Alexander Fach: "I want to get better everywhere".
DEFENDER OF THE TITLE IN THE PORSCHE CUP SUISSE At just 18 years of age, Alexander Fach has already been celebrated as the 2020 Swiss Porsche GT3 Cup winner. That is just the beginning, as the man from Schwyz emphasizes in an interview. Two years ago, Alexander Fach completed an apprenticeship together with Rolf Reding in a first-generation 991 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The car, which in the course of [...]
Two years ago, Alexander Fach completed an apprenticeship year together with Rolf Reding in a first-generation 991 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The son of the Fach Auto Tech team boss, who only turned 17 during the season, and the 2017 Swiss junior mountain champion, who has switched to circuit racing, dominated their class as a duo in the endurance races or as soloists in the sprints.
Came, saw and won
The investment paid off just one year later. Promoted to the premier class of the 991-II GT3 Cup, the car mechanic-in-training struck like lightning. At the season opener, which was moved from April to July due to the pandemic outbreak, and which took place at Hockenheim, he immediately scored a double victory.
Successful confirmation
The rookie thus confirmed the trust placed in him by Porsche Switzerland and the Association of Swiss Porsche Clubs, which had named him the official Porsche Junior. Antonio Texeira was the first beneficiary of this promotion in 2019.
Like Fach, Dominik Fischli was also part of this two-year junior program from 2020. The youngest of the junior trio retained the lead in the standings until the end of the season, leaving Fischli and Texeira behind straight away.
In an interview with AutoSprintCH, the champion takes another brief look at the year of success and the Porsche Sports Cup Suisse 2021, which starts this weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.
As the defending champion, you're probably not going into the 2021 racing season as relaxed as you were a year ago as a rookie in the GT3 Challenge...
Alexander Fach: "Sure, the pressure has increased. But I know what I can do and what potential I have. If I can call on that and stay relaxed, things can go well again. You never know whether it will be enough for the title. So I'm not putting myself under too much pressure, otherwise you get tense."
How have you prepared for 2021?
Alexander Fach: "I took care of sponsors a lot to get the budget together for 2021. Then there was the physical preparation, and I spent a lot of time on the simulator. With the car, there were only the two official test days from the Porsche Cup Suisse at Le Castellet. I now feel top prepared."
Which is your favorite track?
Alexander Fach: "Imola! This track is tremendous fun. I drove my first car race at the Red Bull Ring two years ago, and I really liked it. But actually, I like every track."
How do you explain last year's championship success against experienced opponents?
Alexander Fach: "One point was certainly the good preparation. I was physically top ready and spent a lot of time on the simulator. That certainly helped a lot, since there were no chances for test drives before the first race (due to the Europe-wide lockdown, Red.). What's more, I've got a great team and receive excellent support. So I was able to take the momentum with me after the victories at Hockenheim, and everything then fell into place."
Who do you go to for advice?
Alexander Fach: "With many people. I know some factory drivers who used to drive at Fach Auto Tech. I also talk a lot about racing with my father. I take the best out of all the conversations and try to implement it."
What do you expect from a second season in the Swiss GT3 Cup?
Alexander Fach: "Of course, to become champion again. But the main goal is to improve in all areas so that I can keep up in another Porsche one-make cup afterwards."
That didn't quite work out at the last two races of the 2020 Carrera Cup Germany after the conclusion of the Swiss season. Is the level of the two championships so different?
Alexander Fach: "Of course, the level in Germany is higher. But there were extreme conditions at the two races at the Lausitzring and Oschersleben. I've never driven in such cold temperatures. In addition, the procedures were different. There was also much less focus on keeping within the track limits, as is the case in the Swiss Cup. I had to get used to using the track limits more in my head. Although I might have been able to get more out of it, it was a good experience, for which I'm grateful to my sponsors."
Where do you see yourself in the long term?
Alexander Fach: "I'd like to earn money from racing at some point. At the moment, the goal is to keep improving and to be able to race in the Carrera Cup Deutschland next year. My motto is to always give my best, and if it's not enough, that's just the way it is."
