Alexander Wurz

Alexander Wurz (* February 15, 1974 in Waidhofen an der Thaya ) is an Austrian racing driver and BMX World Champion of the year 1986., He took between 1997 and 2007 to some 69 Grand Prix of the Formula 1 World Championship. From 2008 to 2011 he drove with Peugeot Sport selected races of the International Le Mans Cup. In 2012 he drove the FIA WEC (FIA World Endurance Championship ) with the Toyota factory team. Twice he won the 24 - hour race at Le Mans in 1996 and 2009. His victory in 1996 made ​​him the youngest winner in the history of the famous sports car classic from Le Mans. Wurz is still active in Formula 1 as a consultant, television and media expert and has also established itself as a road safety expert.

Career

Alexander Wurz is the second son of former miller master and later road safety experts and the head of the ÖAMTC driving technique centers Franz Wurz, of motorsports, inter alia, as a triple Rallycross European champion (1974, 1976 and 1982 ) made ​​his name. Even the grandfather of Alexander, the Waldviertel mill owner Franz Wurz senior, was with his BMW 328 in the 1950s, a well-known in the Alpine republic car racer.

Wurz ' motorsport career began karting tracks, from 1991 Wurz drove in the Austrian Formula Ford 1600, he decided right away for yourself. 1992 the Double in Austria and Germany before the rise Wurz ventured into Formula 3. There, too, he immediately became Austrian champion, 1994 Wurz was in the German Formula 3 runner-up. In 1996, he went partially in the ITC, where he headed a Opel Calibra for the Joest team. In addition, he took part in 1996 on a set of Joest Porsche for the first time at the 24 - hour race at Le Mans and was dependent on the overall victory with Davy Jones and Manuel Reuter same as the youngest winner in history a. For 1997, Wurz was therefore given a test contract in Formula 1, the team Benetton, where with another Austrian Gerhard Berger was engaged at this time. When he had to take a break due to illness for three races, Wurz gave as a replacement pilot his debut in the premier class motorsport and managed at Silverstone as a third party for the first time to jump on the podium. Wurz was from 1998 to the regular driver of the Benetton Renault team.

After 3 years at Benetton Renault 2001 he moved to McLaren Mercedes team as official test and reserve driver. During this time Wurz got some offer for racing, for example, at Prost GP and Jaguar Racing, but remained until 2005 at McLaren. During this time he achieved third place in the Grand Prix of Imola as a replacement for Juan Pablo Montoya.

For 2006, Wurz joined as a test and reserve driver for Williams team British tradition, where he was to Red Bull Racing migrated Australian Mark Webber replaced as a regular driver for the first time in 2007 and again got a tribe cockpit in Formula 1 after six years.

In preparation for the Grand Prix of China 2007 in Shanghai, the rumor was spreading, root planning the end of his active F1 career. After also team principal Frank Williams enveloped by a further commitment of the Austrian 2008 in silence, Wurz announced on the day of the race official that he will resign with immediate effect from the current Formula 1 racing, but still want to work with the Williams team. The cockpit for the final race in Brazil took over Williams test driver Kazuki Nakajima. In January 2008 it was announced that Wurz has signed a test driver and consultant contract with the Honda team for the 2008 season. This agreement was assumed by the successor team Brawn GP, now Mercedes Grand Prix. Since 2008, Wurz has worked in Formula 1 as a TV and media expert, primarily as a co- commentator at ORF.

In 2009, he won on Peugeot again the 24-hour race at Le Mans. Together with Marc Gené and David Brabham he went first to the finish before another Peugeot. With his victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2010 along with Gené and Anthony Davidson and the victory at Petit Le Mans together with Stéphane Sarrazin and Franck Montagny Wurz has won in his Peugeot 908, the three major sports car classic. In the 2012 season, he joined Toyota in the FIA World Endurance Championship ( WEC). There he was involved in the development of the Toyota TS030 Hybrid, which only came into use for the season at Le Mans. In the following five races he finished three as the overall winner.

Wurz is married to the former Benetton spokeswoman Julia hordes and the couple have three sons. The family lives in Monaco.

Turmeric is also involved in the traffic safety and traffic education. Together with his father he founded in 2006 the company Test & Training International, which focuses on the education and training of road users. It counts as a close confidant of the FIA ​​Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, holding, among other things, the FIA ​​Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy.

First commercial activities showed Wurz at an early age, as he was in 1996 with his company " Alexander's Kart -o- Mania " the first Kart Indoor operator in Austria. Also interesting is his friendship with Christian " Toto " Wolff. Both imported together in 1996 Breathalyzer to Austria.

Statistics

Career stations

• 2002: Formula 1 ( test driver )
• 2003: Formula 1 ( test driver )
• 2004: Formula 1 ( test driver )
• 2005: Formula 1 ( 17th)
• 2006: Formula 1 ( test driver )
• 2007: Formula 1 (11th )

Statistics in Formula 1

Individual results

Le Mans results

Cycling

Even before Wurz discovered his passion for motorsports, he was active in cycling. Of particular note are his BMX World Champion and Vice European Champion title won in 1986. Wurz had in common with the ex- mountain biker Markus Rainer own mountain bike team "Siemens Cannondale Mountain Bike Racing", which could reach several World Cup victories.

Trivia

Alexander Wurz was for good luck in the race earlier always two different colored shoes (one red and one blue). From the entry at McLaren Mercedes, he wore uniform pairs, where he has returned to the red and blue 2009.

Turmeric makes the design and painted his helmet even in the airbrush method, which he, the artist Knud Tiroch taught.