Michael Krumm
Michael Krumm ( born March 19, 1970 in Reutlingen ) is a German racing driver and winner of the FIA GT1 World Championship 2011.
Career
Krumm began his motorsport career in 1984 in karting, where he was active until 1987. In 1988 he moved to Formula racing and competed in the German Formula Ford. After he had become in his debut season in fifth, he won the championship in 1989. He also made his debut in the German Formula 3 Championship, where he took part in a race. In 1990 he moved to the German Formula Opel Lotus and secured another title. In 1991 he raced in the Formula Opel Lotus Euro Series and finished with a podium placing seventh overall.
In 1992 he moved to the German Formula 3 Championship for the Beru ignition technique Racing Team. As a teammate of the later runner- Krumm, Marco Werner won a race and finished at the end of the season in sixth place overall. The following season, he played his second full season in the German Formula 3 Championship for G M Escom Motorsport. The German scored four victories and finished fourth in the drivers' standings. Only Jos Verstappen, who won the championship could win more races. In addition, he was a guest driver part in two races of the Italian Formula 3 Championship and won both races.
1994 Krumm left Europe and moved to Japan, where he competed in Japanese Formula 3 Championship. He won six of ten races and decided the championship. He also participated in several races in the Japanese Touring Car Championship and the Japanese Formula 3000. In 1995 he raced in the Japanese Touring Car Championship with a victory and was eighth in the drivers' standings. He also appeared again to race in the Japanese Formula 3000. 1996 improved the German to third place in the Japanese Touring Car Championship. In the Japanese Formula 3000, the Nippon was from this season formula, he was 14 the following season Krumm remained in both series and was tenth in the Japanese Touring Car Championship and 16th in the Formula Nippon. The most successful he was in the All- Japan GT Championship, in which he scored the championship title.
In 1998 he moved back to Germany for a year and competed in the German Super Touring Car Championship. With a podium placement, he finished ninth overall. He also competed in the 24 - hour race at Le Mans, where he finished fifth in the GT1 class. In 1999 he competed in the LMP class for 24 - hour race at Le Mans, but did not reach the goal. In addition, he returned to Japan and was fifth in Formula Nippon, and sixth in the All- Japan GT Championship. He stayed in two series without a win. In 2000 he was, though he could not win a race again, behind Toranosuke Takagi runner- Formula Nippon. In the All- Japan GT Championship, he finished eighth overall.
2001 started Krumm first two races at the North American CART series. He then returned to Japan and was seventh in the Formula Nippon and with a win ninth of the All- Japan GT Championship. In 2002, he focused on his involvement in the All- Japan GT Championship and classified on the twelfth overall. He also competed in two Formula Nippon race and was in a team with Marco Werner and Philipp Peter for Audi starting third in the 24 - hour race at Le Mans. In 2003 he went to exclusively in the All- Japan GT Championship and won, although he scored a victory, along with Satoshi Motoyama the championship.
Over the next two seasons Krumm was not able to win the title and was in two seasons ninth in the drivers' standings. In 2004, he won another race. Furthermore, he entered in 2005 in the LMP1 class for 24 - hour race at Le Mans. In 2006 he joined again in the GT Championship, which had been renamed Super GT in 2005 and finished at the end of the season fourth overall. In 2007 he started again in the Super GT and was this season fifth in the overall standings. In addition, he again took part in the Formula Nippon and finished tenth overall in this series. In 2008, he refocused on its commitment to the Super GT and was seventh in the overall standings.
2009 Krumm went to only a total of six races. Four times he raced in the FIA GT Championship, and once each in the Super GT and the Le Mans Series. 2010 and 2011 he drove in the newly formed FIA GT1 World Championship, which he won as a team with Lucas Luhr, 2011.
Since 2012, Krumm moves back in the Super GT. In 2012 he took there in a team with Satoshi Motoyama 8th place He also participated in the redesigned Nissan DeltaWing part in the 24 - hour race at Le Mans, where he retired after a non- self-inflicted accident of his teammate Satoshi Motoyama after 75 rounds.
2013 drove Krumm in GT500 class of the Super GT for Masahiko Kondo's team Kondo Racing on the side of Hironobu Yasuda on a Nissan GT -R. The team finished 13th out of 15 seats. In Le Mans Krumm started the team with Jann Mardenborough and Lucas Ordoñez for Greaves Motorsport Zytek on a Z11SN, finishing in 9th place.
2014 travels Krumm continues for Kondo Racing, this time as a team with Daiki Sasaki.
Personal
Krumm is married to Japanese tennis player Kimiko Date Krumm -.