Emil Frey Racing left the Norisring with contrasting emotions after the seventh and eighth races of the 2026 DTM season.
The Swiss squad showed competitive race pace at the 2.162-kilometre street-style circuit, but the weekend brought very different outcomes for its two Ferrari drivers. Thierry Vermeulen delivered consistency and scored points in both races, finishing fifth on Saturday and sixth on Sunday. Matteo Cairoli, meanwhile, endured a difficult round after arriving with 20 kilograms of success ballast from his Lausitzring victory.
Cairoli finished 11th in Race 1 before contact ended his Race 2 early. As a result, the Italian lost valuable ground in the Drivers’ standings and dropped to fourth at the halfway point of the season.
Frey-Hilti calls Norisring weekend “very bitter”
Emil Frey Racing Team Principal Lorenz Frey-Hilti did not hide his disappointment after a challenging round. He pointed to Qualifying as the first major setback, especially at a circuit where narrow margins and limited overtaking opportunities can shape the entire weekend.
“It was a very bitter weekend. Already in qualifying, where hundredths of a second make the difference, we simply did not have enough. Starting from the midfield at the Norisring is extremely difficult and always carries risks. Thierry did a solid job in both races and extracted the maximum. It was very unfortunate for Matteo: yesterday he was squeezed in at the start, today the accident was completely out of his hands. But we are far from giving up and we will come back fighting in the championship.”
Frey-Hilti’s assessment reflected the split nature of Emil Frey Racing’s weekend. Vermeulen avoided major trouble and converted his opportunities into points, but Cairoli could not escape the midfield risks that often define racing at the Norisring.
On Saturday, Cairoli became involved in close opening-lap battles after starting 11th. Then, on Sunday, his race unravelled further after a jump-start penalty and later contact at the hairpin. Nevertheless, Frey-Hilti stressed that the team has not lost belief in its championship push.
Flach stresses need for stronger two-car finishes
Technical Director Jürg Flach also felt Emil Frey Racing had the preparation to achieve more. However, both Ferraris started Sunday’s race from the lower end of the top 10, leaving the team vulnerable in traffic and in the opening laps.
“All things considered, I would have wished for a better weekend. We were well prepared, but it was not enough to qualify better than eighth and tenth. Thierry’s fifth and sixth place finishes are solid results after good races, while Matteo had a very unfortunate weekend and could only manage one classified finish with 11th place. Looking ahead, it is essential for both the drivers’ and teams’ championship that we bring both cars home in strong positions at the upcoming rounds.”
Flach’s comments underlined the importance of execution in the second half of the DTM season. Vermeulen’s double points finish gave the team something to build on, but Cairoli’s retirement hurt both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship efforts.
The Norisring also showed how quickly a weekend can turn. Emil Frey Racing completed quick pit stops in Race 1, with Vermeulen stopping in 6.4 seconds and Cairoli in 6.9 seconds. However, red flags, Safety Cars, penalties and contact meant the team could not fully convert that operational strength into a stronger combined result.
Cairoli rues costly Sunday retirement
Cairoli’s weekend began with a difficult Race 1, where he finished 11th after starting from the same position. However, Sunday proved even more frustrating.
The Italian qualified 10th, but stewards investigated him immediately after the start. A penalty lap for a jump start then dropped him to the back of the field. Even so, Cairoli showed strong pace as he tried to recover before his race ended in a chain-reaction incident at the hairpin.
“It was certainly a very unlucky weekend and not what I had hoped for. I also want to apologise to the team. I need to take a close look at the jump start penalty to understand what went wrong. After the penalty, my pace was genuinely strong, and I was able to make up good ground, which made the heavy hit from behind even more frustrating. This setback hurts, but it will not stop us. We will come back strong at the next round.”
The retirement came at a painful moment in Cairoli’s campaign. After winning at the Lausitzring, he arrived at the Norisring with momentum, but success ballast, traffic and race incidents quickly changed the direction of his weekend.
Still, Cairoli took one positive from Sunday. His pace after the penalty suggested he had the speed to recover into contention. Therefore, his focus now shifts towards rebuilding momentum at the next round and limiting the damage in the championship fight.
Vermeulen pleased with consistent points haul
While Cairoli endured setbacks, Vermeulen produced Emil Frey Racing’s most reliable results of the weekend.
The Dutchman started ninth in Race 1 and gained two places early before the race settled into a disrupted rhythm. After the red flag caused by the accident between Max Paul and Kelvin van der Linde, Vermeulen stayed in the fight and later benefited when Thomas Preining dropped back with damage. He eventually crossed the line fifth.
On Sunday, Vermeulen qualified eighth and again kept himself in points contention. After the pit stop phase, he ran sixth and battled Jules Gounon’s Mercedes for fifth, although a slower second stop limited his chance of moving further forward.
“I am very pleased with this weekend. I think we extracted the maximum both as a team and as a driver. The balance was there from the start, which built my confidence in the car lap by lap. On a circuit like the Norisring, that is anything but a given. After a more difficult spell recently, it is especially rewarding to have scored points on two consecutive days.”
Vermeulen’s confidence in the car gave Emil Frey Racing a valuable boost. At a circuit where braking stability, traction and trust over kerbs play a major role, the #69 Ferrari gave him a platform to attack and manage both races cleanly.
His double points finish also arrived at an important time personally. After a more difficult recent spell, two consecutive top-six finishes at one of the calendar’s most demanding venues helped restore momentum.
Emil Frey Racing turns focus to the second half of 2026 DTM season
The Norisring round marked the halfway point of the 2026 DTM season, and Emil Frey Racing now faces a clear task. The team must combine Vermeulen’s consistency with Cairoli’s race-winning potential across the remaining rounds.
The weekend showed both the strengths and vulnerabilities of its campaign. Vermeulen extracted strong results from challenging grid positions, while Cairoli’s pace after his Sunday penalty suggested that he still had competitive speed despite the difficult circumstances. However, the team also paid heavily for midfield starts, penalties and incidents outside its control.
Therefore, the message from the team remained clear. Emil Frey Racing left the Norisring frustrated, but not discouraged. With Cairoli still in the championship fight and Vermeulen building confidence again, the squad now needs cleaner Qualifying sessions and stronger two-car finishes to respond in the second half of the season.
