VW’s ‘Ring record breaker: “One of the best laps I’ve ever driven”

Benjamin “Benny” Leuchter is no stranger to TopGear.com. A fearsomely talented racer, serial winner and Volkswagen’s official test driver, he first popped up on our radar back in 2016 when he set a then front-wheel-drive production car record by managing 7m 49.21 seconds around the Green Hell in the Mk7 Golf GTI Clubsport S.

Then, in 2022, he went even faster, clocking 7m 47.31s in the Mk8 Golf R 20 Years. But now he’s trumped even that, setting a time of 7m 46.13s – astonishingly quick given the track was damp – in the Mk8 Golf GTI Edition 50.

“It feels amazing," he said, just moments after stepping out of the car. "I think with these conditions today, I was not expecting that lap time to be honest. I knew the potential of the car from testing, but even so this is the fastest lap time we've seen.

“I squeezed out everything from the car. I knew after the first sector there wasn’t much grip in the track, there was only potential for a proper lap time if I pushed in the fast corners very hard… that lap was phenomenal.”

What makes it all the more impressive is that Benny had just one attempt to set the record following heavy rain overnight, with the team having spent the entire morning waiting (and praying) for the track to dry out. So, could he have gone any quicker?

“On the Nordschleife you can always find time, in perfect conditions I think there is potential for two and a half seconds [faster], but I think that lap I put down today was one of the best laps I’ve ever driven.

“I was just saying to Florian [Umbach, head of vehicle dynamics], I think my stress level was the highest it’s been in the past five years. I was really, really committed.”

Where does he think the most improvements have been made compared to the record breaking Golfs of past gone by?

“If I look back now, especially the steering and reaction of the car, this car is much quicker, it offers much more feel for the driver, so I can squeeze out more of the car. I have a better connection to the car. 

“The Clubsport S particularly was quite wild [comparatively], this car is a little bit more calm, but you can push it easier on the limit. I think an unexperienced driver is much faster with this car than a Clubsport S.”

And given the 13-mile, 154-corner track, how does he stay 100 per cent focused throughout the lap and make sure he’s hitting the correct line every time?

“Enjoyment. With enjoyment, everything comes from itself. I enjoy the car, and as a driver if you enjoy the car, you're happy to drive it to the limit.

“For me it's very nice looking back where everything started. My first ever car was a GTI Mk6, my mother drove a GTI, I set a lap record with the Clubsport S, now I set a lap record with the 50 Years Edition, so it's really nice for me.”

Some kind of celebration must surely be in order. “I’ve been monitoring my body weight a lot the past two weeks," says Benny, "so today it's a nice pizza or steak, I don't care! It's another race weekend this weekend for me, so a little bit of celebration, but tomorrow focus on race weekend.”

And not long after that, another blummin' record no doubt...