— I drive very safely, but quite aggressively. All my cars are speed provocateurs. But the city is not a place for racing. And I understand that not every driver has a reaction time comparable to mine. Although the strategy can be used not only on race track but also on public roads. From the rules traffic I can only neglect the exit to the bus lane - I do not have enough patience.

Natalya Freidina is a pilot of the Formula JK Racing Asia Series (formerly known as Formula BMW Pacific), one of the most respected and well-known racing series in the region. She has been a member of the MERITUS GP team since 2010, the only representative of Russia in the Formula JK Racing Asia Series championship. The Meritus GP team will have 6 pilots in the 2011 season. Married, two children. Lives in Switzerland.

Since childhood, she showed interest in auto racing in general and in the latest auto / motorcycle sports. She graduated from the Tsygankov driving school, took an individual extreme driving course at Alexander Grachev's school (AvtoMotoPro). Then I got the idea to try my hand at professional motorsport, I started karting. In 2010, the age of the youngest daughter allowed her to continue motorsports more professionally. Natalia Freidina became a Formula BMW driver, but 2010 was the last year for Formula BMW Europe, so it was decided to move to the Pacific Series - Formula BMW Pacific. The choice fell on the MERITUS GP team, as it is the leader in the region.

Having shown excellent results in the first tests, she entered the top five most promising novice pilots of her team. Participates in Formula JK Racing Asia Series under the name Natalie, with the image of the Russian flag on the car.

At the first stage of the 2011 season at Sepang in Malaysia, she participated in the Formula 1 support race.

Natalia Freidina is announced as a racer in Malaysia (April) and Singapore (September).

20.04.2013 16:46

Natalia Freidina is a Russian racing driver, pilot of the TEAM RUSSIA FIA GT European Championship team.

Former driver of the Formula JK Racing Asia Series (previously called Formula BMW Pacific) Has been a member of the MERITUS GP team since 2010, the only representative of Russia in the Formula JK Racing Asia Series championship.

Since childhood, she has shown interest in auto racing and, in general, in the novelties of auto-moto sports. She graduated from the Tsygankov driving school, took an individual extreme driving course at Alexander Grachev's school (Extreme Drive). Then I got the idea to try my hand at professional motorsport, I started karting. In 2010, the age of her youngest daughter allowed Natalya to continue her motorsport lessons more professionally. Natalia Freidina became the driver of the Formula BMW championship, but, unfortunately, 2010 was the last year for Formula BMW Europe, in connection with this, it was decided to move to the Pacific series - Formula BMW Pacific. The choice fell on the MERITUS GP team, as it is the leader in the region.

Having shown excellent results in the first tests, she entered the top five most promising novice pilots of her team. With the advent of professional motorsports in the world, there are not so many women who have managed to declare themselves as professional racers. Already in debut season Natalia was able to show a stable time relatively quickly. Participates in Formula JK Racing Asia Series under the name Natalie, with the image of the Russian flag on the car.

And this is not the only female race car driver, for example, Helen Lohr - German race car driver, Spanish racer Giovanna Amati. Most likely, men are just jealous, critical of women behind the wheel, as women are less likely to get into an accident, are more attentive and calmer.

Married, two children. Lives in Switzerland.

Interview Natalia Freidina

Automorning: How did you get there, how do you like the Moscow traffic?

Natalya Freidina: You know, excellent. It evokes very positive emotions in me and, especially if you are not in a hurry, you get a lot of pleasure. In general, I would recommend that European drivers for an internship, instead of spending money on extreme driving courses, just come to Russia.

Where is it more pleasant to drive, in Europe or in Russia?

Depends on who wants to get what from driving. For example, if you want to drive in one lane and chat on the phone, then this style of driving is probably more suitable for Europe. And if you are trying to solve some logical problems along the way, then the roads of Moscow will come in handy! (laughs) To be honest, I like the second one more, especially if the car and the track are not bad, say, the Moscow Ring Road or Novorizhskoye Highway. In Europe, I like driving around Italy, because I don’t get speeding tickets from Switzerland, and the drivers are very similar in mentality to ours.

Let's go back to the past then. I would like to know how such a fragile girl decided to choose such masculine appearance sports?

I would not argue that this is a male sport, initially it happened because it is quite heavy in physical plane and men show more interest in technology, but now this framework is expanding. In my case, upbringing played a big role, and due to the fact that my dad was mostly involved in mine, this left its mark. I was born and lived in Samara and there we had motor boats and luxurious for those times "Zhiguli" of the seventh model, of course, my father himself understood all the technology, and from an early age it was interesting for me to watch, study and take part in the process. And when a subject is taught well, it usually becomes a favorite.

Then at what point did a simple love of technology grow into a professional career?

When the question arose about choosing a place of work, then I, choosing various options I decided to return to my favorite hobby. Alexander Grachev, who was driving with me, suggested that I try my hand at rallying, and this idea seemed quite interesting. I tried it, it began to work out for me, and besides, the classes evoked positive emotions, so I wanted to develop in this area. And then, by coincidence, I met people from the RAF (Russian Automobile Association - ed. note), who at one time were involved in Formula Rus, and helped me join the Meritus GP team a year ago.

Natalya Freidina: I will keep driving to the maximum

What algorithm of actions would you recommend for novice racers, or people who are just going to connect their lives with motorsport?

First of all, you need to do karting, because the feel of the car and working out the trajectory will come in handy in any class. Of course, it should not be a rental, but a real one. sports kart corresponding to the age category. Well, then everything depends on the desired class, and if we are talking about circuit racing, in particular about Formula, then it is worth remembering that this is an extremely costly sport and, alas, it is practically not developed in our country.

What is the problem of our motorsport, what are its prospects, does it have any at all?

Of course, they are, but for this you need to work. The fact is that now our sports managers are people who are simply looking for an opportunity to earn money, nothing more. They do not consider options for the development of an athlete - this is what our sports management differs from, say, European. For example, until I started racing professionally, I didn’t know that there are so many different Formulas - Abarth, Ford and many others that give the guys the opportunity to prove themselves at low costs, about 70 thousand a year. Unfortunately, we do not consider such options. At least someone would take us on to build a karting track so that an international championship could be held. In fact, it turns out that they are building a track in Sochi, but they don’t have their own personnel for it.

Natalya Freidina: I will keep driving to the maximum

How do your loved ones feel about such a dangerous profession?

You know, when you are driving a car in Moscow, you are more nervous than on the highway (laughs). In general, people close to me only ask me to follow the safety rules, because some riders sometimes ignore them, especially when it’s +35 outside and I don’t feel like putting on full equipment at all. True, when you see how the fireballs take off from the track, you understand the need for equipment. Well, my children are very small and they still cannot assess the risk, so for them my profession is, first of all, delight and emotions. Whenever possible, I try to take them with me to training and competitions.

What car do you drive now and what is your favorite car brand?

In Europe, I have two cars - a diesel Mercedes-Benz GL and a BMW 6 Series with a "mechanics", and in Russia - a BMW X5, also diesel, and a BMW 330 with a manual transmission. When I'm alone behind the wheel, I always sit on the "mechanics", but if we go somewhere with the whole family - an SUV in this case is much more convenient. My favorite brand is BMW, because it meets my price / quality requirement, but even if not "Bavarians", then definitely only Germans.

Natalya Freidina: I will keep driving to the maximum

How did you meet Vitaly Petrov. In your opinion, how did he manage to achieve participation in the most prestigious racing series?

I think that this is possible with a combination of desire and opportunities, because many people want to break through, but cannot, and there are those who have much more opportunities than Petrov, but they do not need it. In the case of Vitaly, the perfect balance turned out and there were people who supported him. And his manager, Oksana Kosachenko, introduced me to him.

Can you tell by your example how women are perceived in the world of auto racing?

Very ambivalent. In principle, both on the roads and in motorsport - many positively perceive a woman, but some still remember the cliché "blonde behind the wheel." It is noteworthy that the FIA ​​(International Automobile Federation - ed.) discusses the topic of racing drivers and the fact that, for example, the organizers of Formula 1 would like to see women driving cars for more entertainment and attracting new audiences. On this moment many sports managers are preparing girls for Formula 1 and I think that in the next three years there will be a serious gender change in auto racing.

Natalya Freidina: I will keep driving to the maximum

What are your future plans in your professional career?

I definitely want to stay behind the wheel, I will hold on to it to the maximum. It will be great if it works out in Formula 1. But in any case, I will spend the next two years in this series, and the team owners advised us to consider the current year as a test. In principle, racing is also a test, only at a different price. Well, if we talk about the very near future, then at the end of May I will take part in competitions in Malaysia, and at the end of September - in Singapore. This year's goal is to get more experience, and the result will be as follows.

So, in 2012, is it likely to see the headlines "Russian racer Natalia Freidina - a follower of Vitaly Petrov"?

Who knows, maybe, but let's not guess.