Motorsport: Biting feline predator, fast boss

The disappointment was written all over Lorenz Frey's face. Thanks to a terrific lap by Spanish pro Albert Costa, the Emil Frey Racing Team had qualified for fifth place on the grid with its specially developed GT3 Jaguar. The big cat from Safenwil had never been so far in front. But nothing came of the first top ten finish in the race.

Shortly after starting driver Stéphane Ortelli from Monaco handed over the car to Lorenz Frey in seventh place, brake problems occurred. These necessitated a repair stop that set the Jaguar back by four laps. This was a deficit that could not be made up in this performance density. As a result, final driver Costa brought the Jaguar home in a disappointing 43rd position among 52 teams that had started. "At least we showed that we can keep up with the speed of the front runners," said driver and team boss Lorenz Frey, looking on the bright side.

Another sense of achievement for Rolf Ineichen
Another Swiss driver had reason to celebrate. After winning the first ADAC GT race in Oschersleben in April, Rolf Ineichen, with the help of his teammates Mirko Bortolotti (I) and Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), has now clinched a podium finish in the most important GT3 endurance series. Mirko Bortolotti had taken pole position with the Lamborghini Huracan. As the race progressed, the trio could no longer match the pace of the winning Mercedes and the fastest Audi R8. For the Lucerne entrepreneur, who runs the well-known Otto's company with his brother Mark, this was another impressive success as an amateur racer. With Nico Müller (Audi) and Patric Niederhauser (Lamborghini), two more Swiss finished in the top ten.

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Photos: Blancpain GT Series