View source for Max Welti

{{Short description|Swiss racing driver}}
[[File:Welti max.JPG|thumb|Welti in 2007]]
'''Max Welti''' <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maxpertise.eu/experience |title=Max F. Welti  |work=www.maxpertise.eu |access-date=14 February 2017}}</ref> (born 6 September 1952 in [[Zürich]], [[Switzerland]]) is a former Swiss racing driver, [[Sauber|Sauber's]] first team manager and thus double winner of the [[1989 24 Hours of Le Mans|24 Hours of Le Mans]] as well as two-time [[World Sportscar Championship|sports car world champion]] with [[Sauber C9|Sauber Mercedes]]. Five years later, he wins the [[1994 24 Hours of Le Mans|24 Hours of Le Mans]] for a second time with Porsche as the responsible race director. He then returns to Sauber as overall manager of the [[Sauber]] [[Formula One]] operation.<ref>{{cite web|date=8 May 1995|title=Max Welti joins Sauber as operations director|url=https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/max-welti-joins-sauber-as-operations-director/|access-date=2017-12-07|work=Motorsport.com|archive-date=2017-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208003211/https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/max-welti-joins-sauber-as-operations-director/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2000 Welti becomes CEO of the European silhouette touring car racing series "[[V8Star Series|V8STAR]]" before becoming team owner of A1  [[A1 Team Switzerland]] in 2005. As an international motorsport strategist and consultant, Welti nowadays works for OEMs, promoters and organisers.

==Career==

=== 1975-1990: From active Racing Driver to Team Manager, Le Mans Winner and World Champion ===

Welti studied mechanical engineering at [[École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne|EPFL]], and [[ETH Zurich]] while he began racing.

He raced for three years in the Swiss Sports Prototype Championship, which he won in 1980 on a Wittwer March BMW.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Schweizer Legenden des Automobilrennsports mit Wall of Fame in der Autobau geehrt (Veranstaltungen)|url=https://www.zwischengas.com/de/VC/veranstaltungsberichte/Schweizer-Legenden-des-Automobilrennsports-mit-Wall-of-Fame-in-der-Autobau-geehrt.html|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Zwischengas|language=de}}</ref>

After his active racing days, Welti moves into operational racing and becomes Sauber's first Team Manager. He helps the team become one of the most successful in [[Sports car racing]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grandprix.com/people/max-welti.html|title=People Max Welti|website=grandprix.com}}</ref>

In 1986, [[Mike Thackwell]] and [[Henri Pescarolo]] gave the [[Sauber Mercedes C9|Sauber-Mercedes]] team its first win at Nürburgring 1000&nbsp;km. Two years later, with backing from the German electrical giant [[AEG (German company)|AEG]], the Swiss team battles Jaguar for the [[1988 World Sportscar Championship|World Sportscar]] title. [[Mercedes-Benz]] officially returns to racing and the Sport Prototypes are painted silver again in 1989, for the first time since 1956. [[Jean-Louis Schlesser]] wins the Drivers' World title that year. The team dominates the [[1989 World Sportscar Championship|Constructors' title]], winning seven of a total of eight races. In the [[1989 24 Hours of Le Mans|Le Mans 24 Hours]] the team scored a 1–2 victory<ref>{{Cite web|title=24 hours of Le Mans 1989: One-two win 30 years ago|url=https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite/en/instance/ko/24-hours-of-Le-Mans-1989-One-two-win-30-years-ago.xhtml?oid=43585274|access-date=2021-03-15|website=marsMediaSite|language=en}}</ref> with "the new Silver Arrows"<ref>{{Cite book|title=Mercedes-Benz Die neuen Silberpfeile|publisher=Verlag Stadler|year=1990|isbn=3-7977-0252-3}}</ref> driven by [[Jochen Mass]]/[[Manuel Reuter]]/[[Stanley Dickens]], with [[Mauro Baldi]]/[[Kenny Acheson]]/[[Gianfranco Brancatelli]] finishing in second place. In 1990, Schlesser and Baldi shares the Drivers' title while Mass drives alternately with the three Mercedes Juniors: [[Michael Schumacher]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=1989 und 90|url=https://michael-schumacher.de/saison/1989-1990/|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Michael Schumacher|language=de-DE|archive-date=2022-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007230927/https://michael-schumacher.de/saison/1989-1990/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Karl Wendlinger]] and [[Heinz-Harald Frentzen]]. The team wins the [[1990 World Sportscar Championship|Constructors' title]] for a second time in 1990.

===1991-1994: Race Director===

In 1991, Sportscar Racing went into decline and Welti was offered the job of being F1 Project Manager for [[Porsche Motorsport]], in a new relationship with the [[Footwork FA12|Footwork team]]. The Porsche engine was, however, a disaster and as a result Welti pulled the team out of F1{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}. As Porsche Motorsport Director worldwide, he was responsible for the complete reorganization of the motorsport department. In 1993, Welti launched the [[Porsche Supercup]] and himself led the negotiations with F1 Boss [[Bernie Ecclestone]] as it was to take place as an international one-make cup and support series in Formula One. In 1994, once again, Welti celebrated with Porsche and his team another triumph with the modified version of the 962 at the [[1994 24 Hours of Le Mans|24 Hours of Le Mans]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/history/historie-le-mans-10893.html|title=Porsche History Le Mans|website=newsroom.porsche.com}}</ref> driven by Mauro Baldi/[[Hurley Haywood]]/[[Yannick Dalmas]]. With Max Welti as racing director and racing engineer [[Norbert Singer]] as project leader, two racing cars and one reserve car were developed, built and tested in record time and brought to the Le Mans race.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Porsche Victory '94|publisher=Ulrich Upietz, Gruppe C Motorsport-Verlag|year=1994|isbn=3-928540-11-4|pages=19}}</ref>

===1995: Vice President of Sauber Formula 1===

In May 1995 Welti decided to return to [[Sauber]] as team director of the new Formula 1 team. He was particularly instrumental in establishing a new and more efficient structural team organisation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grandprix.com/features/joe-saward/interview-max-welti.html|title=grandprix.com Interview with Max Welti|website=grandprix.com}}</ref> and building up an especially tight relationship with its Malaysian sponsor [[Petronas]] as well as with its engine manufacturer Ferrari as of 1997.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}. Furthermore, he led the team to its first podium finish.

===2000-2003: V8STAR - Setting up Europeans 1st Silhouette touring car championship===

From 2000, Welti was responsible as chief executive officer for setting up the [[V8Star Series|V8STAR]] touring car series in Germany, a championship for tubular frame vehicles with silhouettes of well-known manufacturers such as Jaguar, Volkswagen, Opel, Ford, Lexus, Audi and BMW with uniform V8 engines under the hood and renowned pilots at the steering wheel.

=== 2005-2009: Team Principal Swiss National Team - A1 GP Worldcup of Motorsport ===

In 2004, Welti became Franchisee and Team Principal in the A1 GP Worldcup of Motorsport and built up the Swiss national motorsport team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsport.com/a1gp/news/brands-hatch-team-switzerland-preview/201506/|title=Team Switzerland preview Brands Hatch|website=motorsport.com|access-date=2019-01-02|archive-date=2019-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412141808/https://www.motorsport.com/a1gp/news/brands-hatch-team-switzerland-preview/201506/|url-status=dead}}</ref> With [[Neel Jani]], the [[A1 Team Switzerland]] won the World Cup of Motorsport in 2008 and was runner-up in 2006 and 2009. The team also supported other Swiss drivers such as [[Marcel Fässler (racing driver)|Marcel Fässler]], [[Sébastien Buemi|Sébastian Buemi]], [[Alexandre Imperatori]], [[Tom Dillmann]], [[Rahel Frey]] and [[Natacha Gachnang]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsport.com/search/photos/?q=a1+team+switzerland&p=2|title=Pictures of drivers and team A1 Team Switzerland|website=motorsport.com}}</ref> No other team nor driver were more successful than Switzerland and Jani in this global championship.

===2013-2017: Volkswagen Group===

Welti entered the international limelight again in 2013. As member of the [[Volkswagen Group]] Motorsprt Steering Committee, he was sent to Italy as Motorsport Director of Lamborghini Squadra Corse to build up a new motorsport department there.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1083947_max-welti-to-head-lamborghinis-squadra-corse-racing-division|title=Max Welti to Head Lamborghini's Squadra Corse Racing Division|website=motorauthority.com}}</ref> After that task was completed, Welti traveled to all important races in Europe and on the American continent for six years, leading negotiations with organizers, promoters, federations and technicians of different racing series.

=== 2018-2023: BMW Group ===

Between 2018 and 2020 Welti is a strategic motorsport advisor to BMW.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.autosprint.ch/allgemein/max-welti-vom-vw-konzern-zur-bmw-group/|title=From VW to BMW|website=autosprint.ch}}</ref> He travels to important races of the WEC, IMSA, Formula E, DTM as well as WRX and is on site at endurance classics such as Nürburgring, Spa, Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona.

=== 2009 until today: Consultant for racing series, promoters, sponsors and OEMs ===

Nowadays, Welti works internationally as an independent expert for promoters, sponsors and OEMs. Since 2019, he is also the Sporting Director of the all-electric SuperCharge racing series.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Electrifying Urban Racing|url=https://www.supercharge.live/|access-date=2021-03-15|website=SuperCharge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=SuperCharge: Die Macher der E-Rennserie im Exklusiv-Interview|url=https://www.motorsport-magazin.com/motorsport/news-267318-supercharge-rennserie-elektro-crossover-max-welti-willy-rampf-rob-armstrong-interview-exklusiv/|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Motorsport-Magazin.com|language=de}}</ref>

== Awards ==
In 1990, Max Welti is awarded the "BP Racing Trophy", an award for special services to motorsport, which he receives for his successes with Sauber-Mercedes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BP Racing Trophy Award 1990|url=https://www.maxpertise.eu/gallery|access-date=2021-03-15}}</ref> The coveted "BP Racing Trophy" was first awarded in 1965.

After winning the world championship title in the A1GP season 2007/2008, [[A1 Team Switzerland]] receives in December 2008 the [[:de:Auto Sport Schweiz|Auto Sport]] Award for special services to Swiss motorsport.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Auto Sport Schweiz|title=Auto Sport Award 2008 for A1 Team Switzerland|url=http://www.kartsportbern.ch/daten2008/Ende_2008_Awards_D.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=motorsport-total.com|title=Award for the A1 Team Switzerland|url=https://www.motorsport-total.com/a1gp/news/hohe-auszeichnung-fuer-das-team-schweiz-08120604}}</ref> Previous award winners were motorsport greats like [[Jo Siffert]], [[Clay Regazzoni]] und [[Peter Sauber]].

In 2010, Max Welti is inducted into the "Wall of Fame" in the Autobau museum in Romanshorn as "Swiss legend of motor racing".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zwischengas|title=Swiss legend of motor racing|url=https://www.zwischengas.com/de/VC/veranstaltungsberichte/Schweizer-Legenden-des-Automobilrennsports-mit-Wall-of-Fame-in-der-Autobau-geehrt.html}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Racing-Reference driver|Max_Welti}}
*[http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/cref-welmax.html Profile at grandprix.com]
*https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1083947_max-welti-to-head-lamborghinis-squadra-corse-racing-division

{{Sauber}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Welti, Max}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Swiss racing drivers]]
[[Category:A1 Grand Prix team owners]]
[[Category:Swiss motorsport people]]
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Zurich]]
[[Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers]]
[[Category:Sauber Motorsport drivers]]
[[Category:ETH Zurich alumni]]