Motorsport: Rahel Frey defends top of the standings

Thanks to Audi: Rahel Frey will be able to defend her championship lead in the R8 LMS Cup this weekend in Thailand. In Hungary, Fach Auto Tech goes hunting for the lost points from Spielberg in the Supercup. It was her big wish, and it will be fulfilled. Rahel Frey gets to take her chance in Thailand for a points [...]

Editorial - July 22, 2016

Looking forward to the race in Thailand: Rahel Frey wants to continue leaving the men in the Audi R8 LMS Cup behind her in the championship.

It was her big wish and it will be fulfilled. Rahel Frey may seize her chance to score points in the Audi R8 LMS Cup in Thailand. After her brilliant performance in the season opener at Shanghai in mid-May, where she followed third place in the first race with victory in the second, the 30-year-old Audi factory driver leads the championship. However, her employer had to decide whether she would be allowed to defend her lead in the standings.

That's because this weekend there will also be two races in the ADAC GT Masters at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. Her regular team Yaco Racing was not thrilled, but also gave their blessing for the Swiss to sit out in order to compete in Asia. "It's a real shame that my only race weekend in July has resulted in a schedule clash with both championships," Frey regrets. "But I had already expressed my wish before the start of the season that I would like to contest the entire series in Asia this year if I saw title opportunities, and this is now the case."

Hunt for points: Matteo Cairoli wants to reduce what his team boss sees as an unjustified points deficit with a third win of the season in Hungary or Hockenheim.

Philipp Frommenwiler: "We were able to test for a day at the Hungaroring in the spring and collect a lot of data accordingly. That was very important because the track, which is difficult anyway, has been resurfaced and we're hoping to gain an edge on the other teams in terms of experience."

The hunters of the lost points
Like Formula 1, the teams from the Porsche Supercup now have two consecutive races ahead of them: first in Hungary, then in Hockenheim. The two opening wins in Spain and Monaco by Matteo Cairoli in the Fach Auto Tech car were followed by a fourth place in Spielberg and third in Silverstone. However, Cairoli's third place and points in Austria were subsequently disallowed because his Porsche did not weigh enough. Team boss Alex Fach, however, criticized the measurement itself and the approach of those responsible in Spielberg. He therefore lodged an appeal with clear grounds. The hearing on this should take place before the race in Hockenheim. "Certainly this decision is still driving along at the moment. Nobody can shake that off so easily. But I am confident that we will be proven right," says Alex Fach. Despite the zero, Cairoli's gap to leader Mathieu Jaminet (F) is only ten points, which equates to sixth place.

Cairoli's teammate Philipp Frommenwiler is also looking to score plenty of championship points on the outskirts of Budapest after his difficult weekend at Silverstone. After his sixth-place finish in Spielberg, the Fach Auto Tech driver struggled badly in wet conditions at Silverstone and was unable to deliver his usual performance. After an intensive analysis of mistakes with his team, the ambitious motorsport driver is now looking forward to the guest race in Hungary with confidence. "We are optimistic about the race weekend and I reckon we have a good chance of a top six finish," says the Porsche driver.

www.audir8lmscup.com
www.fachautotech.ch
Photos: Archive

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