by Russell Atkins
TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW IN FULL: CLICK HERE
Heinz-Harald Frentzen – a man who began more than 150 grands prix in the top flight and triumphed in three of them – is returning to his sportscar roots in 2008, having signed up to compete for Aston Martin Racing in the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours, his first appearance in the legendary round-the-clock French classic since 1992.
Not only that, but the highly-experienced German will have the honour of racing the British marque’s GT1 class-winning DBR9 decked out in the original Gulf livery, celebrating the oil company’s 40th debut at La Sarthe. The 40-year-old spoke exclusively to
Crash.net Radio about how he is feeling about taking on ‘the greatest race in the world’ for a second time 16 years on…
Q:
Heinz-Harald, you’re racing with Aston Martin in the Le Mans 24 Hours this year, but it’s been a while since your sportscar days, hasn’t it?
Heinz-Harald Frentzen:
Yeah, actually my last experience in sportscars was in 1993 in Japan, and then I had a similar experience to this kind of car in the DTM, where I drove from 2004 to 2006.
Q:
Do you think it may take you a while to get back to grips with sportscars again, or not?
H-HF:
Well actually, the Aston Martin is similar in terms of speed to the DTM car, so that’s not too different.
Q:
You left the DTM at the end of 2006, since when you’ve had a year away from racing. Are you feeling refreshed now, ready to go again and eager to get back on-track?
H-HF:
Yes, I had a good, relaxing year after 2006, and slowly since the beginning of this year I’ve been getting ready to get back into motorsport. I won’t be competing that often – just a few long races. I will also take part in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, as well as the Le Mans 24 Hours, which is obviously a very competitive event.
Q:
The car in its Gulf livery looks fantastic; how much are you looking forward to driving it?
H-HF:
When I saw the car I found it really special. It has a fantastic paint scheme and a very traditional design. It’s a really cool-looking car.
