Heinz-Harald Frentzen is to come out of retirement to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia race supporting this season's Australian Grand Prix.
The event will mark Frentzen's first appearance at Albert Park since his final season in the sport back in 2003 and will also be his debut at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machine.
“I have seen footage of the Porsches racing there and it looks as though they are both nimble and powerful enough to be well suited to the track. I'm looking forward to having some fun out there and being really competitive again,” he said. “For a street circuit, Albert Park is fast, flowing and an interesting challenge for the driver. It has always been, and still is, one of the best tracks on the F1 calendar.”
Frentzen will drive the 'Guest' car in the event, with Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Manager Jamey Blaikie confident that the German would be on the pace from the outset.
“Heinz-Harald has extraordinary credentials in motorsport worldwide and vast experience racing at the Albert Park circuit, while his recent participation in several forms of motorsport should see him towards the front in the ultra-competitive Carrera Cup field,” he said. “I have no doubt he'll quickly adapt to the cars. After asking whether he needed to test the car prior to racing, he quipped that if the steering wheel is on the left and the gear stick is on the right, he'll be fine.
“F1 fans here will have fond memories of his performances, and we can't wait to see him compete when he gets behind the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.”
