Hello Marvin, for readers who do not know you yet; how would you describe yourself, both as a racing driver and as a person away from the track?
My name is Marvin Dienst. I would describe myself as the allrounder in motorsports. When I came into GT racing, I never had any budget to go testing or even fund a season in general. So I did a lot of coaching early to get myself some driving time. This forced me to learn every car very quickly, by jumping between different models and types back and forth. So I got to be one of the few drivers out there you might have seen racing LMP3 and GT3 on the same weekend.
When you are not at the track or in the simulator, what keeps you grounded? What does a perfect day off look like for you?
I love spending some time with my dog and I love playing videos games on my days off.
What’s been the biggest challenge you have faced so far in your career and how did you push through it?
The toughest times are always the winter seasons. The uncertainty if you can continue racing in the next season and finding a suitable cockpit is mentally exhausting. You got to keep your name in the game and build connections.
After single-seaters, you moved into GT and endurance racing. What made you switch and what’s the biggest difference in mindset between sprint racing and sharing a car for hours with teammates?
Simply, I could not afford to get into Formula 3 after I won the German F4 in 2015.
Also, as I mentioned above, in GT‘s I could start coaching to get driving time with shared cockpits. I even changed manufacturers multiple times, but only because I could never choose what I wanted to drive. I drove what I could drive and what I got offered.
In sprint races you are on your own. Lots of pressures generally, no excuses and no others to blame. You are in the spotlight to perform.
In endurance, it is even more a team effort. Not always the quickest car will win, but the one who is having a great synergy.
Endurance races can be brutal, both physically and mentally. What goes through your head during the toughest stints in the middle of the night?
Middle of the night is actually quite a chill stint. At some point, it is like a late night drive on the way home from holidays. You get some tunnel vision and time flies.
It gets tough when a result is on the line and you need to sent qualifying laps for two hours straight to stay in front, without mistakes.
Personally I do not think of much while racing. I used to learn to prepare myself to every scenario I could think of while driving, so if this scenario comes true I already have an idea where to position the car. This took an incredible amount of time off track, but now it became a habit keeping my mind clear for moments I need it.
You have raced with different teams, brands and co-drivers over the years — what makes a really good team environment for you, and how much does it affect your performance in the car?
The chemistry between a team and drivers is incredible important and I think everyone who played any sport can relate. Just imagine coming to play a derby in soccer and you get to play your favourite position with your best buddy next to you versus playing a game with someone you hate. When you get along with your teammate setup work also gets a lot easier.
Looking back at your journey so far, is there a moment or race result you’re most proud of. Not necessarily the biggest win, but one that really proved something to you?
That is a hard one. In all these years many good things have happened, but what really stands out is the feedback and support I got from different team bosses and engineers in the recent years. They backed me up in moments that matters and gave me a chance to drive, that is how I ended up in DTM multiple times.
Looking ahead, do you have a dream race or championship you still want to tackle?
I would love to participate in Daytona and Bathurst!
What’s the single best piece of advice you would give to young drivers dreaming of a professional career, something you learned the hard way on your own journey?
You can never start early enough to get connections to people. When I was younger, I sat back too many times waiting for the luck to approach me. Until, I learned to help my luck and started to approach people myself.
Originally published: 15th of July, 2025
© of photo: Gruppe C GmbH
