GT Open: Title to Emil Frey Racing 🎥
TOTAL CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS It doesn't get any better than this: the Lamborghini squad from Safenwil secured the team title and a double victory in the drivers' standings at the GT Open finale in Monza. The debut year of Emil Frey Racing's collaboration with Lamborghini Squadra Corse could not have come to a better conclusion in Monza. After the team from Safenwil had won the [...]
The debut year of Emil Frey Racing's collaboration with Lamborghini Squadra Corse could not have come to a better conclusion in Monza. After the team from Safenwil had clinched the team championship early at the GT Open finale on Saturday, Albert Costa Balboa and Giacomo Altoè secured the drivers' championship on Sunday. Norbert Siedler and Mikael Grenier completed the success with the runner-up title in the sister car.
Team title despite handicaps
On Saturday, Emil Frey Racing's 4th and 5th positions were enough for them to be crowned team champions when they crossed the finish line. It was also clear that Emil Frey Racing would be the drivers' champions, as only their four drivers were still in contention for the title. The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo of Costa Balboa/Altoè was the fastest car in qualifying and the race, but an extra 25 seconds of downtime as a handicap to success threw the duo back after the pit stop.
The two-minute highlights of Race 1 show that the drivers in the two Swiss cars were not squeamish:
Memories of Marcel Fässler
In qualifying for the final race of the season on Sunday, Mikael Grenier secured pole position in the sister car, while Altoè qualified in fifth place. They maintained this position for the first half of the race. After the pit stops, Norbert Siedler settled into fourth place, with Costa Balboa in sixth.
The Austrian first snatched third place. Although Siedler then put up a great fight for second place, he did not take any unnecessary risks and drove home a safe third place. This was enough to secure the runner-up title with the same number of points as his McLaren opponents.
Costa Balboa crossed the finish line in fourth place in his Lamborghini. This meant the drivers' championship title in the PRO and overall standings. Emil Frey Racing thus won everything there was to win in the championship. In 2009, Marcel Fässler and Joël Camathias also brought the GT Open title to Switzerland with a Ferrari from Trottet Racing.
Wage of the work
In the 14 races at seven events, the two Lamborghinis from Safenwil crossed the finish line as winners four times each. There were also five other podium finishes.
Even though the final ended without a victory, team boss Lorenz Frey-Hilti and the Technical Director were absolutely satisfied.
Jürg Flach: "The season was a big challenge for us, as we were starting a new project with Lamborghini Squadra Corse and had little time for testing and general preparations for the season. We underlined our ambitions for the title right from the start with victories and podium finishes. On Sunday, we achieved the maximum for Lamborghini Squadra Corse and ourselves with a double victory in the drivers' championship. I am proud of our team and to be part of this success story."
