Freddy’s passion for motorsport

Freddy has been passionate about motorsport since childhood. At just six years old, he had the chance to sit in a kart for the first time – borrowed from a school friend. It quickly became clear that Freddy was much faster than his little mate. A moment that would shape him for life. But his enthusiasm was soon curbed: when his father found out, he forbade him from karting. Instead, Freddy was expected to play football – as most boys did at the time.

Even on the football field, Freddy showed ambition and talent. He made it to the professional level, but several knee surgeries forced him to quit. What remained was his desire for speed and precision – and so he returned to his first love: motorsport.

What started as a hobby gradually became a second professional path. In the early 2000s, Freddy completed a range of training programmes at home and abroad, qualifying as a racing instructor and mental coach. He worked with brands such as Audi, Porsche and Maserati, as well as with independent trackday and coaching providers. Over the years, he became familiar with many European circuits and built a strong network in the scene.

Since 1999, he has also had a close relationship with the Jacobs Group, where he works as a freelance PR consultant for the Benelux region – a collaboration that opened many doors for him.

In 2010, Freddy met racing driver José Close. This encounter grew into a long-term partnership. Freddy began supporting José with event organisation, briefings and driver coaching for the JCL Trackdays and Tracknights at Spa-Francorchamps. In 2020, José handed over the reins of the motorsport activities to Freddy – a challenge he took on with enthusiasm.

Despite his many duties, Freddy has always made time for the next generation. From 2014 to 2018, he mentored professional driver Phil Hill as a mental coach, first in the Formula Renault Eurocup and later in the GT4 series on a KTM-XBow with Reiter Engineering. Today, he continues coaching young kart driver Maxence Schmitz from Theux.

Freddy is now not only an experienced racer but also an organiser of exciting track events. And his journey is far from over. He’s already planning new ventures beyond Spa and is excited for what lies ahead.

In 2021, Freddy met Bettina Ehrensberger, a client of the Jacobs Group. He coached her at Spa in her vehicle. What began as a one-off session turned into a long-term collaboration across various areas of motorsport. This partnership eventually led to the founding of Isou Racing, based in Luxembourg.

And if you ask Freddy about the highlight of his racing career?
“Aside from all the amazing human encounters – definitely La Carrera Panamericana. One of the last real road races on the planet, covering nearly 4000 km across Mexico. It completely captivated me.”

To be continued…