How to become a better race driver with individual training courses from Porsche
Taking it to the limit with tailored courses on the Porsche Ice Experience
Woman looks out of window of Porsche 911 Turbo S
Once you’ve developed a passion for hot laps on cold ice, what’s next? For experienced amateur race driver Katarina Kyvalova it meant embarking on an individual training session with a Porsche Ice Experience instructor
Whether Katarina Kyvalova is pushing her pre-war Bentley to the limit in a 24-hour race, one of the few women lining up on the grid at the Goodwood Revival or driving her classic Cooper T33 racecar on the narrow streets of the Historic Grand Prix in Monaco, she is very quick behind the wheel. Even though racing is just a hobby, for Katarina, everything is on the line once the lights go out and it’s go-time.She has also driven almost everything that is fast and fun on ice. And yet the chance to have an individual training session tailored to her needs with Porsche instructor Jukka Honkavuori – who himself is an accomplished racecar driver, competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup – is something very special for her, she says.
Woman with Porsche 911 Turbo S in very snowy conditions
‘This one!’ Katarina Kyvalova chose a blue Porsche 911 Turbo S for her individual training course at the Porsche Ice Experience Photo: Porsche
What level do you have to be at to drive on an individual training course with the Porsche Ice Experience?“An individual training course like this is a great experience for every participant – regardless of their background,” says Jukka, who seems as excited about individual training courses as Katarina herself. So, do you have to be a racing driver or meet special prerequisites for this kind of individual training? Not at all, Jukka explains. Sometimes the urge to take a few individual sessions comes up spontaneously, he adds, often coming from those guests who have just gotten the hang of cornering during a three-day Porsche Ice Experience group programme. “They say ‘Hey, it would be great if I could take what I’ve learned a little further right now’,” says Jukka.
But what role does individual talent play in all of this – in other words, can training be replaced by talent? “I think in any motorsport it’s possible to achieve a lot and to be successful through intensive training,” says Katarina. “But the last bit that ultimately distinguishes a pro from ‘just’ a good driver is talent. You have to be born with it… or maybe to get the best out of the ice it just helps if you’re Scandinavian,” she adds with a smile.
Man places cones alongside snowy track on Porsche Ice Experience
Porsche Experience instructor Jukka Honkavuori designs the individual training exclusively for each customer on Porsche Ice Experience events Photo: Porsche
The differences between driving rear-wheel and four-wheel drive cars on iceKatarina is certainly impressed by what Jukka demonstrates to her during an introductory lap in the Porsche 911 Turbo S that she has chosen to drive today. “It’s incredible to see how calmly Jukka drives during a spectacular drift,” she says. “His routine and the speed he can achieve was so impressive. He really showed his stuff in just a single lap. For me, it was definitely one of the best hot laps I’ve ever experienced.”During her first few laps, Katarina quickly learns the differences between a four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive car on ice. “It’s actually more difficult to get a four-wheel drive car into a controlled drift. But once I got the hang of it, it was a lot more fun because you can drive the car much harder than a rear-wheel drive.”
Man and woman in 911 on Porsche Ice Experience event
The training session the snowbound forest tracks are a challenge even for experienced drivers Photo: Porsche
Porsche Ice Experience individual training sessions – what is success?The Porsche Ice Experience offer advanced participants countless opportunities to improve their skills, even in the most difficult of conditions. Of course, driving is at the centre of it all. Most importantly, however, individual training offers the opportunity for individual analysis and an intensive exchange with your personal instructor. “Jukka wanted me to progress – that was his way of building up the pressure,” says Katarina.“After the four or five years I’ve spent driving on ice, I notice that it’s always the same little mistakes that keep creeping in,” Katarina concludes at the end of the day’s final session. “Recognising these pitfalls and eliminating them through targeted training is what I managed to do in my individual training session with Jukka.”
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