Emil Frey Racing kicks off the 2026 season with a new driver line-up and main sponsors BWT and Windhager

Emil Frey Racing is starting the coming season stronger than ever and with a breath of fresh air. With BWT – Best Water Technology – as the renowned main sponsor for the Ferrari with start number 14, the Swiss team has secured the market leader in water technology. Windhager – Best Heating Technology – is also represented on the vehicle. As a pioneer in advanced biomass heating and heat pump technologies with Windhager and WindhagerNXT, the company stands for efficient and sustainable energy solutions.

With the start of the new season, the world-famous BWT PINK and striking Windhager RED colours will characterise the appearance of the racing car under the banner of the joint mission ‘For You and Planet Blue’. Emil Frey Racing is also starting a new chapter in terms of sport: after Jack Aitken left the team at the end of 2025 following five years together, Matteo Cairoli, a driver with a proven track record, was recruited as his successor. In addition, the team will be competing with the new Evo variant, entering two Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo cars in both the DTM and the GT World Challenge Sprint Series.

On the other side of the Emil Frey Racing garage stands the second Ferrari with start number 69. At the wheel of the car, which features the Red Bull Verstappen design, is the talented Dutchman Thierry Vermeulen, who is competing as part of the long-standing cooperation with Verstappen.com Racing, which will continue in 2026. After a solid season last year with several podium finishes and pole positions, he is now entering his fourth season with the team. The goal is to carry forward the continuous development and learning curve of recent years.

Deutsche Tourenwagen-Masters 
Emil Frey Racing once again demonstrated its strength in the past DTM season, fighting for the drivers' championship right up to the final race. With consistently good performances and points results, the Swiss team ultimately secured fourth place in the DTM team standings. 

New to the Swiss racing team and driving car number 14 is Matteo Cairoli: The Italian is a former Porsche Supercup champion and has achieved numerous successes in international GT series during his career. Together with Thierry Vermeulen, who continues to drive the Ferrari number 69, they form a strong driver partnership. Thierry Vermeulen's experience in the Ferrari and Matteo Cairoli's basic speed promise a strong package for the new DTM season, which once again features a high-calibre field of drivers. 

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup: Two strong duos, clear ambitions

Emil Frey Racing is also fielding two Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo cars in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup:

• Car #69: Thierry Vermeulen (NED) / Ben Green (GBR)
• Car #14: Matteo Cairoli (ITA) / Konsta Lappalainen (FIN)

The Ferrari #69 is moving up to the PRO category as the reigning Gold Cup champion – with the clear goal of regularly establishing itself in the top rankings. After a difficult 2025 season, car #14 is looking to attack with a new driver duo.

Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo:

Further development with a focus on performance and consistency
In 2026, Emil Frey Racing will be relying on the new Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, the further developed version of the successful GT3 model, for the first time. The Evo package aims to deliver increased performance under a wide range of racing conditions.

The most important innovations include:

• Improved aerodynamic efficiency

• Optimised cooling thanks to new air ducts

• Further developed gearbox tuning

• Increased setup flexibility and reliability

The proven 2.9-litre V6 biturbo with around 600 hp remains unchanged and continues to form the heart of the vehicle.

The DTM will kick off the new racing season from 24 to 26 April 2026. For the first time in the history of the championship, the season opener will take place at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. 

TEAM QUOTES - Emil Frey Racing

Lorenz Frey-Hilti, Team Principal 
"The 2026 season brings many innovations. A new Evo package from Ferrari, new tyres from Pirelli for the DTM and a new driver for our team. We are also very excited about our new partnership with BWT, who will be our main sponsor for car number 14 in the DTM and GTWC Europe Sprint Cup. A big thank you goes to Jack Aitken, who has done an excellent job for us over the past five years, and we wish him all the best for his season. Now we are looking ahead to the new season and are delighted to welcome Matteo Cairoli to the team. With his wealth of experience and speed, he will be a valuable addition to our team."

Jürg Flach, Technical Director
"With the new Evo version, Ferrari is launching a completely redesigned GT3 car. We are working hard and now face exciting new challenges. The test programme is going well, even though we still have a lot of work ahead of us to discover the car's full potential. I am really looking forward to the coming season. We are well-prepared and can't wait to put our new car through its paces in racing conditions.”

PARTNER QUOTE – BWT (Best Water Technology)

Anna Grubeck, Head of Sportsponsoring BWT
"Pink and red represent Best Water and Best Heating Technology. The new design showcases our combined strength on the race track. Together with Emil Frey Racing, we are using motorsport as an international platform to combine performance, innovation and sustainability. The partnership marks the next step in the further development of our commitment to sport and clearly follows our mission: For You and Planet Blue."

DRIVER QUOTES - Emil Frey Racing 

Matteo Cairoli (Italy)
"I am very grateful to Emil Frey Racing and proud of this opportunity. I believe that together we can form a strong combination. As I am new to the DTM and the car, my main focus is on learning as quickly as possible – but at the same time, I also want to pursue ambitious goals. I can't wait to get started, enjoy every moment and show what we are capable of on the race track!"

Thierry Vermeulen (The Netherlands)
"I am delighted to be starting our fourth year together with Emil Frey Racing. I really feel like part of the family. We worked closely together over the winter, reviewing the last few years and analysing our strengths and weaknesses. Now we are ready to start a new season together."

Ben Green (Great Britain)
"I am very excited to return to GTWC Europe Sprint with Emil Frey Racing. It's great to be working with Thierry after competing against him for the last two years, and I am confident that we will make a strong team. We have a great crew and the necessary experience, so we are ready to fight for the championship!"

Konsta Lappalainen (Finland)
"This will be my sixth consecutive year with Emil Frey Racing, and after last year's disappointing results, we hope to be back among the frontrunners. As a team, we know what we are capable of and now we really want to show what we can do. We are all very excited to have Matteo join the team because he is a really fast driver. Let's give it our all to get back to the top."