2. October 2018 · Blancpain Endurance Series

A broken exhaust completely dashed Marco Seefried’s title hopes during the last Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup race in Barcelona. After just ten laps, the 42-year-old had to retire with the Emil Frey Racing Lexus RC F GT3 and leave the car in the pits.

It had been a mixed weekend. “Free Practice and qualifyings were halted by interruptions”, Seefried reported. “And so we had trouble getting things going. In addition, several technical problems were a pain.” The stalwart nevertheless made a good impression with fast lap times.

Marco Seefried was first driver and started Sunday’s three-hour race from 19th on the grid. “We’d thought up a special tyre strategy in order to be in a good position later on in the race, but unfortunately we didn’t get that far. It was impossible to repair the exhaust within such a short time and so we had to retire early”, the disappointed Lexus driver concluded. The trio Seefried, Albert Costa and Christian Klien’s existing title chances also vanished after the retirement.

Despite this unhappy ending, Marco Seefried still draws a positive conclusion to the 2018 season. “Highlight was definitely our Paul Ricard victory. The race was not only a sporting success, but also had a special emotional dimension”, said the Bavarian, looking back on the Emil Frey Racing team’s premiere win. The team also delivered a great performance at the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours – one of the world’s toughest endurance races – and secured a position at the top segment of the standings.

“Being within reach of the title in the season’s finale says a lot about our performance level”, the endurance expert summed up. “But to actually become champion means everything has to fit. Sadly, that wasn’t the case in Barcelona.”

20. August 2018 · General

In the ROWE 6 Hours ADAC Ruhr Pokal, Marco Seefried together with Manthey Racing tested the new Porsche 911 GT3 R for the 2019 season. During the test in the course of the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft the Bavarian shared the cockpit with Frederic Makowiecki and Lars Kern.

“I was very pleased that Porsche asked me to take part in the first test under racing conditions on the Nordschleife with the new Porsche 911 GT3 R”, said a happy Marco Seefried. “The car was running without any problems during the whole weekend, giving us the opportunity to get through the test programme completely. Even though the result doesn´t really reflect our achievements, the test was a successful one.”

With a top 10 position in qualifying the trio already showed that the car is quick. In coordination with the VLN organisation, the team decided to start from the pit lane in order to not engage in the fight for overall victory in the SP9 class.

The longer pit stops during the race were deliberately chosen in order to successfully complete the outstanding test programme. After six hours of racing, the yellow-green Porsche crossed the finish line without any damage or incidents.

Next up are the “Spa Six Hours” in Belgium from 15 to 17 September. At the historic racing event Marco Seefried will be driving a Bizzarrini from the 1960s.

2. August 2018 · Blancpain Endurance Series

Marco Seefried completed the Lexus RC F GT3’s first 24-hour-race in a very competitive field with an overall 13th place. After four races the Emil Frey Racing team is leading the Endurance Cup team standings.

“All in all, I’m happy with our first 24-hour race in the Lexus”, Seefried commented. “We know there’s potential for improvement, but the car ran like clockwork and the entire weekend was free from technical problems. That makes me feel extremely optimistic about future races.”

The Lexus driver had already scored his first success in Thursday evening’s qualifying, when he and his teammates Albert Costa and Christian Klien were among the top 20 best drivers and secured one of the sought-after Superpole places.

During the endurance classic race, the team’s chase was interrupted by small incidents on the track. A tyre failure following a collision and a penalty for not respecting the track limits set the trio back. But the crew remained defiant and Marco Seefried saw the chequered flag in 13th place after a strong and error-free run at the challenging track in Belgian Spa.

“Obviously, we would have preferred to be in the top ten this weekend”, said Seefried. “But I think we can be satisfied with the result we got out of the car’s debut. After Stephane Ortelli’s accident in the sister car, it was not easy for the team to fully focus on the race. We are all very happy that Stephane has not suffered any serious injuries,” said Seefried. “The race has shown that we can rely on the car. Now we have to wait and see what is still possible at the season finale in Barcelona.”

The final Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup race is scheduled for 28 to 30 September on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

3. June 2018 · Blancpain Endurance Series

Six hours, 1.000 kilometres and at the end a nail-biting final from which Marco Seefried emerged as the triumphant winner. In the race of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup the 42-year old, together with Albert Costa and Christian Klien, clinched the win for Emil Frey Lexus Racing and also their maiden victory in the highly competitive championship.

Marco Seefried will remember the third Endurance Cup round not as a race but as a thriller: “I can hardly find words for what happened here”, the Lexus driver explains. “It was a tough battle for top positions over the entire distance. But when half an hour before finish, it turned out that Bentley and ourselves would be deciding the lead, tension in the team was almost unbearable.”

Starting from fourth on the grid, Seefried, Costa and Klien had driven six hours without making any mistakes. “That was the basis from which we could attack towards the end. Albert did a fantastic job in the final stint and reduced the gap to the leader lap by lap”, said Seefried. During the last of the 172 laps, the time had finally come and just a few corners before the chequered flag flew, the Spaniard attacked the leading Bentley and sailed past to finish in first place.

This victory in Southern France not only ensures an extra dose of team motivation, but also promotes Seefried and his teammates further up the standings. After three out of five races, the Emil Frey driver lies second with 35 points, only two points behind frontrunners Audi.

“Many thanks go to the entire Emil Frey Lexus Racing team, who’ve taken on a huge challenge with their entry into the Blancpain GT Series. This victory has proved that it was the right decision. The squad’s been racing for so many years now and the guys really deserve this success.”

The Circuit Paul Ricard race also served as the general rehearsal for the Spa 24Hours, which will be the championship’s fourth round. The endurance classic in the Belgian Ardennes is regarded as the world’s largest GT3 race and is scheduled for 26th to 29th July.

1. 24/03/2018    64. ADAC Westfalenfahrt
2. 07/04/2018   43. DMV 4-Stunden-Rennen
3. 14/04/2018    6h Qualifikation for 24h Nürburgring
4. 12/05/2018    24h Nürburgring
5. 23/06/2018     60. ADAC ACAS H&R-Cup
6. 07/07/2018     49. Adenauer ADAC Rundstrecken-Trophy
7. 18/08/2018     ROWE 6 Stunden ADAC Ruhr-Pokal-Rennen
8. 01/09/2018     41. RCM DMV Grenzlandrennen
9. 22/09/2018     58. ADAC Reinoldus-Langstreckenrennen
10. 06/10/2017     50. ADAC Barbarossapreis
11. 20/10/2017     43. DMV Münsterlandpokal

Team: This year Marco Seefried races in the VLN Endurance Championship as well as the 24h at the Nürburgring together with the Frikadelli Racing Team. For more than ten years the “fastest meatball in the world” has been an integral part of the VLN and enjoys cult status among many fans.

Car: This season, Marco Seefried is driving the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 R. The GT3 R features a 500 plus horsepower engine and is powered by a cutting-edge four litre flat-six unit. In developing the Porsche special attention was paid to a lightweight design and a better aerodynamiv efficiency.

*Confirmed races are highlighted bold

1. 22/04/2018     Monza (Italy) – Endurance Cup
2. 20/05/2018     Silverstone (Great Britain) – Endurance Cup
3. 02/06/2018     Paul Ricard (France) – Endurance Cup
4. 29/07/2018     24h Spa (Belgium) – Endurance Cup
5. 30/10/2018     Barcelona (Spain) – Endurance Cup

Team: Emil Frey Racing is the racing division of the Swiss vehicle retailer Emil Frey. The team from Safenwil has been involved in worldwide motorsport since the 60’s. Marco Seefried has been racing with the team in the Blancpain GT Series in 2017 already.

Car: Marco Seefried will be behind the wheel of the Lexus RC F GT3. The Swiss team’s racing car is powered by a 500+ bhp V8 engine and weighs 1.300 kg.

*Confirmed races are highlighted bold