Milan Dontje – Plenty of speed and fun on the Hankook race tyre in the Audi Sport TT Cup
Anna Pasternak/Hankook tire | 23.9.17 | Pneumatiky Hankook
Hankook DTM 2017
Milan Dontje – Plenty of speed and fun on the Hankook race tyre in the Audi Sport TT Cup
The Audi Sport TT Cup enters the finishing straight this weekend in Spielberg, Austria. The Red Bull Ring is the penultimate stop for the junior racing series, which premium tyre maker Hankook has been supporting with the Ventus Race tyre since it was launched in 2015. Milan Dontje was a guest starter in last season’s Audi Sport TT Cup, and is back at the wheel of the 340-hp powerhouse this year as a regular driver. His goal is to finish in the top three come the end of the season. However, despite all his ambition, the priority for the 22-year-old is to have fun and enjoy racing.
SPIELBERG/AUSTRIA, 23RD SEPTEMBER 2017
Milan Dontje had his first taste of motorsport at the age of just eight when his father, an enthusiastic kart driver, sat him and his brother – two years his elder – in a kart for the first time. Milan never looked back and motor racing soon became his greatest passion. He was crowned Dutch karting champion at eleven – a title he won on another two occasions. He finished second in the US karting championship and ended the 2016 Dutch Supercar Challenge in sixth place in the Superlight class. “At the start of the season, my goal in the Audi Sport TT Cup was to finish in the top five. I now have my sights set on a podium place after the final round in Hockenheim,” says the 22-year-old, outlining his ambition in the young series.
Despite this season’s strong performances, the Dutchman still describes himself as an amateur, for whom motorsport is the best distraction in the world. Together with his brother, he runs a karting centre in the Netherlands, is studying business studies, and is an ambassador for children’s charity “Against Cancer”. Milan Dontje: “I really enjoy racing, and if you enjoy yourself, you also tend to be quick. I also love socialising. My idol is former Formula 1 world champion and legendary party animal James Hunt, who lived life to the full, both on and off the track. I’m a bit like that too.”
Like his fellow drivers, Dontje may only adjust the anti-roll bars and the tyre pressure on his car. He leaves the latter to his engineer. Apart from that, he has every faith in the race tyre provided by premium tyre maker Hankook. “The tyre has a lot of grip and is perfect for our races, as it is incredibly consistent and absolutely reliable. It is one of the best tyres around, and is instrumental in me having so much fun and being so quick in the Audi Sport TT Cup,” says the 22-year-old, full of praise for the Ventus Race.
The lively young Dutchman is not worried about the future, he simply takes things as they come. “If I were offered a contract as a professional racing driver, I would obviously accept it immediately. However, I am realistic and know that I will probably struggle to get a seat in the DTM or Formula 1. With a bit of luck, I could make it into GT racing. However, the most important thing is never to stop enjoying what you do.”
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