It's no secret that Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is a huge fan of car racing.
According to Lent.az, citing foreign media, the Belgian not only regularly attends Formula 1 Grand Prix events, but also owns the TC Racing project, a Spanish F-4 team, and has regularly competed in sim racing (online racing) in the past. His team's long-term goal is to be in F-2.
Thibaut Courtois said: "The TC Racing project is another example of my commitment to motorsport, a world that has always fascinated me. I am full of ambition and surround myself with the best people to reach the top in the medium term."
Now that's not enough for the goalkeeper and he's getting ready to get behind the wheel himself. In particular, the 32-year-old Courtois is considering the possibility of participating in GT3 class races. By the way, a Porsche 992 GT3 RS appeared in his collection in January 2024.
"I hope that in the future I will have the opportunity to participate in GT3 races," he emphasized.
However, there is one major problem: cars in this class are not designed for people taller than 2 meters. For example, the GT3 drivers at Le Mans were 176 centimeters tall. This means Courtois will have to modify the car, and every kilogram is taken into account at a high level.
Thibaut Courtois is not the first goalkeeper to try himself in racing. In the past, Fabien Barthez tried his hand at GT3 after ending his career. He won the French championship and even participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Spa.
Another, lesser-known former Spanish national team goalkeeper is Santiago Cañizares. After his active football career, he also took up motorsport, although more at the national level: Canizares participated in various rallies.