At just 18 years old, Erick Schotten shows himself to be a driver focused on building a good future in national motorsport. During the TCR South America round in Interlagos, which began this Thursday (23), the young driver spoke with F1MANIA.NET about this new phase of his career and the ambitious challenge of competing in two championships simultaneously: Stock Light and TCR.
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After two seasons in Stock Light — a championship with a leaner calendar —, Erick felt the need to increase his mileage on the tracks. “There was too much interval between rounds, and for a developing driver, that takes a toll. I need to be in the car as much as possible,” he explains.
Investing in TCR
It was in this context that the opportunity arose to join TCR, a category with which Erick already had proximity due to the team, W2 Pro GP. The prior contact facilitated the adaptation. “It’s an excellent category, with global visibility and presence. This opens doors to race outside Brazil, which is very important when thinking about a career.”
Even coming from a background that includes karting, Formula Delta, competitions in the United States, and Stock Light itself, TCR is demanding greater dedication, as the front-wheel-drive car has changed his driving style. “It’s completely different from anything I’ve ever driven. I had to learn a lot, but the fact that I already knew the team helped a lot in this process,” he comments.
Results began to appear right from the first rounds. One of the most striking moments so far was his first podium in Cascavel, Paraná, a track where the driver had come close to the podium several times before. “There was always one detail missing for the podium. This time it worked out, largely due to adapting to the car and driving lighter, more calmly.”
Joining TCR also placed Erick on a more diverse and experienced grid, with drivers from different countries. The beginning, according to him, was one of observation. “I arrived with a learning mindset. Unlike other categories, here I knew almost no one, especially the international drivers. I’m adapting both on and off the track.”
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Double-driver race requires quick adaptation
In Interlagos, the challenge gains an additional element: a long-distance race, contested in pairs. The novelty demands not only performance but also harmony between Erick and his teammate, Bruno Massa, who also races in TCR. “The car setup needs to work for both drivers, so we need to find a middle ground. It’s no longer individual work,” he explains. “We’ll need to train a lot, because it’s new for us.”
Even with the complexity of switching between two categories on the same weekend, the driver believes that the current point in the season helps. “If it were my debut, it would be more complicated. Now I’m more comfortable.”
What lies ahead
His focus, however, is not only on Brazil. Erick is also already planning the international rounds of TCR, with planned stops in Uruguay and Argentina. “I really want to race abroad. This brings experience on new tracks and contributes a lot to my evolution as a driver.”
Reflecting on the future, he keeps his objectives clear: the goal is to continue evolving and achieve good results on both fronts. “I hope that Erick at the end of the year will be satisfied with the work done — and, who knows, even exceeding expectations.” Among his plans, he does not rule out fighting for the Stock Light title. “There’s a lot of work ahead, but that’s what I’m focused on.”
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