It is sunny in Salzburger Land. The last remnants of the snow can still be found at the edges of paths and on shady mountain roads. Spring is just around the corner. Perfect conditions for a trip in the Golf R. Jasmin Preisig picks up the key. “Driving is mega important to me. I passed my driving licence when I was 18,” explains the 28-year-old racing driver from the Swiss canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. The car is her constant companion.
Golf R-oad trip
On the road with Jasmin Preisig
Jasmin Preisig is a likeable and down-to-earth Swiss woman. She is also a successful racing driver. We met up with her.
Jasmin Preisig is a brand ambassador for Volkswagen importer AMAG in Switzerland, and also a racing driver. She took her place at the wheel of the new Golf R for a trip through Salzburger Land.
The tour takes us through Salzburger Land. To be more precise, around Lake Zell.
The Senses Violett Suites hotel is the ideal place for Jasmin Preisig to relax. However, she let us enjoy the architecture only for a very short time, before returning to the wheel of the new Golf R.
On the journey to the Senses Violett Suites hotel, she is particularly impressed by the R-Performance Torque Vectoring. It ensures the handling is always neutral and that the Golf R really turns into corners. “I really enjoy driving, and not only when I am on holiday. That is obviously also an advantage in motorsport,” says Preisig, grinning. “But I am relaxing today,” she adds.
Arrival and check-in at the hotel. After briefly checking out the rooms, including the view of the lake, we hit the road again, heading towards Saalbach-Hinterglemm. On the way there, we pass famous ski slopes. “It is almost like home,” says Preisig. “Only, I haven’t actually been skiing all that often. I was always more drawn to cars.” Jasmin and her brother Pascal were infected by their father’s enthusiasm for motorsport at an early age: Preisig lined up in the Scirocco R-Cup in 2014.
Snow and ice are no problem for the 4MOTION all-wheel drive with R-Performance Torque Vectoring. The systematic distribution of power, depending on traction, guarantees the best possible grip during Jasmin Preisig’s Alpine tour.
Ice and a little snow lie on the mountain roads. “The Golf R copes well here,” says Preisig, assessing the driving behaviour. “You immediately notice the 4MOTION all-wheel drive working.” Having arrived at the Alpine pastures, she admires the stunning view of the mountains and takes a few photos. On the way back, the Swiss gives us a rundown of her career: “Since racing in an all-woman team, I have had close links to AMAG and Volkswagen. I soon found myself attending my first driving event in Portugal. Things always seem to happen when you least expect them!”
Jasmin Preisig is not only an enthusiastic driver, but has also had close links to motorsport from the outset. At the weekend, she can often be found at the wheel of a race car at the Nürburgring. During the sporty trip, she reflects on how her positive and open manner have benefitted her in this male domain.
Her favourite car? “The first car is always special, because you are finally allowed to drive. However, I have a closer connection with the Golf GTI TCR than I have to any other car. I drive to events in my road version. It has accompanied me on my career at Volkswagen from day one,” says Preisig. She accelerates briefly to overtake. The exhaust of the Golf R emits a joyful bubbling sound as she takes her foot off the gas. “Now that’s a cool sound,” she says, laughing. The optional Akrapovič exhaust system with titanium mufflers knows how to impress. “If it were up to me, then combustion engines would stick around, in motorsport too. The sound is important to me. No wonder. She is, after all, a racing driver.”
Back at Lake Zell, the last of the ice is quietly clinking on the surface of the water, while Preisig gives her views on motorsport: “I am open and get on well with people. That is really helpful as a woman in motorsport,” she says. “What drives me is my ambition. It doesn’t matter who my opponents are.”
Her summary of the test drive with the new Golf R: “Super. A car that is really fun to drive. Respect,” says a beaming Preisig.
