Rahel Frey: Race premiere at Daytona
GT3 START IN WOMEN'S TEAM For the first time in her career, Rahel Frey will compete in the Daytona 24 Hours in a week's time - and, as at Le Mans 2019, in an all-female team. But this time on Lamborghini. Already in the New Year's week, Rahel Frey took part in the "Roar Before the Rolex 24", the official test drives in view of the [...]
Rahel Frey already took part in the "Roar Before the Rolex 24" in the week of the New Year, the official test drives in preparation for the 24 Hours of Daytona on January 25/26. In the newly formed GEAR Racing team, the Solothurn native made a convincing impression at the wheel of a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo, as was to be expected. Nevertheless, her inclusion in the race was not certain until these days.
Four fast women in a successful team
GEAR stands for Girl Enpowerment Around Racing, an organization initiated in the USA to promote women specifically in motorsport. Her teammates are Tatiana Calderon, Katherine Legge and Christina Nielsen. Like the Swiss, all have already made a name for themselves in various racing formulas.
The GT3 sports car will be entered by GRT Grasser Racing in the GTD class. Lucerne native Rolf Ineichen won at Daytona in 2018 and 2019 with the factory-backed Austrian team.
Much is possible
In the seventh and final test session, Rahel Frey set the third-fastest time among 13 GT3 cars. In qualifying for the allocation of pit positions, the IndyCar-experienced Legge was sixth fastest, just one second behind the fastest time. The Briton was Rahel Frey's predecessor at Audi in the DTM.
Overall, Legge was thus the eighth-fastest among 69 drivers, Frey twelfth, Nielsen 29th and the Mexican Calderon, who still competes in Formula 2 in 2019, 44th. As a rookie in GT3 racing, the Alfa Sauber test driver has the most to learn during the race week.
Rahel Frey: "We found each other right away. It's not a matter of course that women get along so well. After the test drives went well, we're all very motivated. We can certainly achieve something."
For the race on January 25/26, 18 cars with three to four drivers are entered in the GTD class, which corresponds to GT3.
Respect for the steep face and traffic
As was the case for the Iron Dames project with a Ferrari from Kessel Racing, the Audi Sport customer racing factory driver received the generous approval of her main employer.
For them, it will not only be their race debut at the legendary Daytona International Speedway, but in the USA in general.
Rahel Frey: "I'm really looking forward to it. Driving in the steep wall is a special feeling. It feels fast even with a GT3 car. I have enormous respect for the traffic. Fortunately, at the American races there are the spotters who watch what's happening on the track and keep the drivers constantly informed. That's worth its weight in gold."
Hoping for another start at Le Mans
In Europe, the 33-year-old professional driver from Aedermannsdorf will again contest the European Le Mans Series in the women's team of Kessel Racing. Whether they will also be included in the field of participants in the 24 Hours of Le Mans depends on the goodwill of the organizers, as demand exceeds the supply of starting places.
Coach and mentor of Audi Sport
Frey completed this year's first race outing with a new Audi customer sports team in Dubai. Since both the GT4 Evo used and the team consisting of gentlemen drivers were new to the scene, the result was secondary and not meaningful anyway due to the premature stop after seven hours (8th place in class).
As coach and mentor, Rahel Frey will again contest some races for the Audi Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup and the Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring.
Rahel Frey: "The more I get to drive, the nicer it is, although it means I hardly get any rest. Because January was still planned to be race-free until just before Christmas. It's going to be a mega exciting season."
