A last appearance before being retired for the Jaguar after earning a place in the history of the endurance series.
Following his exotic experience in Korea, in the CJ Superace Championship, Alex Fontana is ready for another race weekend in Europe: on Sunday 30 September the Swiss driver will be in Barcelona for the final round in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, at the wheel of the Emil Frey Racing team’s Jaguar XK.
Crewing the Jaguar with the Canadian Mikael Grenier and the South African Adrian Zaugg, Fontana will be fighting for the title in the Silver Cup class reserved for promising young drivers in the GT series: the trio currently occupies third place in the overall standings with 78 points, 17 less than the leaders Al Faisal-Haupt-Piana.
The 2018 season started fantastically with a stunning 5th place overall at Monza, providing immediate reward for all the hard work done over the winter with the Swiss team revelling in a class win. Bad luck struck at Silverstone, when a loose wheel nut put paid to hopes of another class win. The podium finish achieved at Le Castellet despite all the difficulties encountered brought deserved applause, while the Spa 24 Hours in July, the most prestigious round, concluded with a hard-fought finish and fourth place in the Silver Cup.
In the hands of the Fontana-Grenier-Zaugg trio, the Emil Frey Jaguar Racing car has already shown its enormous potential, securing class pole position in every race. There is therefore a degree of regret that this will be the last chance to see the magnificent Jaguar racing in the Blancpain GT Series given that its homologation runs out at the end of the year. The team’s objective this weekend is to honour its history with a result of note.
Alex Fontana
"There’s a blend of nostalgia and enthusiasm as we go into this race at Barcelona that will bring to an end our participation in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup 2018. Onone hand I’m sorry that it will be the last race for our fabulous Jaguar, the full potential of which we have seen this year as we competed for results few would have bet on at the start of the season. On the other hand, I’m ready to give my best to ensure a prestigious placing in the overall standings and in the Silver Cup, where Mikael, Adrian and I will be going all out to conquer the podium. What’s certain is that I can’t wait to take to the track.”