Robin Frijns (ARAL ULTIMATE Audi RS 5 DTM #4): The all-rounder

Robin Frijns will also be contesting a double program in 2020: Like in 2019, the Dutchman is an Audi factory driver in the DTM and at the same time contests the Formula E electric racing series for the Audi customer team Envision Virgin Racing.

“The more you drive, the better you get,” says Robin Frijns. For the Dutchman, his double racing program is also an enrichment in his second year. “DTM and Formula E are extremely different series and challenge you very differently. The DTM is full throttle from start to finish and you have to manage your tires very cleverly. In Formula E, you are constantly busy managing the energy supply of your car. You have to adapt to new situations and conditions as fast as lightning and be very flexible.” 

In his first two years in the DTM, all-round driver Frijns has made a name for himself and his fans with his spectacular driving style and worthwhile overtaking. Particularly at Misano in 2019, where he shot past pole setter René Rast from second place on the grid and held the lead for a long time. Or with his courageous final attacks against the leading Jamie Green last year at the Nürburgring. Where Frijns had an advantage on fresher tires and Green saved his razor-thin lead only just over the finish line.

Robin Frijns stood on the podium four times in his second DTM season – twice as often as in his debut year 2018 – and two second places were his highlights. In 2020, the first DTM victory is finally to be clinched for the Dutchman who continues to compete for Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. “Because I want to win in every series I compete in,” says Frijns, who clinched his first two Formula E victories in 2019 with Audi customer team Envision Virgin Racing.

“What I need for my DTM car to be really fast, my crew and I have learned in the meantime, right down to the smallest detail. But we also have to keep reliability under control throughout the season,” says Frijns with a view to a couple of retirements last year due to technical failures.

Frijns, who hails from Maastricht, started his career in karting and in single-seater racing made it into Formula 1 as a test and reserve driver. “I had three very successful years in single-seaters, during which I was able to assert myself against important names and win the championship in each case,” he says. “As a Formula 1 test driver for Sauber and Caterham, I had very little opportunity to compete in races myself in the following two years.” An offer to become active in customer racing for Audi therefore came at exactly the right moment in 2015. “It was a great opportunity for me to be able to go into GT racing with Audi and finally race again. Today I’m more than happy to have seized the opportunity back then. We celebrated many successes together.”

For two years, Frijns also competed for Michael Andretti’s team in the electric racing series Formula E. By BMW’s entry, the Dutchman lost his cockpit, because for Frijns Audi had clear priority. In the Formula E simulator at Audi Sport in Neuburg he kept himself fit for the future-oriented racing series and did not hesitate for a second when the chance for a Formula E comeback arose in the summer of 2018.

The Dutchman, who lives in Belgium, gained his first experience at the wheel of a DTM race car from Audi as early as 2013 at a junior scouting event in Spain. “Robin made a strong impression even then. We haven’t lost sight of him since then,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass.

In the DTM and also in Formula E Frijns drives with number 4: “The number has accompanied me during my successful years in single-seater racing and brought me a lot of luck. Hopefully it will continue to do so.”

As an Audi factory driver, he enjoys the privilege of a company car from the four rings model range. The Audi RS 5 Sportback (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 9.2; combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 209; information on fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions as well as efficiency classes in ranges depending on the tires and alloy wheel rims used) is Robin Frijns’ current choice. Whose surname is pronounced “Freijns” in Dutch, with a long “e”. In English, on the other hand, it is usually pronounced “Frins” with a short “i”. "For me personally, the different pronunciation makes no difference. As long as I know it when I’m spoken to, I’m perfectly fine with either.” However, Frijns attaches great importance to the fact that he is not from Holland, but from the Netherlands.

Biography

Robin Frijns (NL)

Date of birth: August 7, 1991
Place of birth: Maastricht (NL)
Place of residence: Lanaken (B)
Marital status: single
Height/weight: 1.71 m/65 kg
Motorsport since: 1999 (Audi driver since 2015)

Career

1999–2008 Kart, Belgian Cadet Champion 2004, French Junior Champion 2006
2009 3rd place Formula BMW Europe, Rookie of the Year
2010 1st place Formula BMW Europe, 14th place Formula Renault Northern Europe
2011 1st place Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup
2012 1st place Formula Renault 3.5, Young Driver Test Formula 1 (Red Bull)
2013 Formula 1 test driver (Sauber), 15th place GP2 Series
2014 Formula 1 test driver (Caterham)
2015 1st place Blancpain GT Series (Audi R8 LMS), 2nd place Blancpain Sprint Series (Audi R8 LMS), 6th place Blancpain Endurance Series Pro Cup (Audi R8 LMS)
2016 12th place Formula E, 7th place Intercontinental GT Challenge (Audi R8 LMS), 10th place Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup (Audi R8 LMS)
2017 13th place Formula E, 1st place Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup (Audi R8 LMS), 4th place Blancpain GT Series (Audi R8 LMS)
2018 13th place DTM (Audi RS 5 DTM), 1st place 12 Hours Bathurst (Audi R8 LMS)
2019 5th place DTM (Audi RS 5 DTM), 4th place Formula E (Audi e-tron FE05), 2 wins
2020 DTM (Audi RS 5 DTM), 3 victories, Formula E (Audi e-tron FE06)

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