Volker Weidler

Volker Hermann Weidler (born 18 March 1962) is a German businessman and retired racing driver, best known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991.

Career

Formula racing In 1985, Weidler became German Formula Three champion.

In the 1989 Formula One season, Weidler entered ten Formula One Grands Prix, racing for the Rial team, but failed to qualify the uncompetitive car on every occasion.

After Formula One, Weidler moved to Japan and raced in the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship and the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship. He often fought over the title with Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Ross Cheever and others in the Japanese Formula 3000, and became popular in Japan.

GT / Sportscars Weidler won the , an annual award presented by Porsche AG to recognize the world's most successful privateer racing driver competing with Porsche machinery in a customer racing team, in 1987.

In 1991, Weidler teamed with Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot to win Le Mans behind the wheel of the Wankel engine-powered Mazda 787B, marking also the first win of the legendary French race by both a Japanese manufacturer and engine supplier. This Wankel engine-powered car was noted for being very loud.

Possibly related to the hours spent in the noisy Mazda, Weidler began to suffer from an ear problem (sensorineural hearing loss) which eventually forced him to retire prematurely from the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship during the 1992 season though Weidler was leading the championship at that time.

When Weidler left the Japanese team, Nova Engineering, he recommended Heinz-Harald Frentzen as his successor.

Post-racing career Weidler now works as a managing director for Weidler, a building cleaning company owned by his family, based in Weinheim.

Racing record

Complete International Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pts 1986 Bromley Motorsport with Rial Ralt RT20 Cosworth SIL VAL PAU SPA IMO MUG PER ÖST BIR BUG JAR NC 0 1988 Onyx Race Engineering March 88B Cosworth JER VAL PAU SIL MNZ PER BRH BIR BUG ZOL DIJ 15th 5

Complete Formula One results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pts Rial Racing Rial ARC2 Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8 BRA SMR MON MEX USA CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS NC 0

Complete Japanese Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)