Klettwitz/Germany, 20th May 2018 – Michelle Halder grew up around motorsport. As a child, the kart track was like a second home to her. When she was just two years old, she accompanied her parents to watch her older brother Mike racing on weekends. At just five, she took her place at the wheel of a kart for the first time. “Right from the word go, motor racing was my passion. I never wanted to do anything else. When I was 14, I was the best-placed German in fifth place in the Kart X30 world championship. One year later, I moved into Formula 4,” says Halder, who lives in Messkirch by Lake Constance.
This season, the 18-year-old has switched to touring car racing. She drives a 495-hp, 1450-kilogram racer in the Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup and also competes in ADAC TCR Germany. It was in this series three weeks ago that she claimed her biggest success so far, when she finished runner-up in both races. “I benefitted from the tips I received from my brother, who has a lot of experience in touring car racing. Without him, that kind of success would not be possible,” says the prospective media designer.
Today, Halder has been completely accepted by her male colleagues and rivals. “That was not always the case at first and I had to prove myself. In the meantime, the men have recognised that there are also fast women in motor racing,” explains the Audi driver.
Halder is very familiar with the Hankook race tyre, as the premium tyre maker is exclusive partner of the Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup and ADAC TCR Germany. “It is incredible fun to drive on the Hankook tyre. It is very consistent and the balance remains the same throughout the entire race. You can set fast lap times right up until the finish without the tyre wearing. As such, you can focus fully on your race.”
The young racing driver has set her sights on as many podium finishes as possible this season. In the long term, she wants to convert her passion into a profession. “My dream, as is presumably the case for any racing driver, is to drive in Formula 1 at some point. However, that is obviously very difficult. Everything must come together perfectly. I would be happy if I could earn a living in motorsport later on, as a works driver, for example.”
