Motorsport: Emil Frey Racing ahead of biggest assignment
In a week's time, the best GT3 teams from Europe will gather for the 24 Hours of Spa (B). Lorenz Frey is a driver and team boss in the Emil Frey Racing Team, which is fielding two Jaguars. In an interview with AutoSprintCH, the Zurich native talks about himself and the Swiss private team's elaborate project. As of this year, you are not [...]
As of this year, you are not only one of the drivers at Emil Frey Racing, but also the team manager. How does this dual function work?
Lorenz Frey: Only with a clear demarcation. On the race track, I'm one of the drivers and have nothing to do with team management. Jürg Flach takes care of that as Technical Director, and he makes the decisions. That way I can concentrate on driving. Off the race track, I'm in charge. In soccer, the coach can't be a player at the same time either.
Your grandfather Emil and your father Walter Frey were already racing cars. Was this also clear to you?
Not at all. As a boy, I was passionate and good at playing ice hockey until I had to stop. I did have an interest in racing, but it wasn't until I took part in the Suzuki Grand Prix in 2009 out of curiosity that I got into it. Then suddenly my father came along with his old stories and many photos from his racing days. Since then, racing has been our favorite topic of conversation.
You then quickly developed into a good racer.
Once you've done one sport intensively, it helps you in other sports. I learned a lot as a car racer from my first endurance racing partner and project manager Fredy Barth, then from other professionals. Since I've been piloting the Lexus RC GT3 used by Emil Frey Racing at the Nürburgring more often in addition to our Jaguar, I've made further progress. I also practice often on simulators, plus I've always done a lot for my fitness, which benefits me.
Why did Emil Frey Racing opt for the elaborate in-house development of a Jaguar instead of buying the GT3 version of one of your brands?
We initially wanted to be effectively just an operations team, and then somehow slipped into this. We got into talks with Jaguar in search of a model, but because there was nothing, we came up with the idea of developing a GT3 car ourselves as the oldest importer in Europe. We also want to do something for the brand's reputation and show that with Jaguar we not only have a good product, but also proven experts in the Emil Frey Group.
What is the opinion of the Emil Frey AG workforce?
There are certainly employees who don't think it's such a good idea, but the majority are behind it, and some are so enthusiastic that they even walk around with our jackets. One or two of them even drop by the racing department. That motivates us, of course.
What do you expect from your biggest race to date at the 24 Hours of Spa on July 30/31?
We want to finish with at least one of the two cars, that's what we've been working towards. And everyone starts with the intention of doing as well as possible. Our Jaguar is now fast and reliable, and if we can put this into practice as drivers, we certainly won't get a bad result.
www.emilfreyracing.com
Photos: Factory
