With Mattias Ekström retiring from the DTM in 2018 to focus on his rallycross career, Audi needed to take bold action. Signing Robin Frijns as his replacement was exactly the right move not only for the Ingolstadt manufacturer, but for the series as a whole and perhaps even the Dutch driver’s own future ambitions.
A quick glance at Frijns’ resume is bound to bring up one glaring question: How did he not get into Formula 1? After winning the Formula Renault 3.5 championship by four points over Jules Bianchi in 2012, he was widely regarded as the junior driver with the strongest claim to an F1 seat based on talent alone. At the time, FR3.5 was perceived as an even stronger feeder series than GP2 and, especially that year, the grid was filled with names such as Kevin Magnussen, Sam Bird and Antonio Felix da Costa. Frijns was a shoo in for the pinnacle of motorsport.
However, fans of the sport know quite well that sometimes talent alone is not enough. As opposed to many of the drivers that made their F1 debuts around this time, the Dutchman never relied on deep-pocketed benefactors or manufacturer support. He was surely much, much better than Max Chilton and Esteban Gutierrez, yet in 2013 he was only able to get a testing role for Sauber and a part-time drive in GP2 (where he still impressed by winning on only his third start). For 2014, he was given a reserve driver role and two Free Practice outings with the ailing Caterham outfit.
The rebirth
By 2015, the Grand Prix dream was over for one of the most talented drivers of his generation. Without suitors, Frijns turned his attention to GT racing, signing for Audi’s flagship GT3 customer team WRT in the Blancpain GT Series. Frijns won the overall Drivers' title in his first attempt at the wheel of the R8 LMS and established himself as one of the best tin top racers in the world. While endurance events haven’t been kind to the Dutchman, he is nearly bulletproof in sprint races.
In parallel, he joined the Formula E series for the 2015-16 season with Andretti Autosport. For two seasons, Frijns struggled to make an impact with a car that simply lacked performance. He still managed to score the team’s last podium to date in the series in Putrajaya '15 and categorically outscore teammates Simona de Silvestro and Felix da Costa. Team boss Michael Andretti repeatedly expressed his trust in the driver, even granting him an IndyCar test in 2016 and at some point publicly floating a possible switch to the American series.
Unfortunately, the Andretti-BMW partnership for 2017-18 conflicted with Frijns’ Audi commitments in GT and the Dutchman found himself yet again without a drive despite everyone in the know acknowledging his talent. “Michael had my back,” said Frijns to motorsport.com at the time. “I don’t want to be a reserve driver, I’ve been there in Formula 1 and it didn’t make me really happy. I’ve been with Audi for the last two years and the target is to be in Formula E with Audi. I like the brand, I feel comfortable. Why would I change?”
The future
For 2018, Frijns will turn his attention to the DTM with the task of replacing a true legend in a series that is on the brink of a major change. His raw talent and extensive GT3 experience make him the ideal candidate and having a driver of his calibre will only increase the spectacle of a championship that thrives on parity and a strong grid, as evidenced by the fact that last year alone nine different drivers, representing all three manufacturers, tasted victory.
Frijns joins the series at a very interesting time. The expected enforcement of the “Class One” regulations in 2019, which will join the DTM and Japanese Super GT rulebooks in the hopes of luring Toyota, Nissan and Honda into the series, and the introduction of rounds in the UK and Italy are aimed at increasing the series’ international appeal. If the measures taken under the guidance of series boss Gerhard Berger have the intended effect, the DTM will become one of the most attractive competitions on the planet. And Frijns could be the face of this touring car revolution.
His new role also means that his stated desire of returning to Formula E with Audi might materialise soon. The surge of manufacturer involvement in the electric series has also seen many DTM regulars like Edoardo Mortara, Maro Engel and Tom Blomqvist join its ranks this season. It’s clear that manufacturers hold their factory DTM drivers in high regard, and a solid debut performance could be the path to an FE drive in 2018-19, having already run in Audi's simulator.
Furthermore, DTM has proved to be a good showcase for drivers to remain relevant in the eyes of the Formula 1 paddock. Let’s not forget that the DTM crown opened the doors of Grand Prix racing to Paul di Resta and Pascal Wehrlein more recently. Also, Audi’s parent company VAG could be one of the new manufacturers to enter the sport under the revised engine regulations in 2021. Frijns would be 30 years old by then, in what would be a long overdue GP debut.
But enough speculation. For now, let’s enjoy the spectacle that the DTM, Audi and Robin Frijns have in store for us in 2018.
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