OSCAR TUNJO: “MOTUL IS MORE THAN A SPONSOR ON MY RACING SUIT. IT’S A COLLABORATION”

Colombian racing driver Oscar Tunjo has risen through the ranks of motorsport and now competes in the Fanatec GT World Challenge behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Toksport WRT. Currently fifth in the championship, his team is looking forward to their first big endurance race at the six-hour of Paul Ricard.

Right now, we’re waiting for my next race, the 1000km of the GT World Challenge at Paul Ricard. So, we’re preparing physically, because this is my first six-hour race. Normally I take part in the sprint cup. Endurance is something quite different for me. I’m also working with the team to see where we are strong and where we are weak, and to try and improve. It’s quite a short weekend because we only have two free practice sessions, qualifying and then the race.

I have been able to compete in the championship for two years. I’m very happy to drive for one of the best teams in the series. Now this year, I’ve had the chance to take part in the endurance races. It’s been a nice challenge. Monza was quite tough for us. We had the pace to be on the podium, but things didn’t go to plan. Then we had Magny-Cours, where we managed to pick up some points, finishing seventh overall and third in class in race one. It’s been quite a nice season so far and we’ve improved a lot since last year. Paul Ricard will be a tough race. It’s a challenging track and it’s long, but we have a good team and the car to have a good race.

Yeah. In the sprint cup, we still have a lot of things open. Our next race will be at Zandvoort, which is another challenging track, but it’s a track I like and fits well with our car. So, we have a chance to fight back. Qualifying is everything and it’s wide open. Also, endurance is a learning curve for us. We need to develop our team and car set up. In GT World Championships, there are so many experienced drivers and big teams, and the level is so high, you can’t afford any mistakes.

I’ve been with Motul for a long time now. Back to my karting days in fact and through Formula cars. Last year, we had the chance to work together again. It’s a brand that is so entwined with racing. The plan is to increase brand awareness in Colombia and to show people that this is the best product.

They are really into racing, working closely with the teams. They really listen to our feedback and that’s really important as we try and develop together. It’s more than just a sponsorship on the car or my racing suit. It’s a collaboration.

It is pretty hard. Especially from the country I come from. It’s really difficult to get sponsors, and we’re a country that’s not really heavily involved in motorsport. I’m really lucky to work with so many good brands that trust what I do. Right now, I’m really happy to be racing in such a strong championship and we try to do the best we can with what we’ve got.