
39:10
results close to 95%
39:15
The last 5% are intended
39:17
for two Formula 1 teams
39:19
that need to get that one millisecond
39:23
or manufacturers that need to get
39:25
one gram of CO2 reduction
39:29
for people like us a majority of people
39:34
and I'm going to say that majority
39:38
aerodynamic enhancement mods
39:41
you do not see any wind tunnel data
39:43
from them either even like car manufacturers
39:46
quite often do not show the data
39:48
do they have access to it? Yes
39:50
but sometimes like the gains are even so
39:52
little that it's not even worth bragging
39:55
but going back to the fact that 95%
39:57
is already accurate enough to do design
39:59
and if you know what you're doing
40:01
the rest is up to the
40:03
final tuning on the track
40:05
and luckily we have a track in our backyard
40:07
where we can do all the testing
40:09
that we need to do to see if stuff works.
40:11
Well everybody on this estate
40:13
has a track in their backyard
40:14
because there are so many people as we said here
40:17
and I've got to bring up the people that are
40:19
actually directly next to you
40:20
which is Mantai, there's literally a Mantai 992
40:24
I'm really lucky that I've got a 991.2
40:27
GT3 RS with a Mantai kit on it
40:29
and I kind of understand that
40:31
because when I look at the Mantai kit
40:33
I think okay I can see the bigger end plates
40:35
I can see the bigger wing, I can see the canards
40:37
I can see how that's different
40:38
I know how the suspension is different, I get it
40:40
I get the kit, it's very visual
40:41
and it's just like a bolt on one thing
40:43
Is what you guys are doing
40:46
closer to that or is it closer to like
40:48
almost custom development of cars
40:50
and in your kind of long term future
40:53
do you think you'll be a very different thing
40:59
what Mantai have achieved
41:01
is absolutely mind blowing
41:03
to go towards that direction
41:07
definitely a dream and a goal
41:09
to a certain extent
41:12
because what they're doing
41:13
they're doing more than just like kits alone
41:15
they're doing racing, they have their own subdivisions
41:17
for racing, customer racing
41:19
now they launch the brand that does
41:21
like actual racing equipment
41:23
with all the sensors and pit equipment
41:29
I mean in the future
41:30
we are definitely going to expand and be offering more
41:33
because right now also we
41:34
making things like carbon cup holders
41:38
and also aero kits etc
41:43
what we are doing now
41:46
opposite of what Mantai is doing
41:54
that you know that you mentioned
41:56
they are really bounded by the street regulations
42:01
they're optimizing the maximum
42:03
what you can have within the street regulations
42:12
so what we also need to say
42:14
is because Mantai is 51% owned by Porsche
42:19
still not too crazy
42:21
for various reasons
42:23
because if it gets too crazy
42:24
you're going to cannibalize
42:26
your customers from racing
42:28
so it needs to still be
42:30
streetable to a certain extent
42:32
and needs to be also within the rules
42:33
now this is something that we tried actually from the start
42:35
when we started the company our very first wing products
42:41
so for the German market and European market
42:43
with all the tvv certification
42:45
that it would be street legal
42:47
for the German market
42:50
the blessing and the curse that I have
42:53
I have a big reach all over the world
42:55
so that reach came to Hogan Alpha
42:59
from Asia from Emirates
43:01
would be asking why is your wing so small
43:03
can you make something bigger
43:05
well yeah we can make you something custom sure
43:07
and then to the next guy something custom
43:10
then we realized that makes for us more sense
43:12
actually you know what to step out of this
43:17
and make something that would
43:18
really work much much better
43:23
more out of the box
43:25
thinking so more aggressive
43:27
splitters more aggressive wings that would go
43:29
out of the silhouette
43:30
for the German street legality because
43:32
well you can tell me
43:36
a car need to have in UK to be street legal
43:39
number plates to be honest
43:41
and I think the one that's baffled me the most
43:44
would be the listeners from America
43:45
right now is every time
43:49
and like go down the main
43:53
the first thing that I notice is
43:57
with the front bumper hanging off
44:00
literal bars coming out and I think
44:02
it depends on country to country
44:03
what you're allowed and what you aren't
44:05
yeah so basically in essence
44:07
to kind of cut down
44:09
again to the question whether are we the same
44:12
as Manthai no definitely not
44:14
in this stage because we need
44:16
to offer something else what
44:17
other people already don't
44:19
offer we are also not
44:21
bound by certain regulations we try
44:24
to like cater to the niche
44:26
of people who are car owners car
44:27
enthusiasts who live all over
44:30
the world they either do not have the regulations
44:34
the necessity of having narrow
44:36
splitter or a wing on their car
44:38
they want the maximum performance and that's
44:43
that is going to lead in the future
44:45
I don't know but that's what I was going to ask
44:47
where is it going to lead in the future because this
44:49
goes towards basically making
44:52
custom cars which does lead
44:53
towards you making your own car
44:55
so do you think that what started
44:57
out when we both sat in this van
44:59
two years ago as content creating on the
45:01
Nurburgring this being your home could lead
45:03
to the place that you say
45:05
you get to the moon by shooting for the stars
45:07
to the point that you could have your very own car
45:13
I mean to answer the question
45:15
I mean right now I'm building something for myself
45:20
with the goal of having it
45:23
like I know give you some teasers
45:25
and insiders like it's
45:28
we're planning to have the rolling
45:29
chassis by end or mid of
45:31
2027 and then to have
45:33
it actually running in competitive
45:37
so we are already working
45:39
like four years from now
45:41
that's how long it takes
45:43
yeah because we're drawing everything
45:45
from the scratch basically
45:48
the question is not going to be a road legal car
45:51
it's going to be like a pure racing
45:53
like and built for myself
45:57
of it's not going to be bomb by regulations
45:59
it's just something I want to have for myself
46:01
to show what our company can do
46:02
and I want to have fun on track days
46:04
or somewhere else well it sounds like
46:06
the cars going into the future
46:09
are only going to get more and more
46:10
and more and more and more extreme
46:15
that we've had over the last couple of years
46:16
is also not only finding the
46:19
tents on track but finding the
46:20
tents off track and that's with a bit
46:22
of safety as well because you've now
46:24
got a wonderful son that somehow
46:27
knows how to steer left and right
46:28
who would have thought after
46:30
just four months and
46:33
the pressures of definitely
46:35
starting to make sure that
46:36
you're not finding every single tent
46:39
on every single public session out on the ring
46:41
is that fair to say?
46:42
yeah for sure a lot of things have changed
46:45
if we speak about that
46:46
I mean this year I made a decision to
46:48
actually as I mentioned already here
46:50
to not to take passengers anymore
46:53
with me on the laps
46:56
with their own cars that I do not know
46:58
do not trust cannot be 100% sure
47:00
it was a massive decision for you
47:02
because I mean you took
47:04
me out the first time I came here
47:06
and granted it was only a 200 horsepower
47:08
car but I definitely had enough
47:10
reactions during that drive and I think
47:12
the reaction to most of your viewers
47:14
is like a huge part of it
47:16
seeing how the person reacts
47:18
so was that a big fear when you did
47:20
that versus what the actual results been?
47:24
I mean yes and no I mean for me
47:26
personally it was about
47:30
and I might actually
47:32
buy now which month are we in
47:34
like where like almost December
47:36
November yeah I can
47:38
actually speak about it really
47:46
being afraid that if something happens
47:48
I mean I can buy someone else
47:50
a new car that's legit my quote
47:52
I can build them or buy a new car
47:54
but if they lose their eye or an arm
47:57
the technology is not there today yet
48:00
to replace a limb or
48:05
so that was legit my concern
48:08
but what made it even on top of
48:10
that is that there is also
48:12
mental health concern
48:14
so someone might say
48:18
I have to take the bus for the rest
48:20
of my life please Misha
48:22
well I'm gonna sue you and you need to
48:24
pay me for my public transport for the rest
48:26
of the life or my mental health treatment
48:32
certain point you start thinking like I just need to
48:34
have one guy or a girl
48:36
or whatever that is going to do
48:38
that is going to did you think
48:40
then were you scared by a circumstance
48:42
that had happened kind of make you think
48:46
no it was like a certain
48:48
thing so basically to wrap
48:50
it all up what I'm doing
48:51
like with all my content
48:53
I'm driving most of it on public session
48:56
during public session
49:00
special media license from the Nürburgring
49:02
that allows me to do these things
49:04
but I'm not operating
49:05
as a business an official business
49:08
compared to for example ring taxi
49:10
where they have a license
49:11
to take people out on track
49:14
and because they're a business they also
49:16
have terms and conditions where
49:18
customers come and sign and they're not liable
49:20
for like if something happens
49:22
your own fault like etc etc
49:25
during public sessions
49:30
legal team look into all the certain
49:31
things I can have them sign that I'm not liable
49:34
for their car but if they sign
49:36
in this there needs to be a clausio that says
49:38
I'm still responsible for their physical and mental health
49:40
I'm like you know what
49:44
but have the videos
49:46
that you've put out of just you
49:47
still been performing if not
49:50
better than you anticipated
49:55
before going into that
49:58
people out I'm doing
49:59
taxi laps on track days because their people come
50:02
and sign and there I'm driving
50:04
the car that I know that I have built
50:06
I know it's 100% sure and it's okay and etc etc
50:08
because some of the
50:10
greatest videos I've done is that like some
50:12
super random thing happens on the car
50:14
that not owned by me and I'm like what the hell is this
50:16
oh yeah it's occasional he does that
50:18
the brakes do like up by themselves
50:21
you can't put it into sex
50:23
get back into fifth
50:25
things like that you know it's like
50:27
the most insane things I have experienced
50:30
probably on track so
50:31
I do not take people out in their own cars
50:33
on public sessions on track days
50:36
I still might do it because there is a liability
50:38
waiver and I definitely take people out
50:40
on taxi laps on track days
50:42
and I definitely take out my family
50:44
members and very close friends from
50:46
childhood and my own employees I would still
50:48
drive on public sessions in my own car
50:50
so the laps are still
50:52
going to be there with passengers while we're in that
50:54
now to answer your question whether
50:56
I was scared back at the time
50:57
100% like I mean I was thinking
51:00
hmm yeah you know who knows what's gonna happen
51:03
and more importantly
51:05
my business partners people close to
51:08
me said Misha this is suicide
51:10
in terms of your channel
51:12
this is the only reason why people
51:14
watch it and it's going
51:16
to be like done I'm like you know what
51:18
well then I'll have to step it up I'll need
51:20
to like be more entertaining myself
51:24
have to make it work
51:26
now long story short is ever since
51:28
I've done this I had
51:32
by now probably four
51:34
consecutive best months
51:38
my peak which was like in
51:39
2023 probably or something
51:42
and the reason for that
51:44
is because I am actually talking pretty much
51:46
either the whole of the lap or I'm more engaging
51:48
with the audience on camera I'm talking what is
51:50
happening right now because in the past I would be
51:51
like focused on this he okay
51:54
or she okay person next to me
51:56
they're gonna be sick are they gonna be sick
51:57
are they scared you've run anybody sick
52:00
in the car yeah yeah
52:05
what I'm doing to their car I'm always thinking
52:08
like that and I'm also like
52:09
kind of do not want to offend them with
52:11
one certain thing or the other whereas now
52:13
I do not have anyone next to me I do not
52:15
be like afraid of what they think
52:17
and I'm actually talking to the camera and
52:19
long story short the retention
52:22
value is so much more higher now
52:24
on YouTube because people actually
52:25
stay and watch what I have to say
52:28
about the car and they
52:29
actually genuine they're caring about the car and
52:32
at the end of the day
52:39
on many different ways and growth
52:41
and is the variety of content
52:43
and with the variety of content comes also the
52:45
variety of audience because people might
52:47
watch me because they're looking
52:49
to buy a certain car and they simply
52:51
end up looking for it and they end up
52:53
seeing it on an evergreen hold on a second
52:55
why is there like an old Peugeot
52:56
like 105 or whatever super random
52:59
car on an evergreen let's watch this
53:00
or like let's watch a performance car
53:02
and see how it performs etc etc
53:04
some people watch really
53:06
about the content for
53:08
about the car about technicalities how to set up
53:10
the car they just want to
53:12
watch me they want to watch what's
53:14
how is the nevergreen doing you just took a
53:16
limo round right yeah exactly
53:18
and some people indeed watch just
53:20
for passenger reactions so
53:22
if you take out one equation
53:24
out of the 10 you just need
53:26
to replace it by something else
53:28
or be better on all the other fronts
53:29
and that's what I've been doing and
53:32
has been doing great so what
53:34
have been a couple of the scarier
53:36
moments this year on track
53:39
I know you heard one with the golf
53:40
was that this year yeah the
53:42
golf was a scary bit when it just
53:46
yeah fly for 30 meters and take
53:48
off basically yeah because that
53:50
wasn't that some weird air
53:52
effect that's very very rare
53:54
that only happens the car yeah
53:56
yeah and the car was
53:58
too fast for its chassis
54:01
it was quite fast and then when it went over
54:06
the back completely because the air was
54:08
getting under the bumper it lifted the
54:10
bumper up and the car flew for like about
54:12
30 meters forward and then when it landed
54:14
it bounced and bounced
54:16
into the barrier basically so
54:18
that one's probably in first place
54:20
yeah no for sure this
54:22
this is in the first place I mean
54:24
other than that you had
54:26
like a random close calls where
54:30
and you see there's a coolant spill like in front
54:32
of you there's a trail because the other
54:33
advantage of being here for over
54:36
10,000 laps you see
54:37
every micro difference
54:40
you see every new piece of
54:41
graffiti a random mushroom
54:44
growing literally next
54:46
to the track these kind of things
54:48
and you see like some trails of
54:51
that is not there before so
54:54
lots of mess crashes
54:55
avoided or single crashes
54:57
avoided because someone either moved
54:59
in the front of me or whatever
55:01
what freaks you out
55:05
other drivers or the stuff
55:07
of other people's cars like coolant
55:11
no I think both I think both at the end
55:13
of the day you always need to be
55:15
just like on public roads
55:17
I think someone quoted it once
55:20
to survive on public roads
55:21
you need to assume that everyone else is an idiot
55:25
be prepared for the most unexpected
55:27
thing for someone else to do
55:29
and I mean I always drive
55:30
with my left foot above the brake pedal
55:32
so in case something happens I have instant
55:35
reaction of actually like really go immediately
55:41
like every time I'm approaching the car
55:42
I'm looking for an escape route that could be
55:44
either be prepared to go immediately on the brakes
55:46
or be prepared to go
55:48
on the grass or on the curb
55:51
the person might go already on the ideal line
55:54
to the left on a track limit
55:56
and I might not be able to go to the left
55:58
then I will probably avoid certain overtake
56:00
I will slow down extra considerably
56:02
because I need to have
56:04
XYZ like a backup plan
56:07
so you start thinking about those things
56:09
do you ever get anybody that is
56:11
deliberately annoying to you
56:13
and this is probably going back to the band
56:17
sat in this band last time
56:19
which was the petition to have you
56:21
banned from the Nervigring this year
56:25
the last podcast we did
56:27
that the level of support for that not
56:29
to happen was so unbelievable
56:31
that it pretty much squashes the opinion
56:33
of anybody that considered that in the first place
56:36
do you ever get those people
56:39
that are deliberately irritating out on track 2
56:41
because they know it's you all deliberately trying to stay in front
56:47
no I don't think so because people don't really know
56:49
that it's me because I
56:51
this year I was in something different
56:53
no indeed I'm always in something different
56:57
probably different like next year
56:59
maybe like you know
57:01
you do see occasionally okay when I pass
57:03
someone and we exchange
57:07
and they see that as me then they might
57:09
try to keep up a bit more than
57:11
they were doing before
57:13
but I wouldn't say anyone would be
57:15
deliberately blocking me on track
57:19
definitely not we spoke about
57:21
the guys that you did the NLS
57:23
race with and a lot of them
57:25
have come from sim racing me etc
57:27
and then you had them
57:28
I was from the 24 hours race
57:31
you've been out quite a lot this year with Ben Collins
57:33
on track someone else that's frequented
57:35
this van before do you ever see
57:37
you and him doing a race around here
57:39
at some point I have nothing against it
57:43
is it the goal that we're working towards
57:47
to come opportunity that someone decides
57:49
to put us in the car together I wouldn't
57:53
I'm all up for new experiences in life I mean
57:55
the fact we actually done a sim
57:59
what would the sim racing expo
58:01
almost a month ago by now where we
58:03
actually race against each other so we have
58:04
quite a good chemistry what people have been
58:06
also seeing in the comments on the content
58:08
that we've been putting out so
58:10
like I said I wouldn't be against it
58:13
I watched the video where you were both
58:16
in was it your lucid I think it was the electric car
58:19
and earlier on today
58:22
super duper Taycan turbo GT
58:26
with even more than month a racing it could
58:28
have been a GT RS Taycan
58:30
or something like an even more extreme one
58:32
getting loaded off the back of a lorry just
58:34
up there have you found
58:38
or even come close to finding an electric
58:40
experience on the Nürburgring
58:42
that rivals the excitement of anything with an engine
58:46
I mean the answer is
58:48
literally right there
58:49
for people who are listening they should look on
58:56
you can see my Civic Park there it's pointing at
58:58
Honda yes at the Honda Civic
59:00
we're gonna need some clarification
59:02
we need some clarification so
59:04
I do believe everything
59:08
place and time and the purpose
59:11
electric cars can be also definitely fast on
59:14
track and they can be also exciting to a
59:16
certain extent if you can hear the noise
59:18
of the electric motors and the gears
59:22
but for me after having driven
59:24
like literally three or four thousand
59:26
cars by now over the last
59:32
is an old 90s Honda Civic
59:33
that revs up very high
59:35
it's maybe not the fastest it's up to the
59:38
driver to make it fast and emotional
59:46
electric actually I have
59:48
two dailies one is M5 touring
59:50
and which is a hybrid
59:51
it's also very quiet and also can
59:53
drive full electric and the other one is Lucid
59:57
electric car and before that I had
00:00
Polestar which was also electric
00:04
electric in a daily environment
00:06
because I wanted to be quiet I need to
00:11
work over hours and thinking about project
00:14
and problem solutions or to listen to the
00:16
music or be able to be on the
00:18
phone by calling people in business
00:20
contacts to conduct meetings and not have
00:24
there but this is something I do miss on the track
00:25
and I believe everyone
00:28
in the world is actually wanting that extra
00:30
piece of emotion because my favorite
00:32
ever video you've done and I doubt
00:34
it will be beaten for a very long
00:37
K20 that you took out
00:39
on the ring because it was it was a black
00:42
K20 the EK probably
00:46
chasing M2 and overtaking it at the end
00:47
best video ever and it's just watching
00:50
your feet on the three pedals as it was
00:52
like I think the sun was coming down
00:53
and it was just the excitement of
00:56
every kind of minute you were thinking
00:57
I'm enjoying this even more than I thought
00:59
I was the previous minute the previous minute
01:01
so I can see why you've chosen
01:04
one as a project car so what exactly
01:05
are you going to be doing to that and when is it going to be ready
01:09
it got very out of hand because
01:14
because I love Civics
01:19
you would want from a proper track car
01:21
this means they're lightweight
01:23
they have quite a good suspension
01:25
technology double wishbone on the front
01:26
they have multi-link on the rear so with a bit of tweaks
01:29
you can make it very nice compliant
01:32
very low you can get them very
01:35
easily sub 1000 sub 900 kilos
01:37
the engines are very ref happy
01:38
when you have a K swap K20 K24
01:41
you can go 9000 plus RPM
01:45
you can put sequential of course
01:46
something to top you doing as well
01:51
they embody everything
01:54
you finish the lap and you've done a good lap
01:56
it's really also a lot to the driver
02:00
you need to really work you have no traction control
02:04
no power steering in this case as well
02:07
everything is really up to the driver
02:10
going stupid speeds you do not have
02:13
500 or 700 horsepower
02:19
it's really the whole package
02:22
and still relatable and affordable
02:25
but I'm going to take it to a bit
02:28
beyond affordability
02:34
what's going to happen now
02:37
the car will be full carbon fiber
02:39
with exception of course
02:43
but the roof carbon the back pillars
02:44
every body component will be carbon
02:49
also lots of arrow mods on the car
02:52
the engine is being built right now
02:56
fully built with every
02:58
single component change
03:00
not only just pistons and a crank with also dry sump
03:02
the head will be ported
03:04
it will run ITBs, standalone ECU
03:08
there are already plans
03:10
to run a sequential transmission
03:11
but I have just spent a lot of money
03:13
on an age pattern and I love an age pattern
03:15
gearbox so I want to run at least
03:18
half a year with that
03:19
to really work it properly like a man
03:24
lots of light weight, lots of weight reduction
03:26
lots of crazy technology including
03:27
even active suspension
03:32
it brings me to ask would you ever build a car
03:35
just for your channel
03:37
because you know it's what the algorithm would want
03:39
or are you only still
03:41
building cars because it's what you want
03:48
I mean this one goes hand in hand
03:50
because this is definitely what I want
03:52
because this is what I genuinely like
03:54
this is luckily also something that
03:58
slash audience wants because all the civic videos
04:03
they go mental and this is because
04:05
again this embodies
04:06
indeed what a perfect track car needs to be
04:09
loud, fast, engaging
04:11
exciting and somewhat
04:15
going back to the racing
04:17
I mean we are racing top of the line
04:20
at some point we might be doing GT3
04:24
hopefully enough we'll see but
04:26
we are already on the top of the food chain
04:36
special for many people it's their dream
04:38
to just being able to drive on
04:40
under a crane let alone to
04:44
but in content perspective it's
04:46
actually nobody cares
04:50
or like in relatability to the other content
04:52
because it's not relatable
04:54
and this goes to not just us
04:56
it goes to everyone the best thing to
04:58
ever happen to Formula 1 is
05:00
drive to survive series and it's
05:02
not about racing it's about the drama
05:06
and this is what we also need to do
05:08
we need to a bit of dramatize and tell the story
05:10
what is interesting you say that because it brings
05:12
me on nicely to talk about Franz Herman
05:16
it is important for the Nürburgring
05:18
and important for the 2025
05:21
Nürburgring roundup
05:22
I feel we cannot talk
05:24
about the stuff that's happened this year
05:26
without kicking it off with
05:28
when Franz showed up
05:29
and the internet lost its mind
05:31
the fact that he put a different name
05:33
on the car to just try and go under the radar
05:36
a bit and I think it had the
05:37
complete opposite effect I think it had gone
05:40
if it had just said Max then it would have
05:43
that however you've been fortunate enough
05:46
to actually share some experiences on the track
05:48
this year with Max as well
05:49
I've seen some moments of Jimmy reacting
05:51
when he's been out there as well
05:54
a quote that you put
05:56
in one of your Instagram posts when talking about
05:59
Verstappen's GZ3 debut
06:01
which is let's take a look at the bigger picture
06:03
this is huge for the
06:05
Nürburgring racing and the region in general
06:07
this will have the same effect
06:09
increasing popularity as
06:11
what Sabine Schmitz did
06:12
with a top gear transit lap
06:14
on the Nürburgring all those years ago
06:17
do you really think that in
06:19
2026 because of the stuff that's
06:21
happened with Max here this year that this place
06:23
is just going to be crazy
06:26
one billion percent
06:31
the data that I know now because
06:33
I'm very well connected in the region either having
06:35
my own businesses or hearing what other people
06:37
are saying you can already see
06:40
first of all like the live streams
06:43
like you know that were when Max
06:47
I think the increase
06:51
30 times more audience
06:54
and that was not even
06:56
like publicized a lot in advance
06:58
it was just like yeah people knew it was going to come
07:01
and raise and kind of that's
07:02
kind of it but if he would
07:04
go compete really and people would be
07:06
actually actively following it because
07:08
every time he would come to the Nürburgring
07:10
the amount of people watching
07:14
online would be increasing because
07:16
more people were aware of the fact that he is coming
07:19
and more of these people
07:20
were all of a sudden aware that
07:22
a place like Nürburgring exists that it still
07:24
exists that you can watch Max
07:26
stop and drive you need to come there
07:28
book a hotel to watch him and guess what
07:30
after that after he has raised
07:32
you can go and drive yourself
07:34
with your own car during public session
07:38
this is happening already now this
07:40
has happened this year this is happening
07:42
for next year because the amount of bookings
07:44
from rental car companies from hotels
07:46
from the race teams that
07:51
NLS or like 24 hour
07:56
compared to previously because people all
07:58
sudden know that there is such a place available
08:00
and possible and guess what they might be able
08:02
to see Max first happen is it a good
08:04
thing for the Nürburgring because
08:06
we know that from our previous discussions
08:08
how busy the ring has got over the
08:10
years just from your influence on it for
08:12
example we will talk about some millions
08:14
and millions of years
08:16
and then to say that when the stop and comes
08:18
it can have that increase of say 30
08:20
fold is absolutely insane
08:23
but can the ring actually cope
08:24
with that in terms of people
08:27
on track getting time
08:28
well I mean yes and no I mean
08:34
have when it comes to
08:36
having too many people is then
08:38
during the public session because
08:40
that is not regulated by the amounts
08:42
of people that you can have on track
08:45
because on a busy like
08:48
numbers because you have a counter
08:50
at the track that shows how many cars there are on track at the same time
08:54
as 500 plus cars at the same time
08:58
you divide 21 kilometer
09:00
or 21,000 meters by
09:02
500 you still have a couple
09:04
of hundred meters between every car
09:06
so it's technically maybe
09:08
not that bad. The world's biggest
09:10
DRS train. Yeah but not
09:12
everyone is running the same pace of course
09:14
so you are having lots of traffic
09:16
and traffic jam and etc etc
09:19
but when you have sanctioned
09:20
events like track days
09:24
maximum 140 registrations
09:27
so at the same time on
09:28
track you might have 20-30
09:30
cars and you have one car
09:32
each kilometer and then you still need to
09:34
catch up with them with the difference of pace
09:39
I would say the problem
09:40
you might have is that the public session gets too crowded
09:43
what about the pros
09:44
what is from that quote
09:46
what is it going to bring?
09:48
What's it going to bring? It's going to bring the popularity
09:51
it's going to bring
09:52
by popularity this means
09:58
other businesses here
10:00
around the track hotels
10:02
workshops any kind of
10:09
who have a dream to do something at the Nürburgring
10:12
because two years ago
10:14
I was working for other people mostly
10:16
now I'm starting my own company
10:17
and many of other companies in the last 5 years
10:22
10 years are actually brand new
10:23
from someone who had a dream
10:26
and decided to come here to the Nürburgring
10:28
ended up cleaning toilets for the first year
10:30
and then started his own guest house
10:32
and then his first rental car
10:34
which was an old rusty E36
10:36
and now has a fleet of 10 cars
10:39
so if this is something that will allow
10:41
people to realize their dreams
10:48
are heavily either invested
10:50
on a business level into this
10:51
region to the Nürburgring
10:53
because they have a business running here
10:57
a lot of people are simply invested from a
10:59
passion level because they're simply car owners
11:01
they love to come here and drive the track and etc
11:03
just like Max really
11:05
even though he's so competitive
11:06
he wouldn't be here without the passion
11:11
and we need to protect this place
11:14
because it might also
11:15
vanish and disappear one day because
11:17
it's maybe either not profitable enough
11:23
is going to notice if someone deliberately
11:25
will shut this down
11:26
speaking about political parties
11:32
the extreme left, extreme right
11:34
all the extremes who just want to have
11:36
populist opinion and shut this place down
11:38
because you see we've done something
11:40
great for whichever reason
11:44
but if the tradeoff
11:46
to shut this place down
11:48
is much higher than the actual
11:50
gain then it's going to be more difficult
11:52
so yeah the popularization of this place
11:57
and car scene in general
12:01
much better definitely
12:05
the dreams of drivers
12:06
like you know potential drivers who are now
12:09
who do not have the huge budget
12:14
but they can see that
12:16
just by being a sim racer
12:18
you can progress into pro driving
12:22
and they can make the dream come true
12:26
I think it's a great thing when something
12:33
can capitalize on that great
12:35
if the track can capitalize on that even
12:38
now whether they can actually do it because the government
12:41
might be restricting them from
12:42
making an extra entrance
12:45
or expanding the roundabout
12:46
that's a different story
12:49
and this can actually lead us
12:50
into the next point
12:51
is that this year we had also
12:53
quite a big increase of
12:59
someone bind it the other day
13:01
not only the other day
13:05
I might as well say it
13:07
we had actually a lethal accident
13:10
this year actually a number of lethal accidents
13:14
one of them was actually
13:17
so it's not that someone was driving
13:19
like a maniac, there was like an unfortunate overtake
13:22
and there was a head on collision
13:24
which could still be avoided
13:25
like every other thing
13:28
but one of them was actually
13:31
speeding and going too fast
13:34
and actually killing someone in the process
13:36
so things like that happen
13:40
deliberately gather
13:42
at the boulevard, do burnouts, do street races
13:44
there have been like really crazy and stupid things here
13:48
but this is the result of
13:50
yes, the popularity
13:54
the bigger place gets
13:56
the bigger percentage or like the percentage
14:00
I do not want to say any kind of bad words
14:04
but if percentage of bad behavior
14:10
over a thousand people
14:12
you're going to have maybe just one or two persons
14:14
but if all of a sudden
14:16
you have a million people
14:17
it's going to be a couple of them more
14:19
you're going to notice that
14:21
and that's the same what is happening now
14:23
and the same goes also back
14:25
to the crashes on the Nurburgring
14:27
it's not that everyone crashes here all the time
14:29
because they like to crash or because
14:30
of course it's a more demanding place
14:32
but you have here non-stop 500 cars
14:36
so even just 1% of crashes
14:38
is here going to be more noticeable
14:40
than any other track on the world
14:41
could you talk us through
14:44
if it's going to get that popular
14:45
back to why a minute which was because
14:48
of what Max has brought to it
14:51
can you give some context to Max's journey
14:54
at the ring in 2025
14:56
because at the beginning of the year
14:58
although he'd driven on track
15:00
I believe he'd done only three laps
15:01
is that right before the proper laps
15:04
before actually getting in that car
15:05
and sang an unbelievable pace
15:07
it's been too many laps ago
15:09
for me to remember exactly the amount of laps
15:11
he's done but it was something between
15:14
and he unofficially has set the lap record
15:18
actually with his Ferrari GT3
15:23
he never made it the secret
15:25
of saying that he wants to race here eventually
15:27
and to be able to race here
15:29
unlike most of the tracks next to your racing license
15:32
you need to have a Nordschleife permit
15:33
it's something that they have introduced
15:38
it's a course you need to do
15:41
then you start with you need to drive
15:44
I think now as of today
15:47
the regulations are to do
15:49
18 laps with a slow car
15:52
and then finish top like
15:53
30% of the first race
15:55
you need to finish I think top 60% of your class
15:57
and then top 40 or 30
15:59
every year they change the regulations but
16:02
so you need to start with a slow car
16:05
and so he had to do it
16:06
the first time he came here
16:08
he had to drive with a slow Cayman
16:10
I remember this and this was between the F1 weekends
16:12
wasn't it because it was almost laughable
16:14
that he was finishing the Formula 1 weekend
16:17
and then coming straight here
16:18
then having to race a Cayman
16:21
but he didn't mental in that
16:23
right he didn't like win
16:24
but for the power of the car
16:26
compared to other stuff he did finish up there
16:28
yeah he did finish there
16:31
I don't even remember if he won
16:33
but yeah he did set
16:35
the fastest time there
16:36
or the fastest time it was very good
16:39
and regardless of the result
16:41
the coolest thing what I find about it
16:43
is that he didn't make a big deal
16:45
out of it saying like do you know who I am
16:47
who I don't need to drive a slow car
16:50
openly said I think rules are rules
16:53
and everyone needs to do it
16:54
and it is important that he does that
16:59
he gets to experience
17:01
the speed differences
17:03
between a slow Cayman
17:04
or a slow Dacia and a GT3 car
17:06
when he is being overtaken
17:07
so when he is driving GT3 car next time
17:10
he will know that the car ahead of him
17:13
probably is not seeing him
17:14
because simply when he looked in the mirror
17:17
and then he went for the corner
17:19
and then the car was there
17:20
so that just shows him like hey
17:23
this is how it feels to be
17:25
in a slower traffic basically
17:26
when you are going to be the faster one
17:29
that is just like my opinion
17:30
but I think that is important
17:32
but it is cool that he said rules are rules and I need to do it
17:34
and the racing he then went to do in GT3
17:39
that he did his first laps in
17:40
which was the Ferrari 296 GT3
17:43
but we were talking
17:46
that is basically the closest thing
17:48
Ferrari has done to a car
17:50
that could be as iconic as the GT3 RS
17:52
around the Nürburgring in future years
17:54
to come like it is a very good Ferrari
17:56
It is amazing and funny enough
17:59
we are getting sidetracked here maybe in a bit
18:03
surprisingly I have driven this car this year
18:05
and I fell in love with it that I am now
18:07
actually actively looking at
18:10
for a reason that the amount that the car is delivering
18:14
for the price that people
18:18
maybe I should not say it because now the value is going to go up again
18:22
the value of 296, 7
18:24
I absolutely dropped
18:25
and I do not know whether it is because it is a hybrid
18:28
and people want to have naturally aspirated
18:32
or just a turbocharged 488
18:38
compared for what they were going for
18:39
a year ago or so or two years ago
18:41
you have absolutely dropped and you get quite a lot of car
18:44
for the value that they are asking for it
18:46
so it is a fantastic car
18:49
and in GT3 spec it is pretty phenomenal too
18:51
because that is what you choose to race
18:54
we have to understand here
18:56
that GT3 cars have nothing to do
19:00
it is essentially just the body work
19:05
in terms of headlights
19:07
and the ABC pillars of the roof line
19:10
are the same but all the body components
19:13
the engine is completely different
19:15
for example when you speak of GT3 car
19:17
aside from the aero facts and the brakes and suspensions
19:22
the GT3 car of Ferrari does not even have
19:24
a hybrid system because it is not allowed
19:26
you are not allowed to have a hybrid system
19:28
in the GT3 class so it is running just
19:32
for example in the AMG
19:36
when you have something very loud
19:38
just start it outside it sounds like
19:41
no I am going to say it is a high revving
19:52
was being set up on the
19:54
4 post rig or 7 post rig
19:56
of Bilstein across the street today
19:58
so I think it is the Capricorn car
20:00
which is essentially a very tuned
20:05
or something derived from that
20:14
go back to Max and his GT3 car
20:16
no I wanted to say about the AMG
20:18
the AMG version of the GT3
20:21
you have the AMG GTR
20:23
that you had yourself
20:24
it has a V8 twin turbo
20:28
AMG GT3 that has the appearance
20:31
of that one is using still the
20:33
6.2 naturally aspirated V8
20:35
from the previous SLS generation
20:37
because NA engines are
20:41
more manageable on the track
20:46
faster responsiveness
20:50
but like heat management less complexity
20:57
just need to have much more displacement
21:00
to compensate for the lack of force induction
21:05
but yeah most of the cars have completed
21:08
so yeah to summarize
21:10
the GT3 in Max drove
21:11
is a bespoke race car to compete
21:14
up to the regulations with the GT3s
21:16
but the way he drove it
21:17
oh yeah no of course this wasn't saying
21:24
to set the lap record
21:27
because in qualifying
21:28
when the track was fully empty
21:33
so it was wet and damp
21:35
and after that when the track dried up
21:37
there were some yellow flags
21:39
and code 60s so you could not set
21:41
the faster time than it was
21:45
for the actual lap record of the track
21:47
later of course he was
21:49
extremely fast and faster than anyone else
21:51
out there and it was actually quite interesting to see
21:53
definitely because it's not just him
21:55
like you guys doing your team
21:56
for the NLS race it was him and another driver
21:59
and that other driver had come from SimRacing as well
22:01
exactly it was Christopher Lalem
22:07
in SimRacing and then was noticed
22:09
by Max Verstappen because
22:10
he was racing together with him in the four team red line
22:13
their official SimRacing team
22:16
put him actually I think
22:20
VerstappenRacing.com
22:25
SRO championship I think
22:27
so the guy is quick
22:28
the guy is very quick I think this year
22:30
he actually won the championship
22:34
sprint or endurance series
22:35
I'm not at up to date I was up to date
22:38
when I was like focusing on that particular content
22:40
but I know he's highly successful
22:46
I saw someone talking about it that
22:48
previously won that race
22:50
and was saying that he just was like
22:52
this guy is in a different league
22:55
talking about natural talent
22:59
it's road to success right natural talent
23:01
is a blend of mixture
23:03
a recipe that can't always
23:05
be replicated for years and years and years
23:07
and if you look at Snooker you have somebody
23:09
like Ronny O'Sullivan come along
23:11
that like barely anybody you get the Mark
23:13
Selby's that are good and others but barely anyone
23:17
Ronny O'Sullivan can do and what he's like
23:19
and in Darts you know Luke Littler
23:21
he's probably going to captivate all of us
23:24
for years to come because he's just
23:26
the way he is he's so good and in
23:27
racing I look at Verstappen
23:32
person that holds that halo
23:34
and do you think that is
23:36
do you think it's as good as what people make
23:38
it out to be online is what I'm saying the gaps
23:40
the performances the deliverables
23:44
it's not a simple yes or no question
23:46
I mean is it that good
23:57
out there of course someone is more talented for
23:59
one way or the other
24:01
but in racing there is
24:03
so much more than talent alone
24:05
and Max like many other
24:08
F1 drivers was fortunate enough
24:11
and also have someone behind him which was
24:14
and still is his father
24:17
even like some stories online
24:23
version of how his father
24:25
have pushed him towards
24:29
by being extremely aggressive
24:31
there are stories out there that
24:33
for example where Max
24:35
didn't perform well in the race
24:37
and then after the race he wouldn't take his helmet
24:39
off for three hours because
24:41
he was crying because his father
24:43
lost his shit basically
24:46
is that a good thing do I want the same
24:51
but was he talented yes
24:53
did he got institutionalized
24:58
he has a simulator on his flying jet
25:02
actually not true but the stories are there
25:08
a drug addict in a way
25:10
of he needs to race
25:11
like him doing an alas between two F1 races
25:16
a joke compared to what he done last year
25:18
when he was racing 24 hours of eye racing
25:22
while racing at the same time F1 race
25:25
he got told off for that
25:26
he got told off but he won both
25:33
and I think that's the problem
25:35
they say in videos you're only as good as your last video
25:39
it's very easy to forget those
25:40
things because suddenly
25:42
comes along in the GT3
25:45
but basically what I'm getting at
25:47
he has so many years
25:51
and the pro drivers and the pro F1 drivers
25:56
because they started when they were 4 years old
26:00
some of them go as crazy as 3.5
26:05
his father was one of them
26:07
you can walk now and get in the car
26:09
and actually Max's sister posted
26:12
maybe a month ago or something
26:15
where her kids that are now
26:16
3 or something are already in the go kart
26:21
his dad or assistant
26:23
or something running behind
26:24
with a leash behind the go kart
26:26
to pull the kill switch if the kid goes too fast
26:29
that's how crazy it is
26:30
but what I'm getting at
26:34
a young person or a kid
26:36
of 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 years old
26:40
come to the racetrack
26:41
and beat other guys
26:44
at that time they already have 14 years
26:50
experience behind them
26:52
where they need to perform
26:53
because there are a lot of steak
26:55
there is a lot of emotional pressure for kids
27:00
fuck sponsorship money
27:00
you do not want to upset your sponsors
27:04
you do not want to upset your parents
27:06
you know you think like
27:07
I do not want to upset my dad
27:08
or even worse he might beat me up
27:11
and they are to that point
27:12
winning for them is more than just like
27:15
p123 it's about that
27:16
and they have this kind of killer instinct
27:18
that they go out there to win
27:21
and they have 14 years behind them
27:26
last week I turned 36
27:29
driving for fun on track
27:31
I started racing more or less professionally
27:35
so I was 29, 30 years old
27:40
so you could say I have 5 years
27:41
of professional racing experience
27:42
I am competing up top there
27:44
but the kid who is like 18 years old
27:46
and comes and kicks my ass
27:48
it's not impressive because he has
27:50
10 years more experience than I have
27:52
at this point in a much more
27:54
stressful environment
27:55
so to summarize all of that
27:58
F1 drivers are definitely a completely different league
28:02
really prepped to do that
28:05
and if they have everything
28:09
by that I mean the budget
28:10
of course to get there because
28:13
like even in go karting
28:14
when you start your first years
28:16
if you want to race professionally
28:18
it's already a quarter of a million euro plus
28:20
well not every parent can afford that
28:24
most of them cannot
28:28
it's a completely different league
28:30
out there and if you happen to like it
28:32
and actually not just doing it
28:34
because you ended up doing it
28:36
you can go completely
28:37
a different mile and
28:40
yeah do extremely great things
28:41
I remember one of the first F1 drivers
28:44
that you ever did a video with
28:46
was Robert Kubica right and I think
28:47
it could be still your most viewed video
28:49
on the channel it is yes
28:53
had F1 drivers, previous F1 drivers
28:56
come out and do videos with you
28:58
at the ring and we've seen people like
28:59
Liam Lawson out on the track before having fun
29:02
and like all these guys love to come here
29:03
and now Max do you see
29:05
a future for like your content
29:07
as it evolves with the businesses alongside it
29:09
that someone like Max you could eventually
29:12
get in one of the videos or another driver
29:14
or do you see that going that way
29:15
with the popularity of the Nürburgring
29:17
and how much they love racing here
29:18
I mean I don't know because over the years
29:20
of course I had like cool
29:23
collabs, guests, opportunities
29:27
could it happen yeah 100%
29:28
do I want it to happen I can straight up
29:31
say for me like doing a lap with Max
29:33
on a passenger seat or whatever even in a
29:35
slow car that would be the one
29:37
thing that I would want to do like in terms
29:40
like I have so much respect for the guy
29:42
and he even in his love
29:44
for the Nürburgring that would be very well
29:46
resonate for my channel
29:50
like simply for the vibes
29:52
honestly I would even do it off camera
29:54
I think one of my favorite
29:56
videos all year and I actually
29:58
first said this to Jay Leno because
30:00
like in the background of our shot
30:04
shot when I did the podcast with Jay Leno
30:06
a couple of months ago was his
30:10
had delivered that was the same
30:12
one that Chris Harris and Max
30:14
went out and did the video on and
30:16
as much as I've tried to get Chris Harris on this
30:18
podcast many times and he's not quite ready
30:20
for it we're going to keep trying
30:22
I'm happy to say that that probably
30:24
was up there with one of the best videos I've
30:26
ever watched that video of him and Max
30:28
in that car I'd love to see
30:30
Max comes to the ring and create something
30:32
of similar ilk because it was
30:34
special and I think
30:36
going back to the fact that
30:41
or his racing experience at the Nürburgring
30:44
has already made it extremely popular
30:46
and will make it even more
30:48
popular and I said it
30:50
also in my video when I've done the analysis
30:53
when Max does a lap
30:58
it's going to be then so popular
31:00
because then people realize
31:02
just to explain what that is
31:03
for the people that don't know about us
31:05
public session Nürburgring
31:06
where you can come when people realize
31:08
like oh I could be out with Max
31:11
I can be out with Max
31:15
there this amount of kilometers
31:17
per hour I'm going to try to beat that
31:19
which is of course already happening
31:21
like you know people try to
31:23
say that they are faster
31:25
or compare them with the world's greatest
31:29
yeah to show that people
31:31
can do something simple like that
31:33
do you think he'll do that
31:34
do you think he'll head out on some public sessions
31:36
if he's spending more time here
31:40
honestly I don't know
31:41
I don't know what his
31:46
obligations and limitations are
31:47
when it comes to F1
31:51
the fact that he has to go and do his day job
31:56
related to that it's an honest concern
31:58
like you know he may or may not
32:00
be allowed to do it and if he is allowed
32:03
he might not want to do it because
32:05
it's also when you get to this level of popularity
32:10
over the street or over the track by yourself
32:12
so he might just go and do a lap
32:16
but do it either at least on a very private
32:19
a track day of his own that he just runs the track
32:22
for himself and does that so
32:24
probability the possibility is there
32:26
probability I don't know I'm just over thinking
32:30
though when we talk about him
32:31
a completely different character
32:33
to most of the other drivers on the grid
32:35
and previous drivers that you kind of know as well
32:37
because can you think back and tell me that
32:39
because I'm a fairly new fan
32:41
formula only like six seven years
32:43
I started properly watching from kind of
32:46
but I can't think of
32:49
many examples of drivers
32:51
that have wanted to do it all in such
32:54
doing a lot. I remember
32:56
when Lewis started going out and driving some cars
32:58
in the desert. Fransmen say cup slopes
33:05
use to describe what he was doing because there's
33:06
a lot more to it than that but
33:08
have you come across drivers that love the
33:12
as much as what Max does?
33:15
No for sure I mean you have
33:16
drivers that are known to drive
33:18
simply everything and anything out there
33:22
different kind of racing levels
33:28
now the first one comes up to my like
33:29
John I think no Certiz
33:32
yeah Certiz in Gurney
33:34
I think Certiz was doing both bikes and
33:39
Valentino Rossi the greatest
33:41
MotoGP is now racing
33:47
so there are people out there or
33:49
you mentioned Robert Kubica
33:51
the reason why he is
33:54
didn't make it this far into F1
33:55
due to his accident that he
33:57
sustained to injury in rally
33:59
because he was enjoying rally
34:01
as much if not more than
34:03
F1 and he wanted to do everything
34:05
at the same time and now he is
34:08
which is also a very
34:11
insane achievement maybe even higher than certain
34:13
F1 races of course because it's 24 hours
34:15
on the top of the level
34:17
would you ever have a go at rallying
34:19
like in the summer I remember bumping into
34:22
at Goodwood Festival of Speed
34:25
it then made me go back
34:26
and watch a load of videos of Colin McCrae
34:29
and it just makes you realise
34:32
some of those moments is that you know
34:34
the barriers are the trees
34:37
like the surface is changing like it is
34:39
on the ring with oil and coolant
34:40
from sand to gravel
34:43
like there is so many different changes
34:45
in that environment was that something that you'd ever do
34:48
I would do that I know I would not be like
34:52
because it's completely different discipline
34:53
also there you need to start
34:55
from the young age so
34:57
I would love to try it
34:59
and I am actually working on something
35:01
to do something similar like the coming year
35:03
I have like an open invite
35:05
to do something that I would like to make it happen
35:09
yes would I dedicate my life
35:12
but with things like this
35:15
which is your wonderful coffee
35:19
and all the other bits that come with it
35:21
the chocolate and building the businesses
35:23
by the way my son chews on this packaging
35:26
and building the businesses
35:28
away from the circuit
35:36
at the next level the next level
35:39
are those ambitions shifting towards this
35:42
they're shifting absolutely because also like
35:44
um like this car here
35:46
this Civic that I bought
35:49
my goal was to build it to race the
35:52
25 hours of nevergreen with this car
35:54
to build it to actually race the N24
36:00
in class of course yes
36:02
but after having had
36:07
N24 races over the last
36:09
two years and also some other races
36:11
I realized I do not want
36:13
to spend a lot of time
36:15
and budget and dedication to
36:19
particular event that might
36:21
go completely tits up because of
36:23
the weather because someone might crash into me
36:25
or I might crash myself
36:27
or who knows what's gonna happen you know
36:29
and then everything is done for nothing
36:31
I really want to enjoy life
36:35
as much fun as I can
36:37
in a responsible manner of course
36:42
yeah so there is no like
36:45
real goal chasing you know
36:51
like to the basics of my
36:53
like I don't know journey or success
36:55
when it comes to youtube channel
36:57
content creation I never started
36:59
it with the goal or even I could not
37:01
imagine that one day I'm going
37:04
100 plus million views a month
37:06
and 5 million followers
37:09
who watch me simply for doing laps
37:11
on the never cream or I don't know like you know
37:13
or being able to turn my passion into a job
37:15
I never thought this was possible
37:17
and therefore sorry for bumping in your mic
37:19
I never thought it was possible in general
37:22
um and neither was my
37:23
goal because I was just doing something
37:25
what I liked and I wanted to share that with people
37:29
interact with people either ask them
37:31
for advice for certain things with cars
37:32
or share the passion for the never cream
37:36
and this is something that I still
37:39
every way shape or form
37:42
whether it is in the laps
37:46
I'm there for the experience I want to
37:49
drive cars I want to
37:52
and if we gonna achieve a certain goal
37:54
then great and sure and the same goes
37:59
a goal to have like
38:02
I don't know 10 million a month
38:06
100 people working for me and being like
38:09
like Monty for example
38:12
by another big car manufacturer
38:14
or being something something I just
38:22
without losing myself
38:24
and the fun in doing
38:26
of the certain thing
38:27
and the same goes also like towards being a family
38:30
man like you know everyone like
38:32
not everyone but majority of comments
38:34
for obvious reasons whenever I post something
38:36
with my son like you know us being
38:38
in the car or him watching me spectate
38:40
from the sidelines people say like oh yeah
38:43
this is the next project for stopping
38:44
something like you know this is the next
38:46
N24 and just to give context
38:48
to that literally two hours ago
38:50
Misha was taking a photo of his son
38:54
that just turned up
38:56
so I think the plan very much
38:58
is that in the back of your head a long way off
39:00
but we'll see a bit about it
39:02
it's not the plan it's just something like you know
39:04
I'm sharing the fun that I
39:07
was not able to have as a kid myself
39:10
if he has access to these experiences
39:12
great am I going to put him in the
39:15
go-karts when he's four years old
39:18
if he says no I don't like it I want
39:22
well let's go to ballet school
39:27
I want him to have all the support
39:28
he can possibly have
39:30
without crying in the helmet for three hours
39:37
again two sides of the story
39:39
if he says that I want to
39:40
I want to race F1 one day
39:43
I'm like okay but it comes with a sacrifice
39:44
and we need to do it so of course there's going to be
39:46
discipline in certain things but
39:48
am I going to have it in me too
39:51
to push him to these extremes
39:55
I think that's actually a really nice way
39:57
because I wanted to at some point in this conversation
39:59
bring up the thing that we started
40:02
our first ever conversation with
40:03
which was your roots and without going
40:06
too deep and off on tangents
40:08
of anything we're sat here
40:09
two years after our original conversation
40:11
talking about your coffee brand
40:14
which people can go and visit
40:16
your coffee shop in Nurburgring Boulevard
40:18
and we're sat inside
40:20
the unit at Vulcan Alpha
40:21
there is literal 3D printers
40:26
tire walls upstairs
40:28
outside there are cars
40:29
that you've been loaned from BMW
40:31
and Lucid because they want to work with you
40:33
there's tens of millions of views
40:35
there's probably been thousands
40:37
if not tens of thousands of views on your platform
40:39
since we just started this podcast
40:45
to hear those stats
40:46
kind of read back to you
40:48
when you think where you were
40:55
on one way that thinking back
41:02
if I were 10 years ago
41:04
like I said before I did not start YouTube
41:06
because I wanted to
41:08
to reach a certain number or earn some
41:10
amount of money or be able to drive a car
41:12
or something as a matter of fact
41:16
as a content creator
41:17
as a business owner or so
41:19
as a business owner last 2 years it's been a bit more
41:24
but when it comes to
41:25
the content creation journey was very very long
41:28
because up until like I would say
41:34
self confident enough of seeing
41:37
this is what I can do because of course
41:39
you read success stories of
41:42
matrimats, Elon Musk you name it
41:43
like you know who came from humble beginnings
41:45
or from nothing or maybe of course
41:47
they had access to have like 30,000 euro
41:49
of the starting fund
41:51
from their daddy and they could make it
41:55
but still you think like okay this is just
41:57
one of success story
41:59
it's not gonna happen today
42:02
today is a different environment
42:03
it's not gonna happen but
42:05
over the years I have been like inspired
42:08
people that I know personally
42:10
not just from hearsay
42:14
and that I've seen coming from nothing
42:16
and build something great and I'm looking at them
42:18
either like thinking fair play to them
42:22
I'm thinking like how the hell could he do that
42:25
not because I think like
42:26
Elon Musk is someone that's like you know
42:28
crazy or something but I know a person
42:34
and I know that they're an absolute mess of a person
42:36
I'm thinking if he can do it then why can I not do it
42:41
that's often the case and I often find it
42:43
in these conversations that
42:44
you don't quite tick right after these people
42:46
behind the scenes in one way or another
42:49
but to sit down and truly
42:51
appreciate that and not only that
42:53
the value that I want to give back to the audience
42:55
in these conversations you know we spend
42:58
I want to make sure that people
43:00
have taken in just one sentence away
43:02
and like sometimes I find
43:04
with these conversations the viewers might agree
43:06
with me is that you can take one
43:08
sentence away for the rest of your life
43:09
like you shoot for the stars but you'll end up
43:12
at the moon like there's something that you
43:13
you'll remember for the rest of time but I really
43:16
do think it's important with the amount
43:18
of people that kind of casually
43:19
consume your content or come in from time
43:22
to time but still appreciate it because
43:23
there is so much going out
43:25
you know I think the biggest audience is probably
43:29
necessarily you've got a huge core audience
43:31
there's a lot of casual at the same time
43:33
I think it's important if they've joined this
43:35
story this journey over the last two years
43:39
when you look at racing most of the
43:41
time there is a background there is some level
43:43
of privilege to how we get into it but your
43:45
story to get to what you've done today
43:47
and the people looking and thinking that amazing
43:49
that really has been off your own back
43:51
from making your own dreams come true
43:53
so I think it's just really cool to kind
43:55
of reflect on that for a minute.
43:57
No for sure and I hope like you know
43:59
again I never thought I would be in this position
44:01
that I could be an inspiration to many others
44:03
but people do come to me
44:05
in person and say like hey
44:07
either great job or you have inspired
44:11
dreams as well and I actually am
44:13
now doing something that I like and etc etc
44:17
and yes I do want to
44:20
like weirdly enough
44:21
underlined that I came here
44:25
with what being broke
44:27
and actually in depth because I had a job
44:29
offer because I needed a job to survive
44:31
and I was you can actually
44:33
go back to those videos
44:35
in my content when I was
44:37
like helping to run a hotel
44:39
and I was cleaning rooms bringing dirty laundry
44:43
toilets essentially like you know
44:46
and here I am today
44:47
like you know having
44:53
outlet because again
44:54
over 100 million views a month
44:56
over a billion views a year
45:00
businesses and etc and it's
45:06
I managed to achieve that in 10 years
45:10
do it again just like my
45:14
of mine who I never thought how
45:16
lucky he can do it everyone can do it
45:18
with the right mindset again
45:20
shoot for the stars and you might end up on the moon
45:22
if you want to go to the moon
45:23
you want a pony ask for a unicorn
45:26
it's harder to survive success than a failure
45:30
is this the happiest you've
45:39
that's a very nice question
45:48
happiest in the essence of
45:50
realizing that I have
45:54
everything in life that I can wish for
45:56
because I have loving wife and son
45:58
who are healthy I'm healthy
46:00
knock knock everyone and everything
46:01
I have a roof above my head
46:04
which was not always the case over the past
46:06
I was not always in a happy
46:08
relationship I was not always
46:11
I was unhappy as a kid I was always
46:13
dreaming to have a family of my own so this
46:15
for me is already like
46:17
I've made it in life
46:20
I never thought I could
46:21
have a truck car let alone
46:23
building a quarter of a million euro
46:30
when I came here to the nerve
46:33
was not doing any laps and then
46:35
I thought okay maybe one day I could do
46:38
a lap maybe one day I could have
46:40
a truck car and now I'm racing in the
46:41
top of the level and we are
46:44
the most watched race team around
46:47
when you combine all our numbers together
46:55
you've taken to achieve
46:58
that is it financial
46:59
or is it putting your life on the
47:01
line out on that track
47:04
well I mean when you put it like that
47:06
and definitely putting my life out on there on track
47:08
but when you're doing that you're just
47:09
having you need to have a certain mindset
47:11
of like either I'm going
47:14
to be as careful as I can be
47:15
or having this stupid mindset is not going
47:18
to happen to me or if it's going
47:20
to happen to me don't cry for me because
47:23
like you know the Paul Walker saying
47:24
so do you have the latter
47:25
oh no well not anymore
47:30
becoming a family person
47:32
and not even that and having
47:34
just a responsibility over the businesses
47:36
and employees and etc etc
47:40
I mean it's not that you are actually
47:42
you might be saying that
47:43
but it's not that you actually thinking
47:46
that but you just like you're
47:48
not thinking about the bad things
47:50
that are going to happen
47:51
and this is also what
47:54
separates a business
47:56
founder, businessman
47:58
business owner because you're not focusing
48:00
on the limitations you're focusing
48:02
on the goal, you're not thinking like
48:06
do something because
48:10
does not allow me so my business is not going to
48:12
succeed because I'm based at the Nürburgring
48:14
or in Germany where my wings
48:16
or splitters need to be street legal
48:17
well guess what there's the whole world out there
48:20
why don't we focus on the whole world
48:21
you know let's do that so like do not
48:24
see limitations and like if something
48:27
the bigger the risk the bigger the reward for sure
48:32
has given people an insight into
48:34
everything that's gone on this year
48:36
a lot of different things from the past
48:37
and some bits from let's be honest
48:39
the greatest Nürburgring expert
48:41
currently on the market
48:43
you've gone to piss off so many people but it's good for
48:45
the comment section
48:48
Misha thank you so much for coming on
48:50
not only talking about Vulcan Alpha
48:52
talking about your friends like Jimmy
48:54
that you spent so much time racing with
48:56
as I point over to his Ferrari 360 by the way
48:58
which is what we were building
49:00
talking about all the laps
49:02
all the videos all the content and the people
49:04
in between thank you for spending another
49:06
bit of time in the van for this
49:08
slightly pre Christmas Christmas special
49:10
it's like the kind of Christmas party that
49:12
companies get booked in a bit earlier because it's a bit cheaper
49:14
but you're going away
49:15
so that's what we'll put it down to so thank
49:18
you so much yet again for having
49:20
a chat with us on Road to Success
49:21
thank you so much for having me I'm looking forward to
49:24
coming back again I hope
49:29
who knows I mean as you pointed out
49:32
the changes are quite
49:33
massive from the very first time
49:37
and who knows where we're going to be in
49:40
it's a nice reference
49:41
point actually for people because it's a little
49:43
bit like when people get the chance to go
49:46
on the start on a reasonably priced car all did in the
49:47
past and they get the reference point of the
49:49
times and they know where they sit versus
49:51
somewhere else but this is different
49:53
because it gives people a chance to come
49:55
back on and even pitch themselves
49:57
against themselves in a period
49:59
of time so I hope we do get to episode
50:02
it'll be nice and maybe then we talk about how
50:05
my son or daughter maybe
50:07
at the time it was actually a fun thing
50:09
well ADHD brain kicking in again
50:11
my wife saying there's a very high chance
50:14
she thinks that my son Marco is not going to be
50:19
a daughter that she's going to be a crazy one
50:22
that she's going to be into racing
50:23
don't know why but you have to trust
50:26
woman's intuition so let's see
50:28
you said it now so in the future this could
50:30
be clipped up and we'll put it together