Racers in Isolation: Maro Engel

Sportscar365 is contacting drivers from around the world to ask what they’re doing during the coronavirus pandemic and how they’re coping with the racing downtime.

Factory Mercedes-AMG driver and FIA GT World Cup champion Maro Engel (Twitter/Instagram) features in this edition.

Where are you sitting out the COVID-19 crisis?

We are at home in Monaco with my wife Stefanie and our little daughter Sophia. So as hard as this time is, the upside is I get to spend lots of time with my family!

What’s your go-to for food when no-one feels like cooking?

Well to be perfectly honest Sophia and I are very lucky, my wife is the most amazing cook! Still craving her carrot cake that we just finished. When I happen to be on cooking duties (which admittedly happens rarely) then 99 percent it will be pasta.

Current favorite Netflix/TV show?

While training on the bike rollers it’s Designated Survivor. Once Sophia is in bed it’s Blacklist. Just finally got Le Mans 66 (Ford v. Ferrari) so looking forward to watching that too.

Do you do sim racing?

I don’t have a sim at home but I am seriously considering it at the moment. So hopefully soon I won’t need to borrow Sophia’s toy car anymore!

Do you have any pets?

Sophia keeps us busy enough as it is.

Favorite section of any race track in the world?

Does the entire Nordschleife count as a section? Actually I would have to add the middle sector of Macau and the mountain at Bathurst. 

The funniest thing you have heard or said over a team radio?

Not gonna name any names but a classic driver-engineer prank. Engineer: “Radio Check” – Driver: Pretend to be speaking but don’t press the radio button and wave your hands in question why it’s not working. – Watch the engineer furiously check his headset, the radio and have a big go at the radio guy why the hell it isn’t working again.

What’s the one thing you are most looking forward to the first day you return to a race track?

That feeling of pushing my Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the limit.