Filip Bartoš is competing once again in the Clio Cup this year with Carpek Racing. After his debut season last year, he kicked off the 2025 campaign with his best-ever result, earning points for fourth place overall and claiming third in the junior classification at the Red Bull Ring.
Filip, last year you competed in karting, raced in the NXT GEN CUP with electric cars, tried your hand at rallycross, and debuted in the Clio Cup. How did you manage it all?
It wasn’t easy organizing all the race weekends, especially since many clashed with other events. Unfortunately, this meant I couldn’t compete in the full Clio Cup season, and I participated in only a few karting events. Despite this, I think it was a successful year, and we managed to take part in a good number of races.
This year, we see you back in the Clio Cup. Do you have plans for anything else this season?
The Clio Cup is my main focus this year, but I plan to do at least one race in the NXT GEN CUP and participate in a few karting events as well.
What do you think are the biggest differences between racing electric and traditional combustion engine cars on circuits? What did you have to learn specifically for electric racing, and what experiences couldn’t you transfer to the Renault Clio?
There are many differences, even though both the Clio V and the LRT NXT1 have front-wheel drive. One major difference is cornering. In an electric car, you have to carefully manage the instant acceleration. If you don’t use that acceleration correctly, you can completely ruin your way through the corner.
Let’s talk about the start of your Clio Cup season at the Red Bull Ring. You qualified excellently in fourth place but dropped to ninth in the first race. What happened?
Unfortunately, I braked too late into turn three during the first race, which caused me to go into the gravel. I dropped down to 15th place but managed to regain six positions, finishing ninth.
You made up for it in the second race of the weekend, finishing fourth, just a second and a half behind your teammate and winner, Tomáš Pekař. You also recorded the fastest lap. How do you evaluate your performance?
What I achieved in the second race at the Red Bull Ring was my best performance ever behind the wheel of a racing car, and I’m very proud of it. But I know I need to keep improving.
Tomáš Pekař is a highly experienced driver in the Clio Cup. How do you work together, and how does he help you improve as a driver?
Tomáš undoubtedly knows this car better than anyone else I know, and he’s also extremely familiar with the tracks we race on. He helps me a lot, explaining how the car should behave in specific corners and suggesting optimal setups for each track. My performance at the Red Bull Ring is largely thanks to him.
Which track on the calendar suits you best, and why? Where are you most looking forward to racing during the remainder of the Clio Cup?
The Red Bull Ring suits me the best, but I’m also looking forward to Balaton Park because I like how modern the circuit is and, of course, the track itself.
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