Q&A: Interview with Rahel Frey - Audi GT factory driver

Rahel Frey is racing with Audi since 2011. First in the German DTM touring car series for two years and since 2013 the Swiss driver switched to GT racing with competing in various events around the world from German ADAC GT Masters to the Asian based Audi R8 LMS Cup.

Our friend Jean-Baptiste Lassaux at IG Autorennsport had a a very interesting interview with Rahel Frey at the Nürburgring about her 2014 season.

1/ First, a look back to the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Tell us more about your race with the Audi race experience in the Green Hell?

My summary of the 2014 24h race at the Nürburgring is really positive. Our priority was to finish the race, what we did on P22. Furthermore all four drivers on the car (including myself) could improve our personal laptimes compared to last year or compared to former races which was for my the most important. Incidents can always happen in a 24h race and they did unfortunately for us! But our team and especially our mecanics mad a fantastic job to fix this incidents in no time - therefore big thanks once again!

2/ Now, your next race is in Fuji in the Audi R8 LMS Cup. This will be your first time there, so  how do you learn the track before the race weekend?

As usual when I dont know a racetrack, I will watch onboard videos and studying important datas I got from the team. I will be prepared for it.

3/ What are your targets this year in the Audi R8 LMS Cup?

My target is to win the Audi R8 LMS Cup 2014. Right now I'm 10 point behind the leader - a cap which I can still close when I'm clever on driving and on strategy.

Taking care about the tyres is an important point for but as well being clever on using the new "push-to-pass" system which gets us 50hp more when we press the special button for it. Furthermore it's performance balance we get for the first three places (60kg for P1, 40kg for P2 and 20kg for P3) can take influence on the results.

4/ Let's talk about your season in ADAC GT Masters. What do you think about your season so far in the German series?

We had a good start into the new season with immediately scoring points in both races at Oschersleben. Afterwards we made some mistakes where we had to pay for not being in the position for fighting for point anymore. But we learn from every mistakes we do and for sure we will get back stronger again.

5 / What are you expecting in the second half of the season?

As I just mentioned, we will get back stronger and aiming again for more points. Therefore each race track is a new challenge. For sure sometimes one race track fits better for the driver another race track fits best for the car. But in my opinion the BOP 2014 is more equal as last year!

6 / After your two years in the DTM, you switched to GT racing with Audi. Tell us more about what you have learnt traveling and discovring many prestigious tracks and events around the world?

Always when traveling the world you have to find your way through! I got already a lot of experience with traveling around the world for racing and I wont miss any. Some were tough, some were really nice but they all formed my personality like I am today. And for sure each race driver has a list with races or race tracks he likes to drive in or on. I have my list too, some of these tracks were on - some are still on.

7 / Any racing track or series you want to compete in?

Taking every challenge I get! But I would like to drive once in America maybe in the oval with a Nascar.

Photo credit: Autorennsport

PHOTOS: Audi TT, TTS and TT RS at the Nürburgring 24 Hours

A selection of great photos from the Nürburgring 24 Hours 2014 taken by our friend Jean Baptiste-Lassaux at IG Autorennsport.

The pictures featuring the various Audi TT, TTS and TT RS entries in both SP3T and SP4T classes in the Nordschleife demanding endurance classic.

Photo credit: IG Autorennsport

Nürburgring 24 Hours: Christopher Haase triumphant in the 24 hour race at the Nürburgring!‏

Christopher Haase Press Release

Audi driver Christopher Haase repeated the greatest victory of his career this Sunday: Sharing an Audi R8 LMS ultra for Phoenix Racing with his team mates Markus Winkelhock, René Rast, and Christian Mamerow, he triumphed in the world's biggest and toughest 24 hour race in „Green Hell“, on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring.

The quartet had to prevail against very tough competition, both from within the marque and from the competition – and once again the race in the Eifel was a pure sprint with tough competition from start to finish. The key to success was not to aim for uncompromising speed, but drive smart when it mattered.

The experienced Phoenix Racing crew followed through with this strategy right from the first practice and qualifying sessions. Christopher Haase: „We came here extremely well prepared and only had to make minor changes and adjustments in practice. We had some rain during night practice sessions so to save our material, we didn't even drive.“ Qualifying brought the first highlight for the number 4 team: „Christian Mamerow put the car on P3 with a time of 8:14 minutes which is superb. It was a terrific lap that could not have been better. When you are in among the top ten positions on the starting grid of a 24 hour race, you have played it right“, says Christopher Haase.

Phoenix Racing and its four drivers kept on doing everything right in the race. Just as his colleagues, Christopher Haase made no mistakes and ultimately celebrated another overall victory in the world's toughest endurance race, his second after the win in 2012. „I am very proud of the whole team and my great team mates. I would like to say a special thank-you to Audi and Phoenix Racing who let me be part of this crew. This success is an absolute highlight for me!“

But there’s not much time for celebrations: Christopher Haase is already on his way to Watkins Glen International racetrack, where he will be racing the “Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen” in the Audi R8 LMS of Paul Miller Racing the upcoming weekend!

Follow Christopher Haase on Facebook www.facebook.com/haase.christopher and Twitter https://twitter.com/ChHaase!

Photo credit: Audi Media

VIDEO: Audi video highlights of the Nürburgring 24 Hours victory

A great video highlights from Audi about the latest victory at the Nürburgring 24 Hours with the Audi R8 LMS ultra of team Phoenix Racing.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Nürburgring 24 Hours: 1-2-3 Audi TT RS victory in SP3T class

By Tarek Ramchani

It was an emotional 2014 edition for the Audi brand a the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Not only Phoenix Racing gave the Four Rings a second outright victory at the Green Hell, the privateer Audi TT RS teams also performed very well.

The Audi TT RS simply dominated the field with a brilliant 1-2-3 victory in the end. The Audi team beat the strong full factory effort from Subaru Tecnica International and their Impreza WRX STi.

It was Raeder Motorsport who took the SP3T class honors. The #111 Audi TT RS in the hands of Elmar Deegener, Jürgen Wohlfarth, Christoph Breuer and Dieter Schmidtmann dominated the class and was able to finish twentieth overall. The four drivers covered 145 laps in the Nordschleife 24-hour race.

Second place in SPT3 and twenty-first overall was the #120 Audi TT RS from team LMS Engineering. The car driven by Daniela Schmid, Christopher Tiger, Roland Botor and Constantin Kletzer was a lap down to the winning TT RS from Raeder Motorsport

The final podium spot was taken by Scuderia Colonia e.V. with their #123 TT RS. The Audi was shared by Matthias Wasel, Thomas Wasel, Marcos Löhnert and Roman Löhnert.

Photo credit: Autorennsport

Nürburgring 24 Hours: Phoenix triumph in Nürburgring 24 Hours

Phoenix Racing Press Release

Haase/Mamerow/Rast/Winkelhock win in Audi R8

Christopher Haase, Christian Mamerow, René Rast and Markus Winkelhock in the Audi R8 LMS ultra of Phoenix Racing won the 42nd ADAC 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in front of more than 200,000 spectators. For Ernst Moser’s team, this marked the fourth triumph in the ‘Eifel marathon’ after 2000, 2003 and 2012. Two years ago Haase and Winkelhock, together with Marc Basseng and Frank Stippler, had produced the first Audi triumph in the 24-hour race on the legendary Nordschleife. And following the Le Mans 24 Hours Audi celebrated the second 24-hour success within just a week.

“I’m overjoyed,” beamed Phoenix Team Director Ernst Moser. “Not only the number of victories is decisive but proving that you’re in contention again and again, that’s what’s so special about it. We were optimally prepared and my guys, every single member of the team, just like the drivers, did an impeccable job. This is the victory of my squad.”

After 24 hours the #4 Phoenix Audi took the chequered flag with an advantage of 2m 59s over the Mercedes that was victorious last year. Third place, with a two-lap gap, went to Mercedes as well. The 159 laps completed have set a new distance record for the 24-hour race. For the first time, over 4,000 kilometres (4,035.102 km) were covered.

“In the Audi R8 LMS ultra we’ve got a very powerful car and we showed that we were able to counter even when the pressure increased now and then. From Saturday night on, we were leading the race most of the time but only an hour and a half before the end it was clear that we’d be able to expect victory. The minutes before the chequered flag was waved then proved particularly long and nerve-wracking,” admitted Ernst Moser.

The victorious quartet of Christopher Haase, Christian Mamerow, René Rast and Markus Winkelhock together with Ernst Moser enjoyed the winners’ champagne to the fullest. “It was simply brilliant that here at the Nürburgring, just like a week before at Le Mans, I was able to drive both the start and the final stint. That was a great honour for me and a tremendous experience,” said an enthusiastic René Rast. “I’d like to thank the Phoenix team that did a brilliant job as well as my fellow drivers. Nobody made any mistakes. That was the key to success and that’s also why we deserved winning.”

For Markus Winkelhock, after 2012, this marked the second triumph in the Nürburgring 24 Hours: “This victory is worth just as much as the first one and it feels exactly the same way too. Winning this race is a very special thing because you only get the chance to do that once a year. The competitiveness of the field was huge and it was a tough race. Everybody did a mega job.

For Christopher Haase, this was the second triumph after 2012 as well: “This is a brilliant day for me, for all of us. Standing on the very top of the podium twice is only possible with a perfect team. I take my hat off to everyone who has contributed to this victory. Plus, in the Audi R8 LMS ultra we had a perfect base.” Christian Mamerow was overjoyed too: “This victory makes me totally proud. It’s not a matter of fortune but of quality when a team like Phoenix wins this race several times. Phoenix was perfectly prepared and everything fit.”

In the top-30 qualifying session on Friday afternoon Christian Mamerow in the #4 Audi had clinched position three on the grid. After the start the #4 R8 initially dropped to fourth place but quickly made up ground to second place and fought impressive duels with the enormously strong competition in the process. A total of 165 GT sports cars and touring cars had started the endurance race through the ‘Green Hell’ at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, including more than two dozen candidates for victory.

How quickly hope can turn into disappointment was a bitter experience which Phoenix Racing, based in nearby Meuspath, had in the race as well. The second Audi R8 LMS ultra, driven by Marc Basseng, the three-time Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler, Frank Stippler and Laurens Vanthoor, retired after less than an hour and a half when start driver Basseng on a bump in the ‘Tiergarten’ track section lost control of the Audi and crashed into the guard rails. While Basseng, who like Stippler was part of the winning squad two years ago, was not injured in the incident a repair of the #3 Audi was out of the question.

The race turned into a true thriller in the early morning hours when the gap between the #4 R8 that was leading most of the time and its immediate rivals from Mercedes and BMW shrunk to less than a second. The GT3 sports cars chased each other bumper to bumper across the 25- kilometre Nordschleife, to the great delight of the fans. The Phoenix Audi prevailed in this remarkable three-way battle.

“Now we’re tired but happy and then we’re going to concentrate on the Norisring next weekend,” said Ernst Moser, who competes in the DTM with his Audi Sport Team Phoenix as the title defenders in the teams’ and drivers’ classification (with Mike Rockenfeller). “My thanks go to all who supported us in this 24-hour race, particularly to Audi Sport and Audi Sport customer racing, to Michelin and to our partner TÜV Rheinland.“

Photo credit: Audi Media

Audi and Phoenix Racing win the Nürburgring 24 Hours 2014

By Tarek Ramchani

Audi and  Phoenix Racing have just won the demanding Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. It's the second overall victory for the Ingolstadt brand in the Nordschleife classic after the 2012 win.

This amazing outright victory at the Green Hell came only a week after the emotional 1-2 win at Le Mans 24 Hours.

The winning #4 Audi R8 LMS ultra was shared by Christopher Haase, Christian Mamerow, Rene Rast and Markus Winkelhock. The four drivers lead most part of the second half of the race and crossed the finish line victorious ahead of two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 cars in second and third.

Two other Audis entries made it into the Top 10. The #502 Audi R8 LMS ultra from Audi race experience was ninth. The TKL Motorsport run car was shared by Marco Werner, Frank Biela, Pierre Kaffer and Red Bull Stratos legend Felix Baumgartner.

The #16 R8 LMS ultra from Twin Busch Motorsport. The car was driven by Dennis Busch, Marc Busch, Stefan Landmann and Manuel Lauck finished in tenth place.

It was a hard and demanding 2014 edition at the Nürburgring with many front running cars either faced issues or been forced to retire including a number of Audi cars.

More to come next.

Photo credit: Audi Media 

VIDEO: Big crash for Marc Basseng Audi R8 LMS ultra at Nürburgring 24 Hours

By Tarek Ramchani

The 2014 Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race is underway at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. And already many crashed and incidents in the opening hours of the race.

One of the biggest facts was the severe crash of the #3 Audi R8 LMS ultra from Phoenix Racing. The car driven by Audi GT factoy driver Marc Basseng was forced to retire after severe contact with the barriers. Luckily Marc Basseng is OK, he was sharing the car with Laurens Vanthoor, Marcel Fassler and Frank Stippler.

Nürburgring 24 Hours: Follow the Nürburgring 24 Hours LIVE

By Tarek Ramchani

Watch the 2014 Nürburgring 24 LIVE. No less than eight Audi R8 LMS ultra cars are entering the Nordschleife endurance classic and will try to give the Audi brand a second overall victory at the Green Hell.

All Audi related news and results at the Nürburgring 24 can be seen here.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Nürburgring 24 Hours: Second row on the grid for Phoenix at the Nürburgring

Audi Press Release

• Christian Mamerow third-fastest with Phoenix Racing
• Third row of the grid for Audi R8 LMS ultra of Frank Stippler
• Three Audi cars in the top ten

Ingolstadt/Nürburg, Juni 20, 2014 – The five Audi teams successfully finished their preparations for the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in the top-30 qualifying session. All eight race cars had qualified for the shoot-out laps and three of them managed to leap into the top ten.

Four different marques in the top four positions of the grid underscore the competitiveness in the GT3 class this year. Phoenix Racing qualified for a second row as the best Audi team. With a lap time of 8m 14.117s, Phoenix driver Christian Mamerow in the shoot-out session improved the provisional qualifying time set by car #4 on a dry track the day before by 7.3 seconds. He will be tackling the race together with Christopher Haase, René Rast and Markus Winkelhock. The team of Ernst Moser, based in Meuspath, will also provide the second-best Audi on the grid at its home round: Frank Stippler achieved the sixth-best lap time. The 2012 winner is sharing car #3 with Marc Basseng, Marcel Fässler and Laurens Vanthoor.

The third Audi driver in the top ten was Pierre Kaffer. The professional race driver, who is sharing the cockpit with extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner, Frank Biela and Marco Werner, qualified in eighth place for the Audi race experience.

Prosperia C. Abt Racing in positions 12 and 19, G-Drive Racing in 17th place, the second car of the Audi race experience in 26th place and the Twinbusch Audi in position 28, completed the results for Audi on the first 14 rows of the grid. The starting order is, however, of secondary importance for the five squads. The crucial aspect was to have come up with a set-up in the practice and qualifying sessions that would give all the drivers a good base for the duration of the 24-hour race. The Audi teams also used the time up to the qualifying session for thorough technical preparations of their R8 LMS ultra cars for the 24-hour race.

The race will be started at 16.00 on Saturday. The fans lining the Nordschleife can look forward to a special appearance preceding the race, as Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler will be driving a lap on the Nordschleife in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. On TV, the fans can watch the race for more than 15 hours on Sport1. The YouTube channel ADACZurich24hRennen and Fan TV that can be received on location via the DVB-T channel 27 are airing live broadcasts of Germany’s major endurance race as well.

Selected quotes

Romolo Liebchen (Head of Audi Sport customer racing): “We’re generally pleased with the qualifying results. We’ve put ourselves in a good position. We deliberately didn’t battle for the fastest time because we didn’t want to take an excessive risk. The gaps in the field are close, which means we can expect to see an interesting race.”

Christian Mamerow (Audi R8 LMS ultra #4/Phoenix Racing): “I was a bit surprised about how fast we can be on a single lap. I could hardly have driven any faster. The gaps up to position ten are very close. Our car felt good – ‘thank you’ for this to the team. We’re thoroughly prepared, have got a good driver line-up and feel competitive.”

Qualifying results

1 Kevin Estre (McLaren #66) 8m 10.921s
2 Maxime Martin (BMW #25) 8m 13.497s
3 Christian Mamerow (Audi R8 LMS ultra #4) 8m 14.117s
4 Adam Christodoulou (Mercedes #14) 8m 14.290s
5 Dirk Werner (BMW #19) 8m 14.848s
6 Frank Stippler (Audi R8 LMS ultra #3) 8m 14.868s
7 Andreas Simonsen (Mercedes #1) 8m 15.098s
8 Pierre Kaffer (Audi R8 LMS ultra #502) 8m 15.176s
9 Stefan Mücke (Aston Martin #7) 8m 15.834s
10 Alex Buncombe (Nissan #80) 8m 15.922s
12 Nicki Thiim (Audi R8 LMS ultra #9) 8m 16.359s
17 Edward Sandström (Audi R8 LMS ultra #17) 8m 18.132s
19 Christopher Mies (Audi R8 LMS ultra #10) 8m 18.514s
26 Christiaan Frankenhout (Audi R8 LMS ultra #18), 8m 25.326s
28 Dennis Busch (Audi R8 LMS ultra #16) 8m 30.155s

Photo credit: Audi Media

PHOTOS: Day 1 Audi teams at the Nürburgring 24 Hours

By Tarek Ramchani

A selection of great photos taken by our friend Jean-Baptiste Lassaux at Autorennsport. Day 1 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours with many Audi cars taking part in the demanding Nordscheleife based endurance classic.

Autorennsport full photo coverage of day 1 can be seen here and here.

Photo credit: Autorennsport

Nürburgring 24 Hours: Second and third for Audi in the first qualifying session

By Tarek Ramchani

A very postive day for the Audi Sport customer racing squad at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The Audi R8 LMS ultra cars performed very well in free practice session and in the first qualifying session today.

Earlier today the Phoenix Racing team secured a fine 1-2 in the single free practice session of the week. The #4 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Christopher Haase, Christian Mamerow, Rene Rast and Markus Winkelhock ahead of the sister #3 machine driven by Marc Basseng, Marcel Fassler, Frank Stippler and Laurens Vanthoor.

Later in the first qualifying session the Audis did very well again. The Audi teams were able to secure a fine second and third in the session. The #4 car from Phoenix Racing in the hands of  Christopher Haase, Christian Mamerow, Rene Rast and Markus Winkelhock was second fastest with a best time of 8:21.454.

The Audi race experience secured a great third place. The #502 Audi R8 LMS ultra shared by arco Werner, Frank Biela, Pierre Kaffer and Felix Baumgartner with a best time of 8:23.322.

The second Audi from Phoenix Racing was eighth fastest with Marc Basseng, Marcel Fassler, Frank Stippler and Laurens Vanthoor. The two R8 LMS ultra cars from Prosperica C.Abt Racing were eighteenth (#10 Audi) and nineteenth (#9 Audi).

The teams and drivers will hit the track again tomorrow for another 2-hour qualifying session before the special Top-30 qualifying shootout in the afternoon.

Photo credit: IG Autorennsport