- Two Lamborghinis entered in the Pro category (#114/#163)
- Third car (#14) starts in the Silver category
- Additional virtual races during Endurance weekends
- Swiss driver trio for the #14 car: Ricardo Feller, Alex Fontana and Rolf Ineichen
Safenwil (Switzerland), March 8th 2021
Emil Frey Racing claimed a total of seven podiums during the 2020 season, which placed the Swiss team fifth in the overall GT World Challenge Europe rankings and third in the Sprint Cup. Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Emil Frey Racing value the professional partnership they share and are both excited about the future in 2021. The two Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO cars have been continuously improved, enabling the Swiss team to capitalise on the lessons learned in the past while looking forward to a thrilling season ahead.
Emil Frey Racing will remain part of GT World Challenge Europe: the most sought-after and competitive GT3 series in the world. The number of talented drivers wanting to be part of Emil Frey Racing is growing continuously: a sign of the team’s continued development. To give more drivers the chance to race, and with great support from the factory, Emil Frey Racing has decided to increase its activities by adding a third Huracán GT3 EVO, with some exciting new stars at the wheel. In the weeks to come, Emil Frey Racing and its drivers will be testing in preparation for the season kick-off in Monza, in mid-April.
Esports-competition of the GTWCHEU 2021 influences point system
Once again, this year’s GT World Challenge Europe will consist of 10 race weekends. Five of those will be Endurance races, while the other five will be Sprint races.
Fanatec, an established global leader in high-end racing simulation hardware, was already an official partner in the 2020 SRO E-Sport GT Series. This year, however, Fanatec will be taking on a new important role, in which the real and virtual world of motorsports will come together during the five Endurance weekends. Each team will pick a driver for the Silver category as well as the Pro category, who will represent the team at a virtual race, where points for the teams’ championship will be at stake.
The season is planned to kick off with official tests at Le Castellet (F), on the 25th and 26th of March. The first of the 10 race weekends will take place in Monza (IT) from April 16 to 18. Given the current situation, the race will most likely take place without a live audience.
New faces in the Emil Frey Racing cockpits
Albert Costa and Norbert Siedler will be at the wheel of the #163 Lamborghini at the Sprint and Endurance races. The young Lamborghini factory driver Giacomo Altoè from Italy will be supporting the #163 crew on Endurance weekends.
The #14 Lamborghini will enter the championship with a purely Swiss driver line-up: Ricardo Feller, who already delivered a solid performance in 2020, will be competing in Sprint as well as Endurance races. The #14 team will get support from the already familiar Alex Fontana, who secured a seat after having delivered strong performances during the Jaguar days back in 2018. The team is also thrilled to welcome Rolf Ineichen, the third Swiss racer, to the team. Rolf Ineichen is an experienced Lamborghini driver and will be supporting Feller and Fontana during the Endurance races.
The newest member of the family will be the #114 Lamborghini, in the hands of three new drivers. Williams Formula 1 team reserve driver Jack Aitken was racing in Formula 2 before making his Formula 1 race debut to replace George Russell at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. The 25-year-old British Korean driver will be taking on the Sprint and Endurance races. By his side will be 19-year old Finn Konsta Lappalainen, who won the 2018 Northern European Formula 4 Championship before he went on to gain valuable experience in FIA Formula 3. Arthur Rougier, aged 21, completes the endurance trio. The young Frenchman won the 2017 Formula 4 championship and bagged third place in the French GT4 Cup Pro-Am category in 2019.
Drivers #163 – PRO-Category
· Albert Costa (ESP) / Endurance & Sprint
· Norbert Siedler (AT) / Endurance & Sprint
· Giacomo Altoè (IT) / Endurance
Drivers #14 – SILVER- Category
· Ricardo Feller (CH) / Endurance & Sprint
· Alex Fontana (CH) / Endurance & Sprint
· Rolf Ineichen (CH) / Endurance
Drivers #114 – PRO- Category
· Jack Aitken (GB) / Endurance & Sprint
· Konsta Lappalainen (FIN) / Endurance & Sprint
· Arthur Rougier (FR) / Endurance
Emil Frey Racing is confident about having nine very strong drivers on their team.
Team quotes
Lorenz Frey-Hilti, Team Principal
The season ending late in 2020 due to the Coronavirus resulted in a shorter winter break for us. The mechanics did comprehensive maintenance work on the cars and all our equipment, while the engineers analyzed the telemetry data and onboard footage to improve the strategy and optimize processes. I’m very excited and optimistic about the continuation and strengthening of our partnership by adding a third car. The level of expertise is extremely high, especially in this premier class of GT3. Winning is just a matter of seconds. This is why we greatly value the professional and active exchange with Lamborghini Squadra Corse. We’re a well-coordinated team aiming for strong results.
Giorgio Sanna, Head of Motorsport Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.
As Lamborghini Squadra Corse we’re glad to support Emil Frey Racing in the upcoming 2021 season, with three cars committed in both Endurance and Sprint series. The team will definitely be a main player in both the Pro and Silver classes, having a strong combination of Pro and talented Silver drivers who are very well known in the Lamborghini family.
Jürg Flach, Technical Director
The past few weeks have been very busy but I’m excited about entering the coming season with two Pro line-ups and one Silver line-up. We have a strong team consisting of our long-term drivers, our new talents in the #14 and the #114 and lastly, our skilled engineers and mechanics. I’m convinced that we’re ready as a team and ready for a challenging season. The pre-season tests have been successful so far and we’re optimistic about the season start in Monza.
Driver quotes Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO #163
Albert Costa (ESP)
This is the second year with Pirelli tyres and Lamborghini in the GT World Challenge Europe for Emil Frey Racing. l’m very excited, as this year we’ll be more ready than ever. I’ve known the team for many years now and I know that they continue to improve, which makes us more confident and reassured about what we do. This will also help a lot in terms of the setup as well as our reaction during the race. A lot of things changed in my personal life this year and I’m really looking forward to the season. I’m more focused and motivated than ever! I want to make sure that all the changes lead me in the right direction. With Norbert I will have a new teammate in the Sprint races. I’ve known him since I started racing and now, finally, we are racing together. Giacomo will join us in the Endurance races. He’s like a little brother to me and I’m sure we’re going to do a great job together with the Emil Frey Racing family.
Norbert Siedler (AT)
I’m happy that the season is about to start again! I really appreciate that I get the support I need from Emil Frey to be able to deliver a good performance. Thanks also to the whole team for the trust. Of course, I’m also thrilled about my teammates Albert and Giacomo. I’m looking forward to a great season. We have everything we need to compete at the top.
Giacomo Altoè (IT)
l’m really happy to be confirmed again for Emil Frey Racing. This will be our third season in a row together – after a successful season in 2019 and good results from the 2020 season. I’m looking forward to the new season and the new driver line-up. Norbert will join Albert and me, and I think we form a really strong line-up for the Endurance races. Together with the whole team, we can achieve a great deal. Let’s stay ready and let’s work on precision during the tests to achieve the very best before the start of the season!
Driver quotes Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO #14
Ricardo Feller (CH)
I’m so happy about being once again part of Emil Frey Racing in 2021. I think we have a great driver line up this year for all three cars. We, the #14 crew, will be competing in the Silver category, which I definitely see as an advantage. I’m endlessly grateful for the opportunity to embark on this challenge and can’t wait for it to start.
Alex Fontana (CH)
l’m super happy to be reunited with Emil Frey Racing. Racing for a Swiss team, with a completely Swiss driver line up in car #14 as a Swiss driver is just about perfect! We know each other from the 2018 season, which we concluded successfully. I’m really looking forward to the team reuniting and to start driving a car, which to me is practically new, since I had driven it only once before. But I felt comfortable in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO straight from the start. Knowing the car a little bit better now and also knowing the team and engineers, reassures me and makes me optimistic about the upcoming season. For me this will be the first complete GT World Challenge season, since I’ve never driven both the Endurance and Sprint series combined. Driving both cups with the same car, driver line-up and team is great, and a big chance for me as a driver to improve and move forward.
Rolf Ineichen (CH)
I’m very excited to compete, together with Emil Frey Racing, in the Endurance cup of the GT World Challenge Europe. To race with a purely Swiss car and team means a lot to me. For this to happen and on this level is a first for me in my racing career. Though I have raced with a purely Swiss line-up before, I have never shared that experience together with a Swiss team. This and the great line up of drivers doubles my motivation. That’s why I’m so thrilled to enter the championship with my two colleagues Ricardo and Alex. In my opinion, we have a great chance to win in the Silver cup, which is also the ultimate goal. I’m confident that Emil Frey Racing has all it takes to make this happen. We will give our very best and are preparing on a very high level. We’re optimistic that this will be a successful year for us. I would like to thank Emil Frey Racing for giving me this opportunity to take on the challenge with the #14. A big thank you as well to my partners, who have been supporting me throughout the years and of course thank you to Lamborghini Squadra Corse for the trust and the opportunity to take part in different championships.
Driver Statements Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO #114
Jack Aitken (GB)
I’m delighted to join Emil Frey Racing this year for both the Sprint and Endurance series. It’s very exciting to start on a new discipline and add a new set of skills to my experience in single seaters, and I can’t wait to start learning! The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 has been a pleasure so far, and I hope I can add some success to its already impressive record. I’ve met much of the team at Emil Frey already and felt comfortable working with them from the start, they have a professionalism and attention to detail that matches anything I’ve seen so far in my career. This year will be a fantastic opportunity for me to broaden my abilities as a driver, and I intend to make the most of it.
Konsta Lappalainen (FIN)
I’m very pleased to join the Emil Frey Racing family this season. After the first test it was clear to me that we have a solid package for the championship. For sure, jumping straight into this championship coming from a single seater is a huge challenge for me, but I feel ready to take that step and I know the team will help me grow and ensure that we’re ready for the season kick off. Our driver line-up is strong, and my feeling is telling me that we can push each other to get even stronger during the season.
Arthur Rougier (FR)
I am really delighted to join Emil Frey Racing for the upcoming season. I want to thank everyone involved in making this project possible and the team for their trust. I’m really looking forward to what’s going to be my first year in endurance racing. The tests are going well so far and I’m already feeling good with the car and the team which is a nice point to start with. Let’s build on that, step by step from now on, to be fully ready for the opening round of the season in Monza. Let’s make this Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO #114 shine!