Anny Frosio: From hillclimbs to GT racing – a journey of passion
- RACERS
- 27 minutes ago
- 7 min read
From her grassroots beginnings in hillclimb racing to competing in GT Cup Europe in Lamborghini machinery, we caught up with Swiss racer Anny Frosio ahead of her return to the Temple of Speed for the season finale, recalling her journey of passion, perseverance, and steady improvements.
There’s something deeply authentic about Anny Frosio’s approach to racing. She speaks with a warmth and honesty that immediately reveal her pure connection to motorsport — a world she didn’t enter through conventional ladders, but through the more visceral, grassroots environment of hillclimb racing. That’s where her passion was forged: among winding mountain roads, local teams, and the unmistakable scent of fuel and asphalt.
Today, Frosio is carving her own path in the GT Cup Europe, a fiercely competitive championship on the ladder of International GT Open that has become proving ground for AM drivers and rising talents alike. After a first season with Mertel Motorsport driving a Ferrari 488 Challenge, the Swiss racer has now taken the next step in 2025 with Aggressive Team Italia, switching to a Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo. Her journey, marked by great determination, is the story of someone who has built her racing dream from the ground up.
“I met Alan Gomboso a few years ago to test a Ferrari,” Anny recalls. “We suddenly realised we had actually raced against each other about fifteen years earlier — in the same hillclimb events. I had stopped for more than fifteen years after that and only did track days — first with more modest cars, and later, I was lucky enough to drive Ferraris.”
That moment of reconnection marked the start of a new chapter.
“Alan saw my videos on the internet,” she says. “He knew that my dream was to one day race a Ferrari, and he offered me the chance to take part in a race in the German FCD Challenge. I did quite well — well enough that he proposed I join the team for a full season in the GT Cup Europe. From that moment, I did everything possible to raise the necessary funds and make this dream come true.”
For someone whose racing experience had long been limited to track days, the leap to a European GT championship was significant. Yet Frosio embraced it head-on.
“I came into this racing world from nothing,” she admits. “The start of the season was really tough — I was behind everyone else, and there was so much to learn. But thanks to my teammate Jorge Cabezas, who was the reigning champion, we worked hard and managed to close the gap. By mid-season, I had already improved by more than half the time difference. From that point on, I could really start fighting with the others.”
Her first season became a true journey of learning. “I had so much fun,” she says. “I was consistent, I finished all my stints, and I never damaged the car. That was my main goal — to complete the races and bring the car home. We managed to score points three times, and I’m very proud of that. Together with the team, engineers, and mechanics, we did something special.”
By the end of 2024, Frosio not only achieved her first points in GT Cup Europe but also clinched victory in the Female Trophy at the season finale in Monza — her self-declared “home circuit.”
Frosio’s first GT campaign was an adventure full of challenges and milestones, each circuit bringing new lessons. Her debut came at Portimão, one of the most technical tracks on the calendar. “Race 1 didn’t go well because Jorge had a small accident early on and I couldn’t take the wheel,” she recalls. “I was disappointed, but the practice sessions had been good. I didn’t know the circuit, yet I managed to set decent lap times. It was my first proper race weekend, and I really enjoyed it.”
Despite the setback, the crew repaired the Ferrari overnight. “The car wasn’t perfectly balanced for Race 2 — they did what they could in a short time — but I was just happy to race. It was my first time in a 488 Challenge, and although I had experience from track days, this was another world. I immediately felt at home in a Ferrari cockpit, and we were lucky — we scored our first points that Sunday. The season had really begun well.”
At Hockenheim, a circuit she knew better thanks to previous track days, she arrived with higher expectations. “I was a little disappointed not to do better,” she admits, “but we got lucky again with a safety car that helped us into the points. I was amazed — two race weekends, two times scoring points. The important thing was to bring the car home and close the gap to the others. We ended up doing just that.”
Then came Spa-Francorchamps, the legendary Belgian track. “I had driven there once before with my old 458 Challenge,” she says, “but racing there was something else entirely. I had so much fun, even though it’s a very technical and difficult circuit. Unfortunately, in one race we were running well before Jorge had a puncture right after I handed him the car, and in the other, we suffered a technical issue during the driver change. Still, the experience was incredible — Spa is unforgettable.”
Paul Ricard followed, a weekend that began with misfortune but proved pivotal in her progression. “In Race 1, Jorge started and suffered a puncture just before handing me the car. The team changed the tyre, but when I got in, an electronic fault forced me to pit again to reset everything. After that, I still managed to recover two or three positions.”
Then came a true test of resilience: “Race 2 was under a torrential downpour — my first-ever race in the rain. It was pure survival, but that was the goal: to learn. Jorge did what he could afterward, but it was almost impossible to score points. Still, we finished — and that was the most important thing. It was a big step forward for me.”
At Barcelona, everything began to click. “That weekend was really good in terms of lap times,” she says. “I was close to the AM leaders and very happy. In Race 2, Jorge handed me the car in an amazing position — we were running around fifth before the driver changes — and when I took over, I was right in the fight. But battling with Pro drivers, I pushed a bit too hard, spun, and lost all the advantage he had given me. I was furious with myself — I don’t often lose my smile, but that day I did for about half an hour. Still, that’s racing: without taking risks, you never improve.”
Finally, came the grand finale at Monza, her dream weekend. “It was everything I hoped for,” she says. “We arrived with mixed conditions — a bit of rain, which reminded me of Paul Ricard. I was nervous at first but took it as an opportunity to work on my weakness. I gained confidence, and by Qualifying 2 I had done a really good lap on a wet track. I was thrilled.”
Free practice sessions offered more opportunities to push. “Luckily, FP2 was dry, and since I already knew Monza quite well, I wasn’t afraid to go flat-out. This car is so fast there — I loved it. In Race 1, it was wet again. Jorge handed me the car in a good position, and I did the best I could, but near the end, we had a fuel pump issue that forced us to slow down.”
“Race 2 went much better. We had a great start and some luck with the safety car — fuel consumption was tight, so it helped. I managed to push, tried to overtake where possible, and kept the car in good shape for Jorge. After the driver change, he drove brilliantly and took us up to sixth place. Unfortunately, we received a five-second penalty for a slightly too-quick driver change, dropping us to eighth — but still scoring points. We finished the season with nine points overall, which for me was a huge achievement in my first year.”
The highlight came with a Female Trophy win, a reward for a season of big development. “It couldn’t have ended better,” she says proudly. “To win at Monza, my home circuit, in my debut year, was just perfect.”
When asked where she felt she improved the most, Frosio has no hesitation. “At Paul Ricard, mid-season,” she explains. “I did a test a few weeks before, with some coaching and data analysis. We identified some bad habits I had carried for years from track days — and once I corrected them, I made a huge leap forward. From that moment, I really felt that the title of ‘driver’ fit me.”
The technical progress she made was evident. “Now I can extract the maximum from the car much faster in qualifying. At the beginning of the season, I needed five or six laps to reach my pace. Now I can do it in one or two. That’s where I improved the most — and it also gave me confidence in race situations, especially against the Pros.”
After a promising rookie year with Ferrari, Anny Frosio’s 2025 season brought a new challenge — and a new team. She joined Aggressive Team Italia, a fresh outfit on the GT Cup Europe grid, fielding a Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo. The team chose an impressive pairing for its debut: double champion Iván Velasco and Anny Frosio.
“I was supposed to join mid-season again with a Ferrari, and then I found a seat with Aggressive Team Italia,” Anny explains. “It’s a great team with a very good car. The Lamborghini is completely new to me, but it’s a true race car — very precise, very impressive. I felt good almost immediately, and although the weekend didn’t go exactly as we hoped due to a few small issues, we overcame them. I can’t wait for Monza now.”
Her satisfaction is clear. “I even managed to lap faster with the Lamborghini this year than I did with the Ferrari last year — that’s a great feeling. I’m very happy about that.”
As the 2025 GT Cup Europe season heads to its finale, Anny Frosio returns to Monza — the place where she closed her debut year on a high. “It’s such a joy,” she says. “Monza is my temple of the heart. I have Italian roots from the north, and this circuit feels like home. It’s the perfect track for a car like the Lamborghini. If it stays dry, I believe we have a real chance to fight for a podium in the AM class with a driver like Iván [Velasco] by my side. We’ll give it everything.”
For Frosio, Monza represents the meeting point of the dream that started a year ago and the new goals she’s setting for herself.
Whether it’s the mountains of her hillclimb days or the legendary straights of Monza, Anny Frosio carries with her the same unfiltered love for racing that started it all.