For the first time since I started with motorsports in 1992, I will not do any races this year.
The reason is unspuprisingly the corona virus Covid-19. The plan was to do six NLS (formerly VLN) races at the Nürburgring for Møller Bil Motorsport in our Audi TCR-car. The races this spring was cancelled, and even though the season now finally has started, we have decided to stay home all year.
The reason is the uncertain situation with the virus, the chances to get sick and the problems with quarantine when we get home to Norway again. Hopefully we will be back next season!
So how do I feel about not doing any races for the first time since 1992? Well, on some days I don’t think too much about it. My life is so busy with family, a puppy, a new house and three jobs. I barely have the time to sleep some days, and then I don’t have a lot of time to miss racing either.
Because of the delayed Formula 1-start, I’m announcing F1-races almost every weekend now, and from Monday to Friday I’m busy at my job as the sporting director for the Norwegian Automobile-Sport Federation and my job as a consultant for several companies.
But then there are days where I’m really missing it. I watched the Le Mans ’66 (Ford vs. Ferrari) movie the other day, and was then reminded how much I love racing. I’m truly grateful for the nearly 30 years I’ve had as a racing driver, because becoming a race car driver is for most just an untattainable dream. The feeling to sit behind the steering wheel of a proper race car, feel the power and be able to race at the world’s mot demanding race track is just unreal. And I really hope to experience that again.
Atle 