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Björn Wirdheim

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Björn Wirdheim
Wirdheim in August 2016
NationalitySweden Swedish
Born (1980-04-04) 4 April 1980 (age 44)
Växjö, Sweden
Super GT career
Debut season2006
Current teamR'Qs Motor Sports
Racing licence FIA Platinum
Car number22
Former teamsTeam LeMans, Kondo Racing, Gainer
Starts92
Wins4
Podiums22
Poles2
Fastest laps5
Best finish2nd in 2013, 2014
Previous series
1996
1996–97
1998
1998–99
2000–01
2002–03
2003–04
2005
2006

2006–07
2016		Formula Ford Sweden SSK
Sweden Formula Ford 1600
Formula Three Nordic
Formula Palmer Audi
German Formula Three Championship
International Formula 3000
Formula One testing
Champ Car World Series
Camaro Cup Sweden
Formula Nippon
Scandinavian Touring Car Championship
Championship titles
2015
2003
1997		European Le Mans Series
International Formula 3000
Swedish Formula Ford 1600

Björn Karl Mikael Wirdheim[1] (born 4 April 1980) is a Swedish professional racing driver. He is the son of Örnulf Wirdheim, also a racing driver. Björn began racing karts, competing in his first race, at the age of 10. His main achievement to date is becoming the International Formula 3000 Champion in 2003.

Career

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Born in Växjö, Wirdheim began racing karts at age ten, until the age of fifteen, winning the Southern Swedish Karting Championship. In 1996, he progressed to single-seaters in Swedish Formula Ford 1600 Junior Championship where he took the championship title in 1997 with 17 wins. In 1998 and 1999 he raced in the Formula Palmer Audi Championship, achieving two podium finishes.

International Formula 3000

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Wirdheim driving for Arden at the Hungary round of the 2003 International Formula 3000 season.

In 2000, he switched to the German Formula Three Championship. Then, during 2001 in addition to winning at Nürburgring and A1-Ring, he took three pole positions including one at Macau Grand Prix. For the season of 2002 Wirdheim switched, this time to International Formula 3000, joining Arden International. He finished fourth overall, in addition to being named Rookie of the Year, and helping Arden to win the team title in the championship.

Wirdheim stayed with Arden in the following season of 2003 that would prove successful both for the team and driver. He dominated the championship so much that an obligatory pit stop for tire change was introduced at the end of the season in an attempt to level the advantage, but Arden managed to do better pit-stops overall than other teams and still came out on top. Wirdheim became the first Swede to win the championship in its 19-year history, breaking Justin Wilson's previous record of most points won in one season of the series. However, at Monaco, when driving to an easy win on the streets of Monte Carlo, Wirdheim slowed down to wave at his pit-crew believing he already had taken the chequered flag and was overtaken by Nicolas Kiesa, metres away from the actual finish line.

Wirdheim as Jaguar's third driver at the 2004 French Grand Prix.

At the end of 2003, Wirdheim had been noticed by several Formula One team bosses, giving him opportunity to test with both Jordan and BAR. After turning down an offer to drive Champ Car, Wirdheim signed with Jaguar as third driver performing the Friday testing for the team at Formula One Grand Prix weekends during the 2004 season.[2]

Champ Car

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For the 2005 season, Wirdheim turned to the Champ Car World Series to join the HVM racing team. Run by former Pacific F1 team boss Keith Wiggins, the team was underfunded after losing its previous Herdez backing, and a lack of testing made it difficult for the team to be competitive. After mediocre results, Wirdheim and the team decided to part ways after 11 races into the season.

Recent career

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Wirdheim has since competed in the Japanese Formula Nippon series. Driving for Team Dandelion, a team with two constructors' championships and one drivers' title, Wirdheim finished 6th in the 2006 championship, with one second place as best and continued with the team in 2007. He has raced in Super GT since 2006, finishing 2nd in the championship in 2013 and 2014. In 2016 he will dovetail his Super GT commitments with a drive for Flash Engineering in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship.

While taking up a new challenge in 2018 as a Formula 1 TV-commentator for Viasat, Wirdheim has made guest appearances in Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia. In 2018 Wirdheim also won the 1966-1972 class of the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco in a March 711.

Racing record

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Complete International Formula 3000 results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Points
2002 Arden Team Russia INT
5 		IMO
7 		CAT
8 		A1R
2 		MON
Ret 		NÜR
6 		SIL
6 		MAG
Ret 		HOC
2 		HUN
4 		SPA
Ret 		MNZ
1 		4th 29
2003 Arden International IMO
1 		CAT
2 		A1R
2 		MON
2 		NÜR
13 		MAG
2 		SIL
1 		HOC
2 		HUN
2 		MNZ
1 		1st 78
Sources:[3][4]

Complete Formula One participations

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 WDC Points
2003 Jordan Ford Jordan EJ13 Ford V10 AUS MAL BRA SMR ESP AUT MON CAN EUR FRA GBR GER HUN ITA USA
TD 		JPN - -
2004 Jaguar Racing Jaguar R5 Cosworth V10 AUS
TD 		MAL
TD 		BHR
TD 		SMR
TD 		ESP
TD 		MON
TD 		EUR
TD 		CAN
TD 		USA
TD 		FRA
TD 		GBR
TD 		GER
TD 		HUN
TD 		BEL
TD 		ITA
TD 		CHN
TD 		JPN
TD* 		BRA
TD 		– –
Source:[5]

* Was entered as third driver, but did not run due to bad weather.[citation needed]

Complete Champ Car results

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(key)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rank Points Ref
2005 HVM Racing LBH
12 		MTY
8 		MIL
15 		POR
9 		CLE
15 		TOR
15 		EDM
15 		SJO
8 		DEN
11 		MTL
13 		LVG
6 		SRF MXC 14th 115 [6]

Complete Formula Nippon results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points
2006 Dandelion Racing FUJ
4 		SUZ
2 		MOT
4 		SUZ
Ret 		AUT
6 		FUJ
6 		SUG
6 		MOT
11 		SUZ
9 		6th 13.5
2007 Dandelion Racing FUJ
4 		SUZ
13 		MOT
11 		OKA
11 		SUZ
2 		FUJ
8 		SUG
Ret 		MOT
7 		SUZ
8 		9th 17
Source:[3]

Complete Super GT results

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Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Points
2006 Team LeMans Lexus SC430 GT500 SUZ OKA FUJ SEP SUG SUZ
Ret 		MOT AUT FUJ 23rd 11
2007 Team LeMans Lexus SC430 GT500 SUZ
4 		OKA
14 		FUJ
3 		SEP
9 		SUG
DNS 		SUZ
9 		MOT
3 		AUT
8 		FUJ
16 		9th 38
2008 Team LeMans Lexus SC430 GT500 SUZ
9 		OKA
13 		FUJ
6 		SEP
8 		SUG
7 		SUZ
6 		MOT
4 		AUT
14 		FUJ
3 		13th 39
2009 Team LeMans Lexus SC430 GT500 OKA
10 		SUZ
4 		FUJ
6 		SEP
14 		SUG
5 		SUZ
Ret 		FUJ
5 		AUT
10 		MOT
4 		12th 35
2010 Team LeMans Lexus SC430 GT500 SUZ
2 		OKA
5 		FUJ
3 		SEP
4 		SUG
3 		SUZ
11 		FUJ
C 		MOT
12 		4th 51
2011 Kondo Racing Nissan GT-R GT500 OKA
9 		FUJ
7 		SEP
4 		SUG
4 		SUZ
10 		FUJ
11 		AUT
5 		MOT
12 		10th 29
2012 Kondo Racing Nissan GT-R GT500 OKA
11 		FUJ
14 		SEP
Ret 		SUG
10 		SUZ
3 		FUJ
13 		AUT
4 		MOT
11 		15th 22
2013 Gainer Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 GT300 OKA
1 		FUJ
6 		SEP
3 		SUG
13 		SUZ
6 		FUJ
7 		FUJ
2 		AUT
4 		MOT
1 		2nd 80
2014 Gainer Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 GT300 OKA
3 		FUJ
2 		AUT
3 		SUG
Ret 		FUJ
2 		SUZ
10 		BUR
8 		MOT
1 		2nd 78
2015 Gainer Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 GT300 OKA
12 		FUJ
3 		CHA
4 		FUJ
3 		SUZ
11 		SUG
3 		AUT
Ret 		MOT
3 		5th 52
2016 Gainer Mercedes-AMG GT GT300 OKA
4 		FUJ
Ret 		SUG
4 		FUJ
7 		SUZ
Ret 		CHA
9 		MOT
4 		MOT
10 		9th 32
2017 Gainer Mercedes-AMG GT3 GT300 OKA
18 		FUJ
2 		AUT
22 		SUG
1 		FUJ
17 		SUZ
9 		CHA
8 		MOT
7 		6th 45
2019 R'Qs Motor Sports Mercedes-AMG GT3 GT300 OKA FUJ SUZ CHA FUJ
23 		AUT SUG MOT NC 0
Sources:[7][8][4]

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

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Year Entrant Class Car Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rank Points
2013 Greaves Motorsport LMP2 Zytek Z11SN Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL SPA LMS SÃO
4 		COA SHA
5 		BHR
3 		17th 18
GAINER International FUJ
3
Source:[4]

Complete European Le Mans Series results

[edit]
Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rank Points
2015 Greaves Motorsport LMP2 Gibson 015S Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL
1 		IMO
4 		RBR
4 		LEC
1 		EST
2 		1st 93
2016 Krohn Racing LMP2 Ligier JS P2 Nissan VK45DE 4.5 L V8 SIL
4 		IMO
6 		RBR LEC SPA EST 16th 20
Source:[4]

Complete Scandinavian Touring Car Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 DC Points
2016 Flash Engineering Saab 9-3 SKÖ
1 		SKÖ
2 		MAN
1
2 		MAN
2
4 		AND
1
5 		AND
2
4 		FAL
1
4 		FAL
2
Ret 		KAR
1
5 		KAR
2
1 		SOL
1
2 		SOL
2
Ret 		KNU
1
4 		KNU
2
3 		4th 220
Source:[9]

References

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  1. ^ Björn Wirdheim (22 November 2019). "...with Distinction! Felt like going back to school again in a good way..." – via Instagram.
  2. ^ Newbold, James. "What could have been: The F3000 champion whose Champ Car move turned sour". www.autosport.com. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  3. ^ a b "Bjorn Wirdheim". Motor Sport. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Björn Wirdheim Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Björn Wirdheim – Involvement". StatsF1. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Björn Wirdheim – 2005 Champ Car World Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  7. ^ "Japanese Super GT Series – Season 2006: Results". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Japanese Super GT Series – Season 2007: Results". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Björn Wirdheim race results". TouringCars.net. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Björn Wirdheim.
Sporting positions
Preceded by International Formula 3000
Champion
2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by European Le Mans Series
Champion
2015
With: Jon Lancaster & Gary Hirsch 		Succeeded by
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