Marko Brdek ahead of DONUT 10: “I’ve been driving the same car for four seasons, and I’m still at the front”

Marko Brdek entered the current DONUT International Cup season without major expectations.

The original plan did not include competing in every round, but a series of positive results changed the situation. Instead of selecting individual events, Brdek continued the season and now heads into the final round with an opportunity to fight for the title.

It all started with victory at DONUT 7 at the Bugatti Rimac test track. In Split, he adopted a different strategy and used the less powerful BMW E36 he normally drives in training because of the slower track configuration. The decision earned him fourth place, while a mistake at Westgate cost him an opportunity to secure another major result.

His main competition car is a 500 hp BMW E46 that he has driven for four seasons without any major changes. While his rivals continue to develop their projects, Brdek keeps delivering results with a familiar and proven package.

Ahead of DONUT 10, he trails championship leader Ivo Znaor by 20 points. Of all the drivers chasing the lead, Brdek is in the strongest position to challenge for the title.

Before the finale, we spoke to him about his unexpected title challenge, budget limitations, car preparation, his strategy in Split, the mistake at Westgate and the possible outcome of the final round of the season.

The road to a title challenge

Brdek entered the season modestly, without major expectations and with a plan to carefully select the events in which he would compete. However, strong results in the opening rounds changed that plan.

Instead of making occasional appearances at selected events, Marko ultimately completed the full Croatian calendar and earned an opportunity to fight at the very top of the championship.

How are you feeling ahead of the final round of the DONUT International Cup, and how much are you thinking about the possibility of winning the title?

“I feel great. This season started without any expectations for me.

We did not have enough room in the budget to compete in every round, but the results were positive, so we decided to continue and fight for every position we could achieve.”

The decision to continue the season has brought him within 20 points of the championship lead and given him an opportunity to achieve the biggest result of his DONUT journey so far.

“We change the filter and oil, put fuel in it and go”

Brdek’s BMW E46 produces 500 hp, and he has been driving the same car for four seasons.

While some of his rivals make major technical changes between events, his approach is based on a reliable car whose behaviour he knows extremely well.

Have there been any changes to the car since Westgate, and what have you and the team specifically prepared for DONUT 10?

“There have been no changes, just like throughout the rest of the season. We change the filter and oil, put fuel in it and go.”

His answer perfectly describes the team’s approach to the finale. Instead of making major changes immediately before the most important event of the year, Brdek arrives with an already proven package.

A different strategy for the slower circuit in Split

After winning the opening round of the season, Brdek arrived in Split with a different approach.

Because of the slower track configuration, he decided to leave his main E46 aside and compete in the less powerful BMW E36 he normally uses for training. Despite the difference in performance, he finished the event in fourth place.

His biggest points loss came at Westgate. Brdek hit the tyre barrier, compromised his line and opened the door for Brolli to win their battle.

You opened the season with victory at DONUT 7, finished fourth in Split with your training car and then lost another strong result because of a major mistake at Westgate. How do you assess your season so far?

“Westgate was the event where I suffered my biggest loss of the season. I made a major mistake and hit the ‘wall’—the tyre barrier—which compromised my line. That handed the win to Brolli.

We used a different strategy in Split. Because of the slower track configuration, I drove the less powerful E36 that I normally use for training and managed to finish in an excellent fourth place.”

The result in Split demonstrated Brdek’s ability to adapt his choice of car to the characteristics of the circuit and remain competitive even without his main competition project.

Ivo Znaor as his biggest rival

Brdek trails championship leader Ivo Znaor by 20 points ahead of the final round.

That makes Znaor his biggest rival in the title fight, although he is not the only driver Brdek would prefer to avoid during the elimination battles.

Who do you consider your biggest rival for the title, and who would you least like to face in the elimination battles?

“I consider Ivo Znaor my biggest rival for the title. He has a 20-point lead.

The driver I would least like to meet in the eliminations is Erik because nobody from this region has managed to stop his winning streak this year.”

The current standings make Brdek the best-positioned driver among those trying to catch Znaor. However, the final outcome will depend not only on the points gap but also on the elimination bracket awaiting them at DONUT 10.

What does he need to win the title?

The 20-point gap leaves Brdek with a clear but demanding route to first place.

According to his calculations, he needs to reach the final without facing Znaor in the deciding battle.

Do you believe you can take the lead from Ivo Znaor in the final round, and what needs to happen for the title to end up in your hands?

“Mathematically, I need to reach the final against anyone except Ivo Znaor, and the title should then go my way.”

We can therefore expect intense battles and a particularly interesting bracket. Every pairing could directly affect the title fight, while the structure of the eliminations could prove just as important as the individual runs.

A home track everyone knows well

DONUT 10 takes place at the Bugatti Rimac test track, where Brdek opened the season with a victory.

Although it is his home track, he does not believe his familiarity with the venue will give him a major advantage over the other title contenders.

The finale takes place in Mičevec, at the home track where you have already won this season. Does knowing the venue give you an advantage, or does the home crowd create additional pressure?

“I believe all five leading drivers know my home track well enough because it is also the best-known drift venue in Croatia.”

Any advantage will therefore be found in the details, the quality of each individual run and a driver’s ability to avoid mistakes under pressure.

Four seasons with the same BMW E46

Brdek’s E46 produces 500 hp, but it is not one of the most powerful cars at the top of the standings.

His results are built on reliability, a familiar setup and the experience gained over four seasons behind the wheel of the same car.

Your BMW E46 is not the most powerful car on the grid, but it regularly beats more powerful machinery. How much of the result comes down to power, and how much depends on setup, reliability and the driver’s familiarity with the car?

“I think I have shown this season that even with a less powerful car, you can beat cars that are literally three times more powerful.

Power is important, but the result does not depend on power alone.”

At a time when the leading teams continue to develop increasingly powerful and advanced cars, Brdek remains competitive with a project he knows down to the smallest detail.

“People don’t take me seriously”

While some of the other title contenders receive more attention, Brdek’s results continue to keep him near the top.

He believes some people still underestimate him precisely because his car does not undergo major changes from one season to the next.

Do you believe you are still an underrated DONUT driver?

“I think people don’t take me seriously because the drivers at the top of the grid keep upgrading their equipment, while I have been driving the same car for four seasons.

Despite that, I’m still at the front.”

In a season that began without any certainty that his team would have the budget to compete in every round, Brdek has shown that constant car development is not the only route to strong results.

Reliability, experience and the ability to extract the maximum from an existing package are equally important.

Showing the reality of drifting on YouTube

Brdek shares part of what happens between events on his YouTube channel.

Although he admits that he has not yet dedicated as much time to it as he would like, his goal is to show the audience the reality of drifting—including the preparation, mechanical failures, repairs and the amount of work required for a single competition weekend.

Through your YouTube channel, the audience gets to see the breakdowns, repairs, preparation and everything that happens between events. Would you like to dedicate more time to it in the future?

“I would like to dedicate more time to YouTube, and I will work on that in the future.

I’m glad that I can share the entire process through my videos, and I try to show the most realistic possible picture of what things are actually like for us.”

“I’m ready to face anyone”

The final round of the season could bring Brdek the biggest result of his DONUT journey so far.

Twenty points separate him from the championship lead, along with an elimination bracket in which every battle will carry additional weight.

If the final battle of DONUT 10 also becomes a direct battle for the title, who would you like to face, and how much are you prepared to risk to become champion?

“I’m ready to face anyone.”

Marko Brdek heads to DONUT 10 as the best-positioned challenger to championship leader Ivo Znaor. Intense battles await, and the bracket could change the championship standings from the very first elimination pairings.

We will find out who finishes at the top of the DONUT International Cup on 19 and 20 September at the Bugatti Rimac test track.