Danny Soufi has been active in the Prototype Cup Germany since 2022. Pavel Lefterov made his debut in the German LMP3 series this season. Both drivers are a perfect fit in terms of both driving skills and personality.
Danny Soufi and Pavel Lefterov were the first-ever American and Bulgarian to win the title in the Prototype Cup Germany. The two Konrad Motorsport drivers secured the victory in the German LMP3 series one race weekend before the finale, which made them very happy. “We wanted to wrap it up at the Nürburgring because that is one of our team principal Franz Konrad’s home events, and our engineer Michael Rowe, an important part of the team, was at the track for the last time this year. Unfortunately, he won’t be at the finale at the Red Bull Ring,” said Lefterov. His team-mate Soufi added: “This means that we can now travel to Austria without any pressure and, best of all, really enjoy being there.”
Before they met in the Prototype Cup Germany they had been on very different paths. Soufi, who comes from Texas, was eight the first time he sat in a racing car – a Mazda MX-5. He competed in his first race two years later, and at the age of 13 he won the local H2R Miata Challenge. Then he moved up into the Texas-wide series, where he collected wins and titles with his Mazda MX-5. When classic circuit racing became too expensive, Soufi tried his hand at the drifting scene, where he also performed well. In 2022 he finally braved the move to Europe and made his debut in the Prototype Cup Germany, and has remained loyal to the series to this day.
Lefterov started his career in karting at the age of nine. He switched to automobile racing in 2015 and opted for the GT4 European Series; he ended his rookie season in second place in the Am classification. In the years that followed he mainly competed in various GT4 championships, but celebrated victory with an Audi R8 LMS GT3 in the SP8 class in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 2019. Between 2021 and 2023 he took on the challenge of the ADAC GT4 Germany, where he claimed two podiums with his compatriot Stefan Bostandjiev and finished in the top six of the overall ranking in 2021.
The first season together in 2025 got off to an exhilarating start for the duo; the Bulgarian only headed to Spa-Francorchamps at the eleventh hour. “It was a last-minute call from Franz Konrad; I was in Bahrain at the time and couldn’t even get my helmet or my overalls from home. That weekend I was also already booked up in my job as a driving coach, but after talking to my protégé I decided to accept Franz’s offer.” The 27-year-old headed into his first race weekend without any LMP3 experience. “And I had to make a good impression from the word go if I wanted to stay for the whole year.” Soufi also remembers the season opener. “I knew that Pavel was a good driver who can get used to different cars quickly. But I wasn’t sure how long it would take him to move the LMP3 racing car safely at the limit. These cars are by no means easy to drive. And I had a clear goal; I wanted to win the championship.” These doubts, albeit slight, the two racing drivers had would be resolved quickly; in Belgium Lefterov, alongside Soufi, secured a first and a third place. Five further triumphs would follow by the time they won the title at the Nürburgring.
The two Konrad drivers pour their heart and soul into the LMP3, but they also have other interests outside the Prototype Cup Germany. Lefterov also works as a driving coach, helping young racers get on the right track. “I’m also involved in the development of the semi-slick tyres of a Chinese manufacturer, which is why I spend a lot of time at the Nordschleife. And I’m helping the company Kinetik with the development of their electric kart. So, I’m active in many different fields of motorsport.” He has also aligned his education with racing. “I’m studying mechanical engineering and business. After a two-year break I have been back at uni since 2024, but I am also taking courses outside of my studies, for example, relating to data analysis or particular software.”
Soufi, the 2024 Junior Champion in the Prototype Cup Germany, is also active as a driving coach and develops websites and apps. “I used to follow the topic more than I do now. It’s the design that interests me most. Even though AI will probably be able to take over the bulk of tasks like programming in the future, I think that humans will still be responsible for the design. After all, you need a certain degree of creativity.” And he has discovered a new passion: “It might sound strange, but I find coffee fascinating. The deeper you dive into the topic, the more interesting it becomes. I could even imagine being a barista in my own shop at some point.”
Soufi and Lefterov get along very well not only as racing drivers, but also on a personal level. “Often there is a bit of internal competition between colleagues in a car because they both want to be better than the other one. With Danny I never had the feeling that this internal rivalry was necessary. We both support each other and share all the information we have, neither of us are selfish in the way we think. This makes working together easy.” “Pavel and I are good friends and trust each other,” says Soufi. “Even his bold overtaking manoeuvre in the second race at the Nürburgring only scared me for a moment. I knew that I could trust him, and he was very cool in the way that he pulled it off.” The 22-year-old does not view himself as quite so much of a risktaker as Lefterov. “I would probably have waited until the next straight before attacking because our car was much faster than that of our rivals.” Their team principal Franz Konrad confirms this assessment. “Danny really is the more cautious, quieter one of the two of them, while Pavel is more aggressive and more uncompromising in the car. Danny is also more sensitive than Pavel; he needs to feel at ease to deliver top performances. Whereas Pavel is better at handling situations that aren’t ideal. However, we were a great team overall and I am very proud of that.”
