Emil Frey Racing ended its 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup campaign on a high as Ben Green and Thierry Vermeulen claimed victory in the season finale at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, securing third place in the Teams’ Championship for the Swiss squad.
The result completed a dramatic weekend in Spain and continued the team’s remarkable late-season turnaround. Both Ferraris retired from a chaotic, rain-affected opening race on Saturday, but Green and Vermeulen rebounded on Sunday to deliver their second consecutive victory after winning at Zandvoort. Their success lifted Emil Frey Racing from fifth to third in the Teams’ Championship, completing a strong recovery after a difficult campaign.
The sister #14 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo of Matteo Cairoli and Konsta Lappalainen endured a more challenging finale. Contact ended its opening race before the pit stop phase, while traffic restricted the pair to 13th in Race 2 despite starting ninth.
Saturday chaos eliminates both Emil Frey Ferraris
Saturday’s opening race quickly became a battle for survival as rain returned shortly before the start and left drivers facing difficult visibility around Barcelona. Vermeulen started the #69 Ferrari from ninth, while Lappalainen lined up 19th in the sister #14 after an unpredictable qualifying session.
Vermeulen navigated the opening-lap chaos but lost several positions as the field attempted to find grip on the soaked circuit, dropping to 12th after the opening 15 minutes. Lappalainen endured a more difficult start and slipped to 23rd before further contact pushed the #14 even further down the order as conditions continued to deteriorate.
A Safety Car period following an accident at Turn 11 compressed the field before the opening pit stops, but Emil Frey Racing’s race soon deteriorated further. The #14 had already sustained contact when it entered the pit lane, only for the #2 Porsche to be released into its path. The resulting collision damaged the Ferrari’s suspension and ended Cairoli and Lappalainen’s race before the driver change could be completed.
Vermeulen remained in contention and handed the #69 to Green from 12th, but increasingly heavy rain forced officials to stop the race shortly afterwards. Competition eventually resumed behind the Safety Car with 28 minutes remaining, placing Green 10th for the final part of the race.
Little opportunity for recovery
The restart offered little opportunity for recovery. On the first racing lap after the Safety Car, the #96 Lamborghini struck Green through the middle sector, causing significant damage and forcing the #69 Ferrari into retirement. Neither Emil Frey Racing entry therefore reached the finish after a race defined by poor visibility, contact and difficult conditions.
Team Principal Lorenz Frey-Hilti admitted Saturday had been particularly frustrating given the pace available in both cars. “It was another crazy race weekend. The weather conditions on Saturday were extraordinary, and unfortunately, we were unable to get a result, with both cars taken out of the race, which was very frustrating.”
Extreme weather reshapes Sunday programme
The disruption continued beyond Race 1. Extreme weather around Barcelona prompted the regional government to prohibit sporting and outdoor activities from Saturday evening until 14:00 on Sunday, forcing organisers to abandon the second qualifying session and significantly revise the final day’s timetable.
With Qualifying 2 cancelled, officials set the Race 2 grid using the fastest laps recorded by each starting driver during Free Practice 2. That unusual format handed Green pole position in the #69 Ferrari, while Cairoli secured ninth for the #14. The revised schedule eventually placed the start of the season finale at 18:20 local time.
The unexpected pole gave Green and Vermeulen an important opportunity to recover from Saturday’s disappointment, although the team still needed to execute cleanly against a competitive field. Emil Frey Racing had shown strong pace throughout the weekend despite the opening-race retirements, and the front-row starting position provided the #69 crew with the opportunity to convert that speed into a result.
Frey-Hilti acknowledged that circumstances had helped place the car at the front, but the team still needed to maximise the opportunity. “On Sunday we had a little luck with the grid positions, which of course gave us a strong starting platform. It was sensational how Ben and Thierry brought it home.”
Green recovers lead after hectic start
Sunday’s start initially threatened to undo that advantage. Several cars on the left-hand side of the grid appeared to move early, leaving Green shuffled backwards during the opening metres. The Briton responded immediately and had reclaimed first place by the second corner before a Safety Car interrupted proceedings after the opening lap.
Green controlled the restart and began building an advantage at the head of the field, giving Emil Frey Racing the opportunity to dictate the race rather than react to its rivals. Cairoli, meanwhile, became involved in a tightly packed midfield battle in the #14 and lost positions as the #8 Audi and #7 Aston Martin worked their way through.
The decisive phase arrived at the end of lap 16 when Green and the second-placed #3 Mercedes-AMG entered the pits together. Emil Frey Racing delivered a quick driver change and service, allowing Vermeulen to emerge with approximately three seconds in hand and retain control of the race.
Cairoli stopped one lap later and handed the #14 to Lappalainen. The Finn returned to the circuit amid heavy traffic and struggled to make significant progress through the field, eventually bringing the car home in 13th.
Technical Director Jürg Flach credited the #69 crew for maximising its opportunity after the team’s difficult Saturday. “On Sunday we were able to secure the win and third place in the Teams’ Championship with a strong race and a perfect execution starting from P1! It was difficult for the number 14 in traffic, and they were unfortunately unable to push further forward. All in all, a conciliatory end to the season and very well deserved for the entire team!”
Vermeulen controls final stint for second straight win
At the front, Vermeulen never allowed his rivals to threaten the lead. The Dutchman maintained the margin established during the pit stop phase and gradually controlled the final portion of the race before crossing the line 4.5 seconds clear to secure Emil Frey Racing’s second victory in succession.
The result followed Green and Vermeulen’s breakthrough win at Zandvoort, turning the final two rounds into the strongest portion of Emil Frey Racing’s season. After spending much of 2026 attempting to convert its underlying potential into results, the #69 crew ended the campaign by winning the final two races it contested to the finish.
Vermeulen credited the team’s persistence throughout a challenging year for making the late turnaround possible. “It was a fantastic final weekend. I think our pace was there from the very beginning, and I am extremely grateful to the whole team. It was not an easy year, but the last two race weekends were very strong, and that is to their credit, because they never gave up throughout the entire year.”
He also highlighted Green’s opening stint as a critical part of the victory. “On Saturday we had a great deal of bad luck, but even then, we had a good car. In Sunday’s race, Ben had a strong start and was exactly as aggressive as we had envisaged. After that we were able to control the race and the car was a joy to drive. A huge thank you to everyone.”
Green delighted to reward Emil Frey Racing
For Green, victory provided the ideal conclusion to a season in which the #69 combination had increasingly emerged as one of the strongest pairings in the Sprint Cup field. Sunday’s win also offered immediate redemption after the contact that eliminated the Ferrari from Saturday’s race.
“I am absolutely delighted to take the win with Emil Frey Racing and claim our second victory together this season,” Green said. “The team worked incredibly hard to get us to where we belong, at the front of the field, and I want to thank everyone for that.”
The British driver viewed the result as particularly important because it rewarded the team’s work during a campaign that had often failed to produce results representative of its pace. “It is wonderful to close out the season this way, especially after yesterday’s race where a competitor put us out early. I am simply very happy for the whole team that the hard work of this season has now been rewarded and that we can go into the winter with a fantastic feeling.”
Green also wished the organisation well ahead of the following weekend’s DTM finale at Hockenheim, where Emil Frey Racing would immediately turn its attention towards another championship programme.
Difficult finale reflects #14 crew’s season
While the #69 ended the year with consecutive victories, Cairoli and Lappalainen endured a more frustrating conclusion. Their Zandvoort podium had provided an encouraging breakthrough, but contact in Race 1 and traffic in Race 2 prevented them from carrying that momentum into Barcelona.
Cairoli described the finale as representative of a season that never consistently produced the results the crew expected. “A very hard weekend, even if the external circumstances with the race schedule were not ideal. It is very disappointing to end the season this way, but it was a difficult year from the very beginning. We need to analyse where the problems lay, and if there is a return to the GT World Challenge in the future, we need to understand it better. I am not happy with my GTWC season. Now my full focus is on Hockenheim and the DTM finale.”
Lappalainen offered a similarly reflective assessment after completing his final GTWC weekend. “My final GTWC weekend, and a difficult one at that, which actually sums up our entire season quite well. The potential was always there, but we could never quite get it out. In Zandvoort we showed what we are capable of when everything goes right, but this year everything that could go wrong did go wrong. It was not an easy year for the whole team. I hope things will be better next year.”
Late surge earns Emil Frey Racing third in Teams’ Championship
Despite those difficulties, Emil Frey Racing ultimately achieved the championship target it set before Barcelona. The team arrived fifth with 54 points and only 4.5 separating it from AF Corse in third, leaving a Teams’ Championship podium within reach if both cars could deliver enough points during the finale.
Saturday appeared to have seriously damaged those hopes after both entries retired, but Green and Vermeulen’s Race 2 victory provided the decisive result. Emil Frey Racing consequently finished third in the Teams’ standings, completing a late surge built around its strong Zandvoort and Barcelona performances.
Frey-Hilti viewed the championship result as particularly satisfying given how difficult much of the campaign had been. “We were still able to reach the podium in the Teams’ Championship, and that after a really difficult season. To collect so many points over the last two weekends and still finish the season in the top three is simply sensational for the whole team.”
The final two rounds therefore changed the complexion of Emil Frey Racing’s season. A campaign marked by missed opportunities and difficult weekends ended with consecutive victories, multiple podiums and third in the Teams’ Championship, giving the Swiss operation a considerably stronger platform from which to enter the winter.
