Press release
Emil Frey Racing scores points and narrowly misses podium in Zandvoort
📌 Fast Facts 📌
Emil Frey Racing experienced an eventful DTM weekend in Zandvoort with two intense races. On Saturday, changing weather conditions made for tough strategic decisions, but the drivers impressed with strong wheel-to-wheel battles. Jack Aitken finished P12, Ben Green P15, while Thierry Vermeulen had to retire his #69 Ferrari early. Sunday saw a much stronger performance: Jack Aitken started from P2 and battled for the podium right until the end, setting the fastest lap twice. Thierry Vermeulen finished 13th in his home race, scoring points, while Ben Green came home in P18.
Race 1 – Saturday, 07th June 2025
Challenging weather marked the fifth race of the DTM season. The race began on a wet track but gradually dried out, posing a strategic challenge for all teams.
Ben Green showed his great fighting spirit early on, overtaking Marco Wittmann in the #11 BMW. Jack Aitken ran in P12 behind team-mate Thierry Vermeulen (#69) in the opening phase. The switch to slicks proved risky – as rain returned shortly after the initial pitstop. Thierry Vermeulen rolled to a halt in Turn 5 and was forced to retire the car early.
A late Safety Car added tension to the race, but with P12 (Jack Aitken) and P15 (Ben Green), the team finished below expectations.
Race 2 – Sunday, 08th June 2025
In front of 32,000 fans, Emil Frey Racing showed a strong pace in the sixth race of the season. Jack Aitken started from P2 and fought fiercely with the #91 Porsche driver Thomas Preining. After the first pitstop, Aitken lost P3 on cold tyres but stayed in the fight and recorded the fastest lap.
In a dramatic final phase, both drivers pitted at the same time, with the Porsche narrowly re-joining the race ahead of the #14 Ferrari. Jack Aitken stayed in close pursuit, set another fastest lap, and pushed hard until the final lap – ultimately missing out on the podium by mere tenths of a second.
Thierry Vermeulen scored points on home turf with P13, Ben Green finished in 18th position.
With solid results on both race days, the team looks ahead with confidence to the next round at the Norisring.
TEAM QUOTES – Emil Frey Racing
Lorenz Frey-Hilti, Team Principal
"On Saturday, we lacked the pace we hoped for under changing conditions. On Sunday, it was unfortunate to miss out on the podium, but P4 was still important for the championship. Our biggest weakness at the moment are our outlaps on cold tyres – we’re losing too much time there. Other teams have made progress in this area, and we need to catch up."
Jürg Flach, Technical Director
"Conditions were tricky, but our performance and pace in the dry were strong. In the wet, there’s room for improvement. We also need to improve our outlaps – some of our competitors are surprisingly strong in that phase."
DRIVER QUOTES – Emil Frey Racing
Jack Aitken (Great Britain)
"We scored strong points despite a few challenges. Both the pitstop strategy and tyre-warm-up weren’t ideal, and we’re lacking power on the straights. But we’re staying consistent and are still in the title fight."
Thierry Vermeulen (The Netherlands)
"Big thanks to the team – the car felt really good. But overall, Zandvoort was disappointing for me. I made a silly mistake in the first race and want to apologise to the team for the retirement. On Sunday, we had a great strategy, but I received a penalty I don’t think was justified."
Ben Green (Great Britain)
"Even though the results don’t fully show it, we’ve made a lot of progress. Huge thanks to the whole team for their efforts – now I’m looking forward to the second half of the season."