With eight wins and 326 points, Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite) has crowned himself champion in the 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. The Dutchman managed to defend his title directly - previously only Austrian Philipp Eng (2014 and 2015) managed to do that. In an interview, ten Voorde reveals, among other things, his personal highlights of the season, why the most difficult phase of his career was also the most important and how he has changed since his first race in the 2017 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. Larry ten Voorde talks about ...

... the title in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany 2021:
That was a tough season and the overall victory makes me overjoyed. In the decisive race I was fully focused on my performance until shortly before the end, but when I drove around the last corner and saw my team, the emotions came through. Nobody has ever succeeded in winning the title in both the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup twice in a row. When you consider how many great drivers have started in these series, that makes me very proud.

... his personal highlights of the season:
This definitely includes my first win of the season in the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup at the season opener in Spa. The home win in Zandvoort is one of my personal highlights. I was able to overtake Rudy van Buren in one of the two new banked turns. My family was there too, it was a great weekend.

... his competitors:
Ayhancan Güven and Laurin Heinrich were my biggest competitors over the season. I have great respect for both of them. Laurin had a strong year in the Porsche Carrera Cup, drives clever and has a great future ahead of him. Ayhancan has a real fighter heart and gives everything for a top result. He's definitely one of the toughest competitors I've had in my career so far.

... the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup:
We are all competing in the same car, which is what makes the Carrera Cup so attractive. Still, there are ways to work on the setup. For example, the air pressure or the position of the rear wing. The challenge is to find the optimal settings for the route in combination with your own driving style. On some weekends it worked great for me, on others it wasn't quite as perfect. It's a process that runs for a whole season.

... the first moments in the new Cup vehicle:
That was at the delivery event in March at the Nürburgring. I had a good feeling straight away. The car has significantly more aerodynamics, which means that you can drive at higher speeds in corners. From my point of view, this is an advantage for newcomers and it has also been seen over the season that the lap times of the first ten to 15 drivers were often very close together. However, overtaking maneuvers are more of a challenge because the aerodynamics decrease somewhat in the slipstream and the driver is therefore more challenged.

... its development compared to its debut season 2017:
I've definitely grown up. In my first season I had a lot of fire in me, sometimes I was a little over-motivated. However, the situation cannot be compared with today. I had little budget and sometimes didn't even know whether I would be back in the cockpit at all for the next race weekend. So every race could have been the last chance to present myself and show my talent. I felt the pressure. I would say that today I found a good balance between brave and clever driving.

... the most difficult phase of his career:
In 2014 and 2015 I couldn't do motorsport due to a lack of budget. Nevertheless, I didn't give up during that time and washed cars on the route in Zandvoort, helped with driver safety training or sold coffee. I just wanted to stay connected to motorsport. In retrospect, it was the most important phase of my career. During this time it became clear to me that I definitely want to become a racing driver and that I will give everything for it. I came back to motorsport in 2016 through the Porsche Sports Cup Germany and became a champion there.

... motorsport in the Netherlands:
With Formula E champion Nyck de Vries and Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen, two of the most successful racing drivers currently come from the Netherlands. Motorsport is currently enjoying huge popularity in the Netherlands, which of course is largely due to Max Verstappen. The Formula 1 race in Zandvoort with the many spectators was great and showed how passionately people in the Netherlands follow motorsport.

... a Carrera Cup driver that he would like to challenge:
Definitely Michael Ammermüller, although we have raced against each other for several seasons in the past. Back then, I was a new rookie in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. Michael, on the other hand, was a veteran who I could learn a lot from. He won the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup three times in a row and then took the title in the ADAC GT Masters. I have great respect for that.

... rituals before the races:
For some time now, meditation and shadow boxing have been part of my routine before the races. That's why I had a personal trainer with me this season. I even meditate daily. Sometimes I take a few minutes a day to do this, sometimes even half an hour. It helped me a lot to calm down and find a better balance. You saw that on the racetrack too.

... role models in his childhood:
Back then it was definitely Kimi Raikkonen, today it's Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Both had to fight hard for their successes, which I find impressive. I drive with Max Verstappen as a sim racer in the Redline team. Sometimes he still gives us feedback in the middle of the night for better setup settings in the simulator. He accepts every challenge. That's exactly what I like about him.

... the differences between winning a title and defending it:
In my opinion, defending a success is another level. You have to constantly confirm your level and are always the benchmark for everyone else. This season I was the hunted in both the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. It's a different pressure, but I really liked the role.

... goals for the future:
I want to win more titles, preferably in endurance races. Winning the 24-hour races in Le Mans, Dubai or Daytona would be a dream. In general, motorsport in the USA appeals to me. In early October I was a coach at the Virginia International Raceway near Danville. The people there live motorsport incredibly emotionally, which I find fascinating.