Then you have the opportunity now, Rudi.

Great, then I'll get started. We encountered sunshine and decent snow and ice conditions when we travelled to the winter driving training course in Muhr, Austria, on Friday. We, that's me, Rudi Lupfer, and my friend Ralph Dentler, 47 years old. We share a passion for motorsport and heavy metal music. I've owned my training vehicle, a 2003 Subaru WRX STI, since autumn 2018 and use it exclusively in winter. I transport the vehicle to training sessions on the trailer.

Rudi Lupfer was there with his Subaru WRX STI in Muhr.

An acquaintance took me to my first winter training session a few years ago. At the time, I was there with my son in a Porsche 911 GTS and we quickly realised that a four-wheel drive vehicle was the better alternative for training on ice and snow. On the journey home, my son and I decided to look for a ‘proper’ winter car. That's how we ended up with the Subaru. A rather rare car with German registration and left-hand drive.

We gave the Subaru a complete check-up for the next winter training session. The brakes were renewed, the chassis overhauled, and everything was prepared for its future purpose. Nevertheless, the car broke down once during a winter training session with turbocharger damage. Fortunately, we had travelled to Austria with two cars at the time. The second car was a Porsche 718 Boxster. After some familiarisation with the mid-engine concept, the Boxster also proved to be a suitable training vehicle. We helped a little with the engine performance when we replaced the supercharger. The turbocharger is slightly larger and, in conjunction with a higher-flow exhaust system, we now have around 20 to 30 hp more engine power. You can never have enough power.

Driving a four-wheel drive vehicle in drift mode requires special skills.

So it wasn't my first time. I'm still very enthusiastic about it. After all, winter training is an ideal opportunity to optimise your own driving skills and develop a certain composure for unusual situations on public roads. If you know how a vehicle reacts when you have to brake or swerve on slippery roads, the knowledge you have acquired pays off in a positive way. The tasks and tips given by the highly experienced instructors on site are particularly helpful. In fact, they always manage to set new challenges for the participants and improve their skills. If you've been there a few times and think there's nothing more you can learn, an instructor sits down next to you and shows you one or two ways to improve. In my opinion, it is helpful to repeat such training sessions.

If everything is also perfectly organised, the skiing conditions are ideal, competent, cheerful and experienced instructors are your companions and the catering is also good, then every training session will be remembered fondly, then you are simply with the Pistenclub.

With a limited number of participants and plenty of time together on the track, the winter training sessions always create a great atmosphere.

I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank the Pistenclub on behalf of my companions, sons and friends for their unstinting efforts in organising the winter training sessions. Keep up the good work!

Rudi, thank you very much for the interview, we are delighted that you had such a good time in Muhr. Have fun on the race track!