13.4.2007
Top Finnish Show-jumping Rider Mikael Forstén to Participate in Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup Series
Mikael Forstén from Finland, who is best known as an international top show-jumping rider, has decided to embark on a new career in car racing by participating in the Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup series as the first Finn ever. Former Finnish World Champions Mika Häkkinen and the rally driver Ari Vatanen have driven one race each as guest drivers.
The series that takes place at the same locations and week-ends as Formula 1 races kicks off next week-end at Bahrain. Forstén drives the first leg as a member of the Konrad Motorsport Team and the remaining races in the team of Walter Lechner Racing School.
Forstén secured his place in the series during tests held by the Lecher Team at Bahrain in March. He surprised the whole team by stopping the clock only four tenths of a second behind the best results made by the top drivers Damien Faulkner and Alex Zampedri.
Horses and Porshces alternate in Forstén sports calendar this coming season. In jumping he aims at the European Championships and in the PMSC series his goal is to gain points and experience in order to be fully competitive next season and maybe earn a place among the ten best drivers.
At thirty-seven years old, Mikael Forstén is possessed by sports. He has reached the top as a professional jumping rider and trainer. He plays tennis, likes snowboarding, and has a golf handicap of 8.5. He has been a top national soccer player and alpine skier as a teenager. Now he is serious about racing and has decided to break a few more barriers by entering the Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup Championship series.
The ability to learn
"It has always been difficult for me to lose. "I just have to try, every time. And if I have to lose, I want to analyze my performance and train to learn more and how to do better. I never think about losing. The most important thing is what happens in the brain of a sportsman. My biggest talent is my ability to learn," Mikael thinks.
"Every sport has got its own thrill. The common denominators are the fun and the possibility to learn more and train to be better and better. I never think, ´Well, that is all I can do.´ If you work hard enough, the world is full of possibilities," Mikael says.
Previously Forstén has driven Porsche GT3R cars in the GTP series as his hobby and participated in Ferrari Challange driving a Ferrari 360 Modena. Last year he took one step further by entering the challenging Formula Renault 2000 Championship series in Italy. It was here he developed the important skill of reading his car and developing it. This season he was qualified for the F3 series but decided pass in favour of the Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup.
Porsche Mobil 1 Super Cup calendar
April 14th Bahrain
April 15th Bahrain
May 13th Barcelona
May 27th Monaco
July 1st Magny Cours
July 8th Silverstone
July 22nd Nürburgring GP-Kurs
August 5th Budapest
August 26th Istanbul
September 9th Monza
September 16th Spa Francorchamps