Screen to Speed: From Love at first Lap!

Crew Chief Brad: [00:00:00] Welcome to Screen to Speed powered by INIT Esports. In this podcast, we dive into the journeys of remarkable individuals, making waves in sim racing, and bridging the virtual with the real. From the thrill of digital circuits to the roar of real life racetracks, we explore the passion, Dedication and innovation that drives the world of motor sports.

We’ll hear from athletes, creators, and pioneers sharing their stories, insights, and the powerful ways sim racing is connecting communities and creating pathways into motor sports. So buckle up screen. The speed starts now.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Hi everyone. Welcome to any talks. Happy to see everybody in chat. Hello. Hello. Uh, welcome to our, uh, today’s, uh, show and, uh, please welcome Katherine and [00:01:00] Jessica. Hello. Thanks for having us. Yeah. Thank you so much for joining. Uh, it looks pretty. Thank you so much. All right. And, uh, let’s start from, uh, Katerina.

Can you tell how you start, uh, your way into motorsports? I know you both in motorsports. Uh, let’s start with you and then Jessica can answer on this question as well.

Catharina Geissler: Okay. Um, my journey, um, yeah, started, um, pretty late, I guess, uh, which is not common, um, because I was always interested in motorsports, watching Formula One and, um, here in Germany, GTM.

Um, but I was never able to, uh, go karting or things like that as a child. So, um, yeah, I have focused on playing, uh, Gran Turismo and so on, so PlayStation’s games. And, um, I remember when the GT Academy started, I was, um, so [00:02:00] hyped and I thought, Oh my God, this is so cool. You get the opportunity to race a real car.

And, um, that’s when I started to, uh, buy a steering wheel and, uh, Built a little small setup and I was really focused in driving GT academy. So, um, yeah, that, that was the moment where it all made click and I thought, Oh my God, this is so cool. And I really can do it. Um, and later I met Jessica, um, she’s, uh, she was carting at that time and I never sit in a cart or something like that.

And, uh, yeah, she introduced me into this world. And we did a bit of real life racing there. So, um, that was my twenties, I guess. And, uh, yeah, about sim racing, um, really serious. It got when COVID came because we couldn’t [00:03:00] do the real life racing any longer. So, um, we decided to give it a try and, uh. Build our setup forward and jumped right into iRacing, which was a quite a big step.

Yeah, and um, yeah, my part started also with Gran Turismo many years ago, just as gaming and but I focused at first on real time, also real life karting and yeah. I had, I was lucky I had the opportunity to do it and yeah, so I focused at first on this one. Yeah, it was more like, uh, I introduced her into the sim racing

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: and

Catharina Geissler: she used me into the real life racing, which was kind of funny because we both coached each other and yeah, that’s really cool for me.[00:04:00]

Yes. Yeah. For me, it was. At the beginning, really complicated to start sim racing because the

Jessica Weser: feeling was really different. I had just the steering wheel

Catharina Geissler: and yeah, so

Jessica Weser: to adapt it from

Catharina Geissler: real life to sim, that’s not so easy.

Yeah, and for me it was, it was also crazy because, um, I mean, sim racing can be exhausting too, but when you sit in a real, real car, you feel the g force for the first time and it, your neck goes like this.

Quite an experience.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, that’s awesome that you, uh, like started from sim racing. She started in karting and you both, uh, kind of like, uh, get involved into sim racing and karting as well. That’s really cool. Uh, I started from karting when I was nine years old. So yeah, I understand what you’re talking about and, uh, actually karting because we’ve got a really [00:05:00] small kart circus.

Uh, circuits, it’s really, uh, you know, pretty intense races, uh, compared to what you got in the, um, normal road racing, um, like formalists. It’s a lot of things just, uh, happen, you know, uh, slower, uh, in, in formalists or in the, in cars, uh, compared to karting. So, yeah, it’s, it’s crazy. Um, who, uh, who are your biggest motorsports?

Uh, Idol. So for me that was Valentino Rossi. So I started karting because of my dad, so he getting, uh, me into the karting. And, uh, I was a big fan of Valentino Rossi. I was watching MotoGPs and when I started, I picked the 46 number. So who was it for you, uh, Katarina?

Catharina Geissler: Um, for me, it was, uh, Michael Hecken, actually, even though I’m German, which mostly means that most people like Michael [00:06:00] Schumacher, so, um, uh, as a child, I really looked up to Michael Hecken, and later on Sebastian Vettel, you

Jessica Weser: know.

Catharina Geissler: Yeah.

Jessica Weser: For me, it started with Michael Schumacher and, yeah, later also with Sebastian Vettel,

Catharina Geissler: Yeah,

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: it fits good. That’s nice. I also was a big fan of Michael Schumacher. I remember I was playing this, uh, the card Michael Schumacher game, uh, when it was in my childhood. It was really fun. Um, so can you tell me how you met each other in Karthing, how this happened?

And, uh, you also mentioned in your bio that you, uh, fall in love with each other as well as you fall in love in Karthing also.

Catharina Geissler: Um, actually it was, uh, uh, with the dating side, it was, it was, it’s quite a crazy. I, [00:07:00] um, I just, uh, yeah, got on the stating side and I thought, okay. I just do it. Maybe something comes up or even not. I, I didn’t believe in it that it would really work, uh, would work out, but actually it did. I, uh, just made, uh, three years, uh, three years, um, membership.

So, well, because I thought, okay, yeah, it will take time. And yeah, not quite, I don’t know, four weeks after I just met them, made a membership, which is connected and it fit immediately. So I, I paid for it three years and I never used it anymore. So it was,

Jessica Weser: yeah. And you even did not manage. You mentioned that, um, that you like motorsports at first, so we just found out

Catharina Geissler: it a little bit later.

And, yeah, so

Jessica Weser: the first time I [00:08:00] came

Catharina Geissler: to you

Jessica Weser: and I saw

Catharina Geissler: you have in your living

Jessica Weser: room a little sim rig.

Catharina Geissler: And, yeah, I thought, wow, great. Yeah, even though I was a big motorsport fan, I didn’t thought that anybody would love it like I do. So, because in all my, uh, all my friends, they never really cared about motorsports.

So I thought, okay, I can, But

Jessica Weser: yeah, then you found me.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Well, I think, you know, I’m just, uh, thinking that you’re from Germany and, uh, I think a lot of people in Germany are into motorsport because, uh, here’s a lot of, uh, racing tracks, especially the big Nordschleife where people, uh, uh, doing track days and all this stuff.

So yeah, it’s interesting to see that, uh, you didn’t have anyone in your, uh, surroundings who was into [00:09:00] motorsport. Yeah, it’s crazy. Yeah. All right. So you met each other, uh, at Karsing and How was the first experience for you, Katerina, to, uh, like transition from sim racing to karting? Like, was it really hard to adapt to it?

Uh, I know that you mentioned before, uh, there was a bit weird with G forces. Uh, but in terms of how you understand the line on the track and, uh, all the stuff, did sim racing help you, uh, to start your way in karting?

Catharina Geissler: I think, um, the feeling of the car and, or the car in that case, and, uh, the lines, I think I could, uh, adapt that really quickly and, uh, it helped, it helped me definitely out.

But, um, also I had a very good coach, which is always fun to do it and, uh. Yeah, I gave me tips. Um, so I think it helps a lot. Definitely.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: So

Catharina Geissler: and [00:10:00] still it does as well because we also train in the simulator for our real life championships now. So it does help. Definitely.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Mhm. That’s awesome. So I think the same stuff happened to me.

So it was in the open wheelers, it was in karsing before, then open wheelers, then I jump into sim racing was quite easy to adapt. Uh, it was crazy with all, uh, competition, which you meeting in, uh, in sim racing. It’s absolutely crazy. Uh, I know that you, you doing karsing in, uh, Germany. Yeah. I guess, uh, but I was doing it in Kazakhstan and I four times won the championship here and, uh, I was just pulling away from everybody.

And when I jump into some racing, I’m like, wow, I finally can race with people. And I finally got, uh, you know, someone who’s. Faster than me. And it’s really cool actually. Um, so the same question for you, Jessica, uh, how [00:11:00] was your transition from karting, uh, to sim racing? Uh, was it really hard to lose all the G forces and feelings, uh, which you got in the real life?

Catharina Geissler: Yeah, at first it was not so easy to, um, yeah, to miss the G forces and the feedback from the tires in real life. And, yeah, the motion of the card, the way it moves in a certain way, because I, um, drove, um, yeah, a slalom championship, so not on track, so you have just one time to look at the track, to walk around, and then this one run must fit in a certain way.

And you have to just. And yeah, it has to be perfect. And in simracing you can try again and again and yeah. [00:12:00] It’s a little bit different in a way, but yeah. I got even to a good coach,

Jessica Weser: more experience and yeah, so we still learn from each other every time. And yeah,

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: this is awesome actually to have person who support you.

I also got husband, uh, he’s into some racing and, uh, he also teach me a lot in sim racing and, uh, also bring me into our racing because, uh, before that I was. James, most of the courses and project cars too. Uh, so yeah, we also help each other on the racing track and it’s, it’s really, really cool there. You got, uh, the same partnership.

It’s a really. Awesome. Um, can you tell me about your biggest achievements in karting and in some racing? Let’s start with Katarina. Um,

Catharina Geissler: I [00:13:00] think one of the biggest things I achieved is, um, being third in the championship, um, in my third year. So, um, when you think of all the people I raced against, um, they are all doing it since they were little.

So, um, I don’t know, five, six years old and I started in my twenties, so I think that’s, uh, kind of cool. And, um, also since, I don’t, I think 2017 or so on, we, um, also do it with, uh, drive cars and, um, I’ve managed to be, uh, three times a club champion. So that’s, uh, Also cool. Yeah. And yeah,

Jessica Weser: I have, uh, I don’t know how much, why second place, uh, hasn’t championships from the ADAC slalom championship [00:14:00] and third and fourth places.

I can’t count over the years. Um, yeah, but I never got the title. So the competition is really,

Catharina Geissler: really hard and all the other. Um, yeah, I fight, or I fought with the last years, they all started even at the age of eight years about, and so, if you go there on track, so the first seven, eight, ten people, everybody can win.

And that’s the thing. It’s every day just, uh, yeah, a tenth or even less after two runs and, yeah, every little mistakes, yeah, the run is gone. The day. Yeah, but that’s also the thing, the thing which makes it great because it’s not like you go there and you can win it easily, you really have to fight [00:15:00] for it and a lot of effort in it.

And that makes fun because, um, it’s, it’s hard, but it’s also cool because you get better and better and better and better. You work on the card, have the opportunity to tune your card to, yeah. to make it fit better to your own driving style. And yeah, the regulations allow it in this class. And yeah, so everybody has its own cart, uh, optimized for their own racing style, I would like to say.

Jessica Weser: And yeah, the competition is really hard.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Well, I think it’s always great when you got a high Competition level, uh, because as you said, uh, Katerina, you always got, like, you getting better and better. You always got a [00:16:00] place to improvements and it’s, uh, really cool. Uh, you mentioned that you did some car, car racing.

Uh, what cars did you drive and did you race? And, uh, what tracks if, or you did also some kind of, uh, car slalom as Jessica?

Catharina Geissler: We own a Toyota Yaris, um, but not the super cool new one. It’s actually the car from 2005, so it’s a little bit low budget. Um, and it’s, uh, we, you know, championship we drive. It’s pretty similar to carting slalom, but with cars, um, There are different, uh, tracks and levels.

We have, um, we have a small local tracks, which is basically also on carting tracks. And, but we also drove a German championship, um, some, some years ago and they’re on, um, old [00:17:00] airplane fields, which is basically have a track that’s about two kilometers. And um, yeah, that’s, that’s kind of cool. Um, it’s not, it’s not that we drove with two or three cars at the same time.

Uh, You always drive your own run, and the fastest one wins, so it’s more like, uh, yeah, I don’t, not like a drag, but a drag race, but, um, the best time counts, because this is, um, the most affordable way to do some, um, racing in a, in a car here for, um, I would say normal people, because when you come to, you mentioned that you drove formula cars and so on.

Um, I think there’s always the budget problem.

Things like that. I mean, we, we also did, um, some, um, formula for car training on. But, um, yeah, it was a one time thing where [00:18:00] we just thought, okay, that’s cool. We really want to experience that. So, but, uh, doing a championship in that is really expensive. So.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, that’s true. So formal was really expensive and I had a good sponsor.

I had, I was part of the Astana Motorsports team, uh, they support me as they closed the program. I stopped to do any in real life racing because I didn’t have this opportunity. I’m not from the rich family. Uh, just get opportunity to. jump and continue my career, but, uh, you know, some racing, uh, found me and, um, actually really happy about this, uh, because I’m still doing the same and also got my own community.

I’m also streaming. It’s really cool. Um, you also said that you started iRacing, yeah, in, uh, 2020. So during the pandemic, like many of us started from this, uh, Can you tell me more about, uh, how you choose iRacing? Like, [00:19:00] uh, you did some Gran Turismo. Did you have any simulators between Gran Turismo and iRacing?

Or you just directly jump into iRacing? Uh, let’s start from Jessica.

Catharina Geissler: Um, yeah, no, we actually started directly, uh, with iRacing and yeah, during Corona, um, we, we informed about the simulation and, um, yeah, the feedback was really good. And that’s, it’s, yeah, would be hard to say, um, competitive, competitive in a way.

And yeah. So we decided to start directly with iRacing, and we liked it, and yeah, but our, yeah, equipment was at that point not so good, but yeah. Yeah, we only had a [00:20:00] Thrustmaster, so with no basic feedback, no load cell, nothing just really basic. And, um, yeah, when you start iRacing, it’s really hard when you hit the brakes for the first time, you think, Oh my God, what’s happening, why did I turn the car?

Yeah. It was not that easy, but we, we quickly adapt because yeah, we had time, I mean, um, I was new, working full time remote. You were able to go out because your, um, company was, uh, you, you have a job where you need to go out, but I was the whole time here. So I had a lot of time to, uh, to get into it.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah. I also get into iRacing during pandemic, and, uh, I remember that I had a G27, so you started from really basic equipment, uh, I started also, so now I got triple, DD wheel, [00:21:00] uh, load cell pedals, I think load cell pedals for me, that was the biggest improvement which, uh, I got in my equipment, um, so speaking about equipment, what do you have right now?

Because I see, uh, the AT20 rig behind you, I think. I’m a pro, I’m a pro.

Catharina Geissler: Uh, yeah, that’s actually a new one. We just built, um, the, the other ones in the other room, which, uh, we started from, um, that was, or is still a basic setup with, um, uh, formula one seat and, uh, a trust master. 300 RS and the TLC load cell break.

So we got that basic setup. We, we, we started during pandemic and this other one was, uh, yeah, it happened, but it happens. Yeah. Um, yeah, that, that we have a full, uh, camera set up actually. Um, the camera [00:22:00] C5. And

Jessica Weser: now with the load cell break, um, for those cameras and

Catharina Geissler: yeah, um, that was, that was quite a story because we were less, less, two years ago we were on the ADAC sim racing expo and right before we, we said, okay, um, we go, we go there and we stick to one setup.

You will not build a second one and then there was some challenges and we actually won the Camus C5 there. So then we came back and said, okay, then we need to build a second one. So it just happened and yeah, so yeah, it started and yeah, so everything just a little bit. New monitor. Yeah. Now triple screen.

At first, a single street [00:23:00] screen now triple screen and

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: that’s great. Uh, do you have any plans for your other, which, uh, got T 300 right now on it, not,

Catharina Geissler: not quite yet, but, uh, I. Yeah, maybe, um, maybe some new pedals. I don’t know. Um, we still use it for PlayStation, uh, for Gran Turismo.

Jessica Weser: I drive a

Catharina Geissler: little bit

Jessica Weser: more on Gran Turismo. It’s also fun to do weekly challenges at Gran Turismo.

And yeah, so it’s a nice switch between iRacing and Gran Turismo.

Catharina Geissler: And choose what you want to do. Yeah.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah.

Catharina Geissler: It’s more like a fun thing. So, um, maybe some, some new panels if, um, there are some, um, good stuff is coming up from [00:24:00] Trustmaster, which, um, fits PlayStation and, um, PC. I know it’s all, it’s always a compromise you need to go, but, um, it’s okay.

We, we got the other set up for iRacing. So.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: That’s great Well, I think first master should have new pedals which they include to t598 bundle and This pedal set should have loads. So Keith, I’m waiting for it because I got this t598 Bundle, and I really like this pedals. So they great really cool that you can You know, move them around as a, so to position, which will be comfortable for you.

It’s really nice. So yeah, hopefully Yorick will get new pedals in the future. Um, so let’s talk about, uh, iRacing. Yeah. So you jump into it and what’s, what’s your favorite series right now? Let’s start from Katarina and then Jessica. [00:25:00]

Catharina Geissler: Um, I’m actually more into cheek. GT cars. Um, at the moment, uh, this season I drove the, um, Toyota, uh, GR, uh, 68.

Um, because really a fan of Toyota. So I really liked this guy. I love Toyota. I love the brand. So, um, I also drove a little bit of Ferrari and then I actually got into, uh, NASCAR series. Um, so I’m currently at my oval face, yeah, also with a Toyota, so it’s kind of fun.

Jessica Weser: Yeah. I like a little bit more the formula cars like you and yeah, I drove the formula four wheels.

I

Catharina Geissler: started in November with iRacing. At first we just had one account together because Yeah, it was really not necessary to have two [00:26:00] accounts. And, yeah, I drove for fun a little bit, um, rallycross. It was the W for how we people and yeah, so the difference between the formula

Jessica Weser: and rally course.

But it’s both fun and I like it and yeah.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, rallycross and iRacing is awesome. I also really like to do it from time to time. I didn’t touch it a long time because I was really into Porsche Cup and, uh, recently I just returned back to Formula 3, uh, because I didn’t race it long time. And I did rallycross. I did, uh, this, uh, big tracks with a rear wheel drive.

They’re really fun to drive. Love them. Um. So, yeah, and my favorite series will be Porsche Cup because here is no traction, no ABS system on the car. I really like it [00:27:00] So, yeah, what what’s your favorite combo will be, uh, Katarina?

Catharina Geissler: My favorite combo, um Um, that’s, that’s a tough one.

Um, I, I think it, I really loved the Toyota 68. I know it’s, it’s, it’s a basic car and it’s, uh, it’s a beginner car, but I really love it, uh, how it behaves and how it looks. And, um, I really love Suzuka. It’s a cool track. I mean, sure, for the Toyota, it’s a little bit, uh, slow, but yeah, that’s, that would probably be my combo.

Yeah, my combo, I

Jessica Weser: think it’s Laguna Seca and the Formula 4 at the moment, but the Formula 3, I like really too. So yeah, at the moment, [00:28:00] Formula

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: 4, Laguna Seca, I would say. Laguna Seca is a great track. I think it’s a little bit underrated by the community. Um, and I think people are just afraid of this track a little bit in iRacing.

Maybe. Yeah, Suzuka is a great track also. I like Suzuka. You know, when people ask me, like, what’s your favorite combo, I can’t decide, but usually that’s Porsche Cup and Road Atlanta. Um, because Most of the time I’m at World Atlanta. This is one of my favorite track. I really like how it goes with the flow and with the uphills and downhills.

It’s really cool to drive. It’s awesome. Um, do you plan to do any championships in a racing in the future in this year? So let’s talk about them if you’re planning some. Um, we definitely

Catharina Geissler: want to, um, raise the screen to speed challenges, uh, uh, coming up [00:29:00] and, um, and otherwise, I don’t know, I’m, we have some team members who want to drive some long distance races, like, um, Good seabrings, uh, and so on.

So maybe we, we jump in at maybe the 24 hours of Newark ring, but, uh, it’s, it’s nothing settled yet. We mostly it’s, uh, okay, we’ll race that. Yeah. And, um, we also have a local sim racing center here, um, where we, I think twice a week there. And there’s a little quiet community, uh, there where we can battle each other.

And they’re also doing championships. Um, we are mostly there and drive this ones too. So. Exactly, but they are not on iRacing, they are done [00:30:00]

Jessica Weser: on Assetto Corsa from the simulation, so yeah, it’s always a little bit different.

Catharina Geissler: But yeah, it’s always fun because it’s, this is also cool because, um, you have the, the sim racers who come there to drive and real life racers who are, uh, really competing in the 24 hours of Nürburgring.

And that’s, that’s sometimes crazy when you watch them, how quickly they can adapt to just sim racing thing and how fast they are. That’s really cool. So

Jessica Weser: of course we trained with this simulator several hours and this guy sits there and yeah, one lap, two laps, three, five, and then he has the time. We work for hours or longer.

Yeah, but yeah. [00:31:00] We can still learn and get better.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: That’s really nice that we got a local sim racing center where you got a great community and can race also there. Uh, you mentioned screen to speed event and, uh, events. And, uh, I know that you finished P3 and P4, right? Recently. Uh, how is this, uh, for you?

And, uh, like, do you have any, like, team strategy, something like this? Uh, actually, uh,

Catharina Geissler: you just jumped in. Yes. It wasn’t planned, right? Because we said we need to, uh, look that both simulators run. But it runs when you were in, so let’s go. You didn’t have any training. Just one hour before it started,

Jessica Weser: we decided, oh, let’s, Let’s have a look and I jumped into the other Gran Turismo simulator, yeah, with nearly no feedback and I drove and I [00:32:00] just said, hey, try your best, you get a

Catharina Geissler: better setup and I just, I don’t want to collide with you with our first race last year together because at the, um, first, um, screen to speed race.

At Okayama, it was the Toyota we

Jessica Weser: drove together. So, um, yeah, I crashed a little bit into her and she spun around and, yeah. That was not fun.

Catharina Geissler: Well, it was funny because we, we decided, okay, we are not crashing each other. We try to, uh, to work together and then she just, uh, yeah, cut the corner and kicked me out.

I can’t see you. Yeah. But on Saturday it worked better. We didn’t kick each other out. Yes. Actually, there was no really strategy. We just thought okay, we try to survive that one because [00:33:00] always in all it’s always about surviving especially the starts and so on and We we also messed up our strategy a little bit because I I was confused Everybody was running on the safety car into the pits and we stayed out and I thought, Oh my God, that was, that was not good.

Yeah, but we, we managed to, to stay in the pack. And, uh, then I had to go to the pits and I, uh, did, uh, not enough, um, fuel fuel into my car. So I, I managed my gap, uh, to her, but, uh, then I realized, oh my gosh, this is not going to last till the end. I need to save her. And, and, and then I just, uh, need to lift and coast more and more and she comes closer and closer and closer.

I [00:34:00] was so happy when I see the white flag and I thought, okay, it will, it will, it will work out. Yes.

Jessica Weser: Yeah. And after my pit stop, I had about 70, 60, uh, 70 seconds.

Catharina Geissler: Yeah, I was behind, and then I, yeah, I saw that you are slower than me, but I didn’t know the reason why. I thought maybe a little accident, anything with your car happens that you can’t get, uh, go to pace, and, yeah.

So, every lap a little bit, a half a second sometimes, and I knew that. To the end, maybe. I was sweating. I’m coming.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yes.

Jessica Weser: But, yeah. In the last lap, I think I had someone with me. And, [00:35:00] yeah, we finished. You just could manage it and stay before me

Catharina Geissler: and I, I really was over the line and then

Jessica Weser: less than a lap, not a half lap. So

Catharina Geissler: yeah,

Jessica Weser: it was really close one.

Catharina Geissler: Yeah. But I really wanted to avoid this second step because I knew when I do the second step, I will be way behind. So yeah,

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Really nice that you managed to save fuel and, uh, and finish on P3. Congrats. Yeah, Sophie just, uh, said in chat that I wonder why you lost so much time.

Yeah,

Catharina Geissler: it was fuel

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: saving. How do you like the screen to speed community and how do you feel overall about, uh, like girls into sim racing and, uh, do you feel [00:36:00] that, uh, sim racing community is friendly and nice, uh, to women? What do you think about this? Uh, let’s start with Jessica.

Catharina Geissler: I think it’s

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: really fun to

Catharina Geissler: drive there

Jessica Weser: and yeah, I’m really excited.

Right now for the next races even, because that’s the first time with FF1600, so a little bit formula like, and I think that will be really cool.

Catharina Geissler: And from the community, we Get good feedback and yeah, it’s always great to be there. Yeah, I think There are always so good simracing girls and women on Events that’s so much fun.

And it’s most of the time. It’s really really fair and I think it’s really cool also, we just knew or about [00:37:00] screen to speed Uh, from the ADAC Sim Racing Expo last year, um, so that, that was the moment where we met, uh, the whole community and saw the race. It did it on, um, on the fair. That was also cool to have a space only for women in this whole, uh, man area.

So because even. On the Sim Racing Expo, it was when you come to the simulators there and ask, can I try it out? It always was, oh yeah, try it out. You can. And then after, when you do the first lap, they’re just getting their smartphones out and filming you. Because they can’t drive. So. Yeah, and, um, the community from Screen2Speed is really, really cool.

It’s really nice. Everybody’s nice. Everybody’s cool. So it’s, it’s, it’s a lot of fun to get to know each other and, um, race against, against each other. Um, [00:38:00] in iRacing, I think it’s a bit split. Sometimes you have Um, some weirdos who, who don’t like to be beat by a woman, so they might dive bomb you or things like that on the last lap, but, um, yeah, I think that’s happens.

And at the sim racing expo, we also got a little coaching from Nina Han, so that was very nice from her and yeah. So we met Yvonne and all the others there and got really good feedback. Yeah, we are looking really forward for this year and be there too.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, we got a lot of great people in the Sports and, uh, they did a really good job supporting women into some racing into motorsport as [00:39:00] well and give opportunity to girls who coming to some racing, uh, also to feel comfortable because sometimes, uh, Like, I get used to that, uh, here’s a lot of men, uh, in motorsports and racing, and I just get used to that.

Uh, some girls can be a little bit afraid of jumping into, uh, male dominated areas, uh, where here’s a lot of men, and that’s great to have a, a place where you can feel safe and can, can feel, uh, every time welcome. It’s really awesome. But, uh, from my experience, I also want to ask you about, uh, how can you compare the, uh, karting community to simracing, uh, one, because, uh, when I was in karting, it was really toxic, and, uh, when I was in open wheelers, I also was like, you know, only one person, so, like, guys, they communicating with each other, and they just, like, ignore me, uh, 100%, especially if If you’re winning, if you’re on top [00:40:00] three, top five, they’re like, oh, we’re not going to talk with you now.

So, yeah, it’s really, um, you know. I just get used to that, but I can feel that it can be a really painful thing for some people, especially for new people who coming into some racing. So yeah, what do you think about cars and community in Germany and how they treat you here? Let’s start with Katerina. Um,

Catharina Geissler: I think you have a little bit more experience about that, but I can say from my side, um, I got lucky because we, um, are in the motorsports club and they’re In this club, it’s really, really nice to, um, and you do, you get connected really fast and you help each other out.

So, um, even with the other clubs, it was, it was good for me. Um, when it comes to, [00:41:00] um, long distance racing, we also did in the past. Um, it depends. You, you always have some people who are, yeah. Like, I don’t want to get to know you, or we are enemies, and I don’t want to buy you. But, um, I think we, we are lucky that we always had some people around us who support us, and, um, yeah.

Didn’t look at our gender, if we are women or not, or, so, um, I think, for me, it was really positive. Yeah, for me too. So even in the championship, I did it for

Jessica Weser: about a really long time. And it was outstanding, yes. Um, yeah. And so everybody grew up in a way with, with all this. And they saw me year for year fighting [00:42:00] for the, yeah.

Top podium positions and yeah, so you get over the long distance a little respect of them. And yeah, they see, you

Catharina Geissler: know, how good you are, how good you deliver every time and then it grows. Most of the time and everybody knows, yeah, it’s even besides the track, you, you stay overnight, you camp there, you, um, you eat barbecue together and so on.

So I think that that also helps to, to get to know each other. Yeah, that’s then one big community and yeah, everybody are friends, most of them and

Jessica Weser: yeah. It’s really cool time, just like a big summer camp you see every weekend and

Catharina Geissler: yeah, you spend with this guys more than with some other guys, [00:43:00] your relatives or something like this.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Really cool that you got that positive experience. That’s really nice. Um, do you see that, uh, now, uh, you can mention more girls into karting and into some racing as well? So how do you think the industry changing for this years?

Catharina Geissler: Difficult. Um, I think it, it gets better even with, um, uh, things like, uh, screen to speed to help grow and you have more, um, yeah, female personalities in a sport where you can look up to here in Germany. It’s a Sophia flush. For example, um, I know that a lot of girls look up to her, um, yeah, but it’s, it’s still tough I think to get some sponsors and, um, yeah, when you, [00:44:00] when these, my feeling is when sponsors, uh, could choose between a boy or a girl or a woman or a man, firstly would choose the man because he is better to promote.

Um. But, um, yeah, we need to keep work on it, that it gets better, and, um, yeah, maybe someday we have a woman Formula One, competing, that would, that would be great, yeah.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, that would be awesome to, to have a women, woman in the Formula One, or even a lot of them, who knows.

Catharina Geissler: Yeah, that would be great, but, yeah, keep pushing everybody, and never give up.

That’s the message we could give to everybody. And yeah, so just make the first step, try it out and yeah, [00:45:00] if it’s fun, do it. Believe in your dreams and yeah, keep going.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, that’s true. We should just, uh, focus on our dreams and, uh, doesn’t matter if we girl or boy, like if you want to do some racing, you can jump to some racing and do it.

Uh, so I always, uh, answer to questions. Like, how do you feel to be only one girl on the grade? I’m like, I’m just a racing driver, you know, in the car and that’s it. So it doesn’t matter if I’m girl or boy when I’m in the racing car. Uh, so I believe that, uh, with some time, uh, people just going to race, uh, with girls and there’ll be absolutely normal thing, like nothing, uh, really, uh, the thing which stand out.

All right. Um, so speaking about other hobbies, uh, I know, Katharina, [00:46:00] that you’re into Chinese Kung Fu, right? So can you tell me more about it and how you started, how you get into this? Um,

Catharina Geissler: I’m, I first started, I think when I was 14 or 15. So a long time ago, um, it, it, I just came over school into it. There was, there was a trial training and I thought, okay, maybe I try it out for fun.

And I. Stick to it. Um, I did a little break over some years because of, um, school and work, but, um, yeah, I’m now really, really into it and trying to, um, get up to grades there. And I think it’s, it’s, uh, crazy how similar things are from, um, Kung Fu or martial arts to motorsports because Uh, about concentration, about [00:47:00] breathing, about, um, your body physics and, uh, feeling your body and feeling the car.

So you, you can adapt a lot of things from, from both worlds, uh, to each other. And yeah, for me, it’s, it’s, uh, more a way to relax, even though it’s exhausting to do it. So, but, but I always feel relaxed when I come from training. So that’s really cool.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: That’s nice. Uh, what about you, Jessica? Do you have any other hobbies outside of racing and sim racing?

Jessica Weser: Well, not so much. It’s always a lot of stuff to do around the SimRig, our real part, the Toyota,

Catharina Geissler: the Yaris, and so Yeah. Yeah. A lot of things to do. Yeah. You, you like to, uh, to work on the things and, uh, try to understand how it [00:48:00] works. Yeah. And even improve it. Yeah. She’s always, um, yeah, improving the paddles and says, yeah, I would change that and this and that.

And I think, okay, yeah, do it. Understand possible landing, but it will be great.

Jessica Weser: I asked her if I did something, so, yeah, is it better or not, and she says, I don’t know.

But after a few times, then, yeah, it’s good. It’s getting faster and faster, and so, yeah.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: So outside of being the driver, you’re also trying to be the sim racing engineer, yeah?

Catharina Geissler: Yes.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah.

Catharina Geissler: And, and even mechanic on the cart and so on. So she can do that. I mean, I can change tires at least. So no,

Jessica Weser: I built a whole cart, um, [00:49:00] completely from ground up.

So yeah, I knew every screw at the cart. Yeah.

Catharina Geissler: So. Yeah. That’s awesome. Try it out. Yeah. Really cool. It’s also a kind of

Jessica Weser: Thank you.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, because, you know, I think that, uh, not so many drivers who’s into karting, into racing, they also, uh, kind of trying to dive deep into mechanic part of this and, uh, do something with their own hands and, uh, it’s It’s really awesome, uh, because I also really like to spend time with my, my dad, uh, my dad built, build my carts and I also help him to build it.

Uh, it was really fun for me. So I know I was always like, I want to screw something, do something because it’s really fun. All right. Um, do you have [00:50:00] any plans for motorsport? Do you have any plans for karting, uh, this year in 2025? Um, we

Catharina Geissler: will compete in, in the, um, in our local car championship with our Toyota, definitely.

Um, the season starts, I think, in May? In May? Um, unfortunately, there are not so many events like, uh, the last years, because, um, for all the clubs, it gets harder to get the tracks and so on, and, yeah. Also a financial problem for them. So, um, I think it’s four or five races. Um, when it comes to karting, I think we will do some long distance races.

With our team, but nothing specific planned. We will see, uh, comes up with our own card. I think it’s more like a fun, [00:51:00] fun drive. We can use our club track for free. So on Sundays we can go on a track and just drive without, um, yeah, competing in a championship or so on. ’cause we need to focus on some things.

When you do want to do everything in, in a high level, it’s a little bit too much. So, yeah. Um, I would say we do the carting stuff for fun. Yeah. And so, yeah, the screen to speed events we already mentioned, um, I think that’s quite a lot. Mm-hmm . And some videos for our channel. Mm-hmm .

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, I think that’s good plans, which you got for 2025 and also probably I’m going to see you see you on one of the screen to speed events.

Uh, we got a question for you in the chat. How long is a regular stint in an endurance karting race?

Catharina Geissler: It depends on the, [00:52:00] uh, uh, distance for sure. Um, normally it’s about one hour you drive the car, but, um, it depends a little bit because, um, the, the driver times you have for the, for the stints is limited, so, um, I don’t know when you have a six hour race like that and you compete with three drivers, um, everybody needs to, um, at least drive, I think, one hour or something like that.

But mostly it makes sense to just split it into two hour splits. But, uh, there’s also a lot of strategy when you come in to do the driver change and the karting change, usually you need to change the karts. And so, um, it depends. But I would say one to two hours.

I can give a [00:53:00] right answer because it depends on the distance, you have three hours, six hours, eight hours, 12 hours, so

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: it also depends on the strategy which you’re running, right? Yes. Yes. Yeah.

Catharina Geissler: I

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: did some, some races, uh, encouraging endurance races. We had like four hour race or something like this. And, uh, we had, uh, three people in a team and, uh, someone Longer stints and, uh, some other drivers, uh, drove, uh, shorter stints.

So, yeah, it depends on, uh, a lot of things, as you said. All right. And before we wrap up, I got, uh, a few questions for you. Uh, can you describe your driving style in three words? Let’s start with Katerina and then, uh, Jessica. You can try it as well.

Catharina Geissler: Okay, um, three words. Um,

I [00:54:00] think Oh, that’s really tough.

Um, I think smooth. Um,

sometimes a bit crazy.

And, um, I don’t know.

Hmm. You have your own line. Oh, yeah. My line is special. So special. Definitely special. Yes.

Jessica Weser: All right. Drives in indoor karting or something like this behind her. Um, the one crashes into the barriers. So you can’t drive her line. It’s not possible. Yeah, it’s fast. I can’t

Catharina Geissler: drive it. Yeah. And my three words, um, yeah.[00:55:00]

What would you say ? Um,

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: maybe

Catharina Geissler: aggress

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: aggressive or something like this.

Catharina Geissler: Um, focused on perfection lab . That’s, that’s not my, that’s not word . That’s a sentence.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah. Um, well, can say focused, uh, like perfect or perfection. Perfection,

Catharina Geissler: yeah, and I would say good looking, because it always looks good when you drive, so.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: All right, that counts, I think.

All right, and, um, the last one will be, uh, what a team song would be for your racing career? Catherine and Jessica, uh, that [00:56:00] can be, like, your favorite song or something like this, so, uh, when you see your racing career, what song playing in your head?

Catharina Geissler: Oh, that’s, um, for me, I really have all the time, uh, music in my ears.

So it’s, it’s, it’s kind of hard to decide, but I would definitely go with something from the Imagine Dragons because I’m a huge Imagine Dragons fan. Um, Um, I think I go with Radioactive, that’s, that’s a powerful song, and I saw it live and that, that just really gets me pumped up, so.

Jessica Weser: Um,

Catharina Geissler: yeah,

Jessica Weser: good song. Um, yeah, I don’t know, there are so many good songs.

But, yeah, maybe

Catharina Geissler: you go with your favorite band?[00:57:00]

Hmm,

good question. There are so many good songs to make you focus and yeah, I think every time, every year has a good, you know, good new actors, good new songs and you combinate them with the season. So every season has one song or

Jessica Weser: something like this. So, but what does the best ?

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: So you can pick, uh, you can pick then, uh, your song of 2025

Catharina Geissler: 2025. Um, I dunno. Um, could we take, I dunno.

Jessica Weser: [00:58:00] I don’t want to listen to music at the moment so much, so,

Catharina Geissler: yeah, you’re not really into, into, uh, music. You always need to listen to my music, so,

Jessica Weser: yeah, all the time, music on and, yeah.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: All right, so maybe we can count Imagine Dragons Radioactive as your song for your family.

Let me take that

Catharina Geissler: one.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah. Okay. Thank you so much for talking. It was really fun, uh, to get in to know you closer. Uh, wish you good luck for 2025 with your plans. Uh, probably going to see you on track with screen to speed events and guys, thank you so much for watching and see you next time. Yes. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you. It was a pleasure.[00:59:00]

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