Video: interview with Geoffrey Schatz, 2024 European Hillclimb Champion

I recently had the chance to meet Geoffrey Schatz, four-time French Champion and 2024 FIA European Hill-Climb Champion 🏆

A Burgundian driver from Saône-et-Loire, he has established himself as one of the masters of hill climb racing in France and Europe. In this article, I’ll briefly go over his career (from his beginnings in a Jema 630 GT to his continental crown), before inviting you to watch our full video interview (see below) 🎥

A record that commands respect

Hill climb racing is a family affair for the Schatz family. His older brother Nicolas, who now runs ANS Motorsport, won seven national titles in the 2010s, and Geoffrey brilliantly took over by adding four French championship crowns of his own: 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023 🥳

📸 Nicolas Millet Photography

On the strength of his dominance in the French Hill-Climb Championship (the “CFM Challenge”), he decided in 2024 to take on a new challenge on the European stage. Mission accomplished: in his very first continental campaign, Geoffrey clinched the 2024 European Hill-Climb Championship title, becoming the first Frenchman to be crowned in this discipline since Lionel Régal in 2008, a magnificent achievement 🙏

📄 Geoffrey Schatz – Record (competition debut in 2010)

These titles illustrate the steady rise of Geoffrey Schatz since his debut in 2010. Season after season, he established himself until he dominated the French championship starting in 2019, stringing together three consecutive crowns. After a forced break in 2022 due to a serious burn to his left leg caused by a mechanical incident, he came back strong in 2023 to secure a fourth national title 💪

The following year, he took another step by triumphing on the European stage, becoming the first Frenchman crowned since 2008 🎉

From the Jema to the Nova Proto NP-01: prototypes built for hill climbs

To master the winding slopes of passes and mountains, Geoffrey Schatz has always relied on tailor-made machines for hill climb racing. He started with a Jema before moving on to a Norma CN/2, then stepped up with impressive F3000 single-seaters: first a Reynard 95D Mugen, then a Reynard 01L Nippon, which left a particularly strong impression on him.

➡️ See all hill climb race car listings on GoToTheGrid 😉

He then drove a Norma with a 4-liter engine (CN+), before moving on to a Norma in E2-SC configuration, even sharper 🔥

Today, he drives the very latest Nova Proto NP-01 with a turbo engine, an ultra-light and powerful prototype that is akin to a true Formula 1 of the mountains. On his very first European outing, he set a new track record at the Rechbergrennen in Austria with this freshly built NP-01. On the national level, he still holds numerous records on French Hill-Climb Championship courses ⏱️

See also: "Beginning and improving hillclimbing"

From driver to coach: the passion for passing on

In 2025, Geoffrey is not competing in the season… for a rather surprising reason: the unavailability of tires throughout the year makes a full top-level program impossible 😲

Nevertheless, he remains fully active in the field as an independent driving instructor. A graduate of the BPJEPS Sport Auto, he created his own structure, GS Driving, and supports many drivers, whether amateurs or competitors.

📸 Nicolas Millet Photography

On track or in the mountains, during leisure days or in race preparation, he shares his experience to help his students progress, whether they drive GTs, single-seaters, prototypes or even their road cars. This teaching side, essential in his eyes, allows him to pass on the skills and values acquired over the course of a career that already spans 15 years 🔝

See also: "How to become a driving instructor ?"

This is how he helps foster the next generation, all while already preparing his return to competition. Geoffrey also does not hide a dream that particularly motivates him: to one day take on the legendary Pikes Peak, one of the most famous and spectacular climbs in the world 😎

👉 To learn more about Geoffrey Schatz’s career, his racing anecdotes and his personality, don’t miss the full video interview available on my YouTube channel. I gathered his exclusive insights: from his beginnings in Burgundy to his European crown, he tells us everything in detail. A unique opportunity to discover the man behind the champion – enjoy watching! 😉

[VIDEO] Geoffrey Schatz: 250 km/h between the trees, CAR ON FIRE 🔥 | This is CRAZY!