Michal Orlowski – the TITC Rookie!!
Think Electric Touring Car racing and one name that’s going to come to mind immediately is Michal Orlowski. It is widely acknowledged that the Schumacher driver is one of the, if not the, fastest drivers in the World but as we get ready to officially go into battle tomorrow (Thursday) at one of the most prized race titles after the World Championship, the Polish driver finds himself with the unusual status of being a Rookie at the 21st running of the legendary TITC. Given the unique challenges this race presents to drivers, most giving it the title of the world’s toughest race, with its ever changing track conditions this is one race where experience carries huge weight and so it’s going to be exciting to see how the ‘Rookie’ rises to the challenge of his TITC debut. Interestingly given the amount of World Championship events the Country has also hosted, this year’s TITC appearance also marks Michal’s first time in Thailand so starting our conversation by asking how is finding Bangkok, Michal replied, ‘This is my first time on this part of the Globe and it’s an amazing experience so far. The city is crazy, I have never seen as many scooters.’
Getting the back story as to why 2025 is the first time Michal will join the whose who of electric touring car racing and complete at the TITC for the very first time he explains, ‘I have been fighting for the wins in touring car only for 2-years now, before we were making B-Finals or struggling to make A-Finals at ETS so we didn’t really see this race as an important one because it always clashes with some offroad events where I always did well and was fighting for the wins. Since we have been fighting for the wins in touring car we have been thinking about it but there has always been the British GP Offroad 1:10 race, a big race in the UK, clashing with the TITC but we thought this year is finally the time to miss the British GP and try ourselves here.’
With the TITC extending to more than a week of track action, more on that later, asked how the unofficial part of the event was going so far he said, ‘With the track I was quite nervous about how the traction, bumps, and the layout would be as all the other guys told me how difficult this race is but to be honest it’s much better than I expected so far and I am really enjoying the experience.’ Asked his initial impressions of the track he explained, ‘it’s really different to what I thought it would be. Everyone said how high traction it is and bumpy, and yes it is quite bumpy but it is nothing crazy and so far we are enjoying it. We have had four days now of testing and tuning the set-up of the car and it’s been going well. I’m feeling good so far in practice but as we know from everyone that has experience here the conditions change a lot so we are trying something new everyday. In general it has been very positive. I was nervous coming here on how it would go and how difficult it was going to be to be on pace with everyone that have been here for many years but from the first battery it felt quite nice on the track.’ With his entry attracting a lot of attention on race that already has a huge following after last year’s dramas, some the races past conquerors have been happy to advice Michal on his debut, ‘It was nice to get some pointers from guys like Marc (Rheinard), Atsushi (Hara), Ronald (Volker) that have been here for a long time. Marc is also helping us move around Bangkok and with where to go to eat, and what to eat for lunch.’ Interrupting Michal to ask if that meant they were eating in all the city’s fancy places, Marc known for appreciating fine dining, Michal replied, ‘well we did but then some days he needs to wrench surprisingly, so one day it’s a fancy place, one day it’s take out.’
His seventh consecutive weekend of racing, asked how the driver was coping with these demands he responded with, ‘I am feeling quite tired. We have done a full weekend of racing/testing and it’s only Monday before the race and this I have never experienced in my life. I am trying to take it easy, missing a few runs and trying to sleep a little longer than normal days so I feel fresh for the race because if you stay in the heat for almost a week before it starts and then without any time off you go into the race, while the car might be on point, the driver won’t be.’ Asked had jet lag been an issue since his arrival he said, ‘I am surprised, it hasn’t been too bad. I woke up at 4 and 5 a few days in a row but it’s not bad.’ On the 30-degree plus heat he said, ‘It’s quite hot but the worst is in the pits when it is really crowded and not so much airflow.’ Asking him if he was getting the full TITC experience in the pits, he said ‘the first two days I was in the Cayote box with Marc and Atsushi, then we moved downstairs to the pit area, to the one behind the wall and now we got a table on the side of that area because Elceram sponsor the event so they got some tables, so I am sitting here now with Mattia (Collina), but we got the full experience for 2-days.’
Regarding his car and if Schumacher had brought anything new specifically for the uniqueness of the Infinity RC Addict track, Michal said, ‘We are running the Mi9 that we have run at the Worlds with some set-up adjustments to try some new ideas we came here with that have worked quite well so far. The base of the car is the same as the Worlds. Mattia is here to race and help me prepare everything. Pekko (Iivonen) came here with JQ so all four of us are racing Schumachers but basically I’m working with Pekko and Mattia, and then a full team from Elceram is over too. The owner, the software & hardware engineer and their two wives as well so it’s a nice group from Elceram and also support from Cayote who are here. It’s been going well and we just need to continue to work hard and see what comes on Sunday. I know conditions will change and it will be different in the race but at the moment we are strong every single day and in every condition but some people say there is rain in the forecast so we never know what will happen, we’ll just take it run by run.’
Ending our conversation and telling Michal I would be arriving in Thailand on Wednesday to kick off our coverage on Thursday morning, he joking replied ‘you are one week late then’ which raises an interesting point. For those of you less familiar with the TITC, it is officially a 4-day event that starts with official practice on Thursday, however for many drivers they will already have been there over a week before it starts. During our coverage of the recent MIBO International both Michal and winner Ronald Volker had very short turnaround times before catching their flights to Bangkok even though the two races were on a calendar 2-weeks apart. Michal explained, ‘I’ve been since Friday at the track, we arrived Thursday. I think Hara has been here for a week already so he’s here two weeks. I mean to me it is unbelievable what’s going on here because yesterday was Sunday before the race and there is 200 or more cars and when I walk around the pits it is completely full but it’s not even the week of the race. I don’t get how people in Europe complain about ETS that they need to take 2-days or 3 days off work ’cause it’s a four day event. Here they spend so much on practice tyres, hotel & travel. The race means so much time off work also but there are so many people every year. It’s strange but I guess it works.’
