A recent newspaper headline described Rahel Frey as “the fastest woman in Switzerland.” It was not a snide reference to her lifestyle, but rather a salute to her career.

There are few women driversin international motor racing. “I know of only eight, including myself, who drive open-wheel single seaters in various Formula series all over the world,” says racing driver Rahel Frey.

“And four of us are Swiss,” she adds proudly.

Frey started competitive driving in kart races at the age of 12. Karts have only small motors – classes range from 60 cc to 250 cc – but are much like Formula One racing cars in miniature, with top speeds in the Superkart class of up to 240 kilometres an hour. Karting is generally seen as a stepping stone to faster and more expensive motor sports. Some of today’s leading Formula One drivers started in karts.

“Even at that early age I showed talent, and my father, who also raced in karts in his younger years, encouraged me,” Frey recalls, adding as an afterthought, “though my mother would have preferred me to spend more of my time and energies at school.”

When Frey was 18, after six seasons in karting, she moved up to more serious stuff: the Formula Renault 2000 Swiss Championship. In 2004, her first year, she finished fourth. The season included a victory on the Dijon circuit, and Frey was the first female driver to achieve this. The following year she was third in the Swiss Championship, out of a total of 30 participants. Her performance included two wins, six podiums and seven fastest laps in nine rounds. That opened the door to entering the Eurocup in the Renault 2000 class in 2006 and the International Formula Masters series the following year.

Is it a disadvantage in motor racing to be a woman? “Yes and no,” Frey replies. “Yes, because most men assume you are weaker, but physical strength is not a major issue. I’m very fit, and I train regularly to strengthen arms, neck and shoulders. I do a lot of running and cycling for endurance, and I also do rock climbing, which helps to build mental concentration. Nevertheless, women have to prove themselves – their physical and mental stamina – before they are fully accepted as members of a team.

“On the other hand, I think it’s easier for a woman to find sponsors,” she says. “And getting sponsors to contribute to the expenses is a very important part of motor racing. A few top drivers in Formula One may make millions, but for drivers like me it costs a lot to participate, and the prize money, if any, is peanuts. Everything has to be paid for – the car, team member- ship, race entry fees, engine rebuild costs, tyres and travel to the various events.

Frey cannot afford a manager. “I’m my own manager,” she says. “That means a lot of work. This way I learn more about business, and it makes me more mature. Usually a driver’s manager gets the sponsors and does the negotiating about sponsorship conditions. Doing all that by myself keeps me very busy when I’m not actually racing or practising.”

Frey laughs a lot. “I’m a naturally cheerful person,” she says. “But I seem to change character when I put on my helmet. The pit mechanics all say I become a different person. I become serious, even aggressive.”

How does she rate her own strengths and weaknesses? “Judging your own character is difficult,” Frey says. “I’d say I’m very determined and single-minded. That’s an advantage when it comes to motor racing, but it tends to create problems in family life. My greatest failing is that I’m impatient. That is a handicap in motor sport. In a race, a good driver waits for the right opportunity to overtake safely. You must be prepared to hold your horses for several laps until the situation offers an opening. I find waiting difficult.”

What does the future hold? “I have not thought far ahead,” Frey confesses. “Many people think that a racing driver simply slips behind the wheel and drives off. Not so. Motor racing requires a lot of training, practice and concentration. I get involved in planning race tactics and testing cars. I am with the mechanics in the workshop when they take the engine apart and put it back together, so that I can understand it all. For me, motor racing takes body and soul. I want to get ahead.

“But if I can’t achieve a breakthrough into the top class, I intend go back to studying,” she says. “I have a school-leaving certificate, so there will be no problem going to university.”

Is motor racing as dangerous as it looks? “Today’s safety standards on the tracks are infinitely better than 20 years ago, and serious accidents are rare,” Frey says. “Yes, I have spun into the gravel trap a few times. But when I’m on the track, I just live my passion and I’m not aware of danger.”

International Formula Masters

SKF is one of the principal partners of the International Formula Masters (IFM) series, a new competition class launched in 2007. In its first season, eight events (16 races) took place in Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Britain and Italy, with live TV coverage on Eurosport of all of them.

The IFM is planned as a pathway to the highest ranks of the motor sport industry, says organizer N. Technology S.p.A. of Italy. It is built around three principles intended to please fans, drivers, sponsors and teams alike.

• Performance: the Formula S2000 cars used in International Formula Masters weigh 550 kilograms with the driver and have a 250 horsepower Honda motor that impresses both drivers and fans with its racing power.
• Promotion: Together with the FIA World Touring Car Championship as a host of international venues, the IFM has a five-year commitment from Eurosport for live TV coverage of all races.

• Price: IFM introduces innovative cost-cutting measures to make it accessible to the widest range of aspiring drivers.