"Let's just do it!"

Why the racecar driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen built his own hybrid car for the 24h race at the Nürburgring.




In the beginning there was an idea. One fine day, racecar driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen began to wonder: What would it be like to build a racecar with a hybrid engine? If circumstances had been different, the idea might have disappeared as soon as it came. But in the fall of 2006, the driver from Mönchengladbach, Germany knew that his time in the German Touring Car Masters had come to an end. Instead of looking for a new contract, he started doing intensive research on the technical and physical fundamentals of hybrid technologies.

An encounter with a friendly face from old Formula One days only stoked the flames of Frantzen's passion. Norbert Kreyer, down-to-earth engine specialist from Niederzissen, was just the person Frentzen needed to talk to about hybrid technology. Kreyer was the designer of the 1.5 liter Turbo Zakspeed engine, and was later involved in designing the Rallye engines for Toyota. After the stint in Cologne for Toyota, he made his way back to the top leagues working on the Le Mans Auto GT1 engine and the first F1 engine. In short, he had the theoretical knowledge and the practical experience to give the idea a serious reality check.

How is it that of all people a racecar driver gets involved with "green" propulsion systems? Those who know Heinz-Harald Frentzen also know that when not driving for Sauber, Williams, or Jordan, he was considering the world outside the driver pit. "The world isn't that wrong in thinking that motorsports lack environmental consciousness," he realized.

"Actually, motorsports could be a very good pioneer in applying environmentally friendly technology in our world. I'm at least convinced that it would do the sport some good to move in this direction." The three-time Grand Prix winner explains that his motives are not only ecological: "Everybody thinks they have a feeling for how much energy is needed to be fast in a race. As a driver, I know from personal experience how much energy is wasted during every turn when we press the brakes. Rechanneling this energy back into acceleration rather than just burning it up in the air is technically interesting, but more than that, it makes sense."

When asked why it makes sense, the father of three points to the increased life cycle of key components. Brake wear is decreased considerably, and the reclaimed brake energy converted into acceleration, increasing the range of the car - these are all advantages that pay off in long-distance racing. What's more, in contrast to a conventional racing engine, an electric motor does not require a thorough retuning following every race.

After the basic concept was finalized in 2007, Frentzen and Kreyer entered the phase of searching for project partners. Originally the plan was to design a completely new racecar from the ground up.

Technically, the project soon found competent assistance. In financing, however, the initiators soon learned the lesson of many pioneers: There are plenty of sceptics, doubters and know-it-alls, but a dearth of brave spirits and progressive minds. Valuable time passed. As 2007 came to a close, Frentzen had reached a decision: "Let's just do it!" In order to keep costs under control, he changed gears and started searching for a suitable car that could be modified into a hybrid racer. He found what he was searching for in the Gumpert Apollo: "A great street-legal sportscar that has all the key elements of a racing car." Frentzen bought a car from Roland Gumbert and had it modified for use on the Nürburgring directly in the company's plant in Altenburg, Thüringen. The electric motor and batteries were mounted in the sleek body.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who serves as mentor, entrepren eur and driver for this project, will try his luck on the Nürburgring on May 22 and 25. The culmination of several months of hard work, Frentzen hopes to prove that hybrid technology is already sufficient for use on the finest and most difficult racetracks in the world.

If his goal was simply to compete in the legendary 24-hour race in front of 200,000 spectators, he could have done it easier and more economically.

When asked about his financial outlay in the endeavor, he admits: "If I'd had bought a 911 RSR directly from Porsche, I would have easily saved half of what I spent." Having an idea and making it reality frequently costs a lot of money.