Marvin Siebdrath has been the proud holder of a driver’s license since Friday. Now there’s just one thing left for him to achieve: the title in the IDM Supersport 300 rookie class. How are things going for the 2021 runner-up, who is once again racing for Team Füsport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki? Some of his former rivals are now racing in other classes, so the path ahead seems clear, but new talents are also entering the fray. We asked the 18-year-old from Saxony about it.
As the 2021 runner-up, the pressure of being the favorite to win the title is on your shoulders. How do you cope with that?
That's just the way it is. But I'm taking it in stride, even though I'm the frontrunner. Otherwise, I might end up making mistakes.
As a high school senior, you’ll be taking exams soon. How do those dates fit in with your racing schedule?
We have two more weeks of regular classes, and then we’ll start preparing for exams. I’m lucky that not a single exam overlaps with a race weekend. I might have to crack open my textbook at the track and do some studying, but other than that, everything’s working out perfectly.
Will the team be doing any more testing before the season starts?
In any case, we’ll be in Oschersleben for two days over Easter, where I’ll finally get to ride my Ninja 400 again. We were actually planning to meet up in Assen this coming Tuesday, but the weather forecast is bad and the team management has canceled the test. It’s supposed to be around five degrees with rain. Conditions were similar last year, and we were only able to complete three laps back then. Our long trip there wasn’t really worth it.
What are your next goals?
To win the IDM Supersport 300 and then move up to the Supersport 300 World Championship or the IDM Supersport 600.
At 5'10", you're not exactly "small." Does that work out well in the long run on a Supersport 300 bike?
I don't have a problem with it. And Lennox Lehmann, who has won the class twice, is even taller than I am.