Armin Schwarz (born 16 July 1963) is a German rally driver. He competed in the World Rally Championship from 1988 to 2005, winning the 1991 Rally Catalunya and taking six other podium finishes. Outside the WRC, he won the German Rally Championship (1987–88), the European Rally Championship (1996) and the "Rally Masters" event at the Race of Champions (2000).
Career
Schwarz was born in Neustadt an der Aisch in Franken in 1963 and debuted in rallying in 1983. After having won the German Rally Championship for two years in a row, he made his debut in the World Rally Championship in 1988 and was signed by Toyota Team Europe, Toyota's factory WRC team, for the 1990 season.
Driving a Toyota Celica GT-Four, Schwarz led a world championship rally for the first time at the 1990 Rally Portugal, took his first podium finish at the 1991 Rally Australia and his first and only win at the 1991 Rally Catalunya.
In 1996, due to Toyota's 12-month ban from the WRC, Schwarz drove for the team in the European Rally Championship. He won the Manx International Rally and the Cyprus Rally and captured the overall title. Later that same year, he drove to victory in the RAC Rally, then part of the 2-Litre World Championship ("Formula 2").
In 1997, Schwarz drove for the now Cumbria based M-Sport Ford rally team but was later replaced by Juha Kankkunen after a series of disappointing performances.
In the 1999 season, after stints with Mitsubishi and Ford, Schwarz started his long partnership with the debuting Škoda works team. His best result with the team was third place at the 2001 Safari Rally. Schwarz retired from the world championship after the 2005 season, during which he took his first points finish in over a year at the season-ending Rally Australia.
Following the successful completion of its Red Bull Young Rally Driver's Search Program, Schwarz joined forces in 2006 with Global Sport Licensing Ltd. (“GSL”) and Mr. Baumschlage to create the WRC designated Red Bull Škoda Team. Simultaneously, Schwarz started in 2007 to race, as a GSL racing driver with the support of California-based All German Motorsport team, in the American SCORE International off-road championship which includes among others the internationally famous races Baja 1000.
Schwarz now lives in Austria. He is married with two children, one of them is Fabio Schwarz which as of 2025 will be competing in the WRC 2.
WRC victories # Event Season Co-driver Car 1 27º Rallye Catalunya-Costa Brava (Rallye de España) 1991 Arne Hertz Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165
Complete World Rally Championship results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 WDC Points 1988 Armin Schwarz Audi 200 Quattro MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR5 37th 8 1989 Armin Schwarz Audi 200 Quattro SWE MON POR KEN FRA GRE8 NZL ARG AUS ITARet CIV 41st 7 Schmidt Motorsport FIN7 GBRRet 1990 Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 MON5 PORRet KEN FRARet GRE NZL ARG FIN AUS ITARet CIV GBR7 19th 12 1991 Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 MON4 SWE PORRet KEN FRARet GRE5 NZL ARG FIN9 AUS3 ITA8 CIV ESP1 GBR 6th 55 1992 Toyota Team Europe Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD MONRet SWE PORRet KEN FRA5 GRERet NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV ESP5 GBR 19th 16 1993 Mitsubishi Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer RS MON6 SWE PORRet KEN FRA GRE3 ARG NZL FIN9 AUS ITA ESP GBR8 12th 23 1994 Mitsubishi Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer RS MON7 POR KEN FRA 7th 31 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo II GRE2 ARG NZL3 FIN ITARet GBR 1995 Toyota Castrol Team Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 MONRet SWE9 POR4 FRARet NZL4 AUS5 ESPRet GBR DSQ 30 1997 Ford Motor Co Ford Escort WRC MON4 SWE6 KEN4 POR3 ESPRet FRA9 ARG GRE NZL FIN IDN ITA AUS GBR 8th 11 1998 R.E.D. World Rally Team Ford Escort WRC MON SWE KEN POR ESP FRA ARG GRE NZL FIN ITA AUS GBR7 NC 0 1999 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Octavia WRC MONRet SWE KEN PORRet ESPRet FRA ARG GRE12 NZL FINRet CHN ITARet AUS GBRRet NC 0 2000 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Octavia WRC MON7 SWE KEN7 POR8 ESP11 ARG GRE5 NZL FIN 17th 2 Škoda Octavia WRC Evo2 CYPRet FRA ITA12 AUS GBR13 2001 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Octavia WRC Evo2 MON4 SWERet PORRet ESPRet ARGRet CYP9 GRE7 KEN3 FIN15 NZL ITARet FRARet AUS GBR5 12th 9 2002 Hyundai Castrol World Rally Team Hyundai Accent WRC2 MONRet SWERet NC 0 Hyundai Accent WRC3 FRA13 ESP16 CYP7 ARGRet GRE9 KENRet FIN13 GERRet ITARet NZL10 AUSRet GBRRet 2003 Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai Accent WRC3 MON8 SWE13 TURRet NZLRet ARGRet GRERet CYP7 GER12 FIN12 AUS13 ITA FRA ESP GBR 18th 3 2004 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Fabia WRC MON SWE MEX NZL CYP GRERet TUR ARG FIN12 GER11 JPN GBRRet ITARet FRA8 ESP11 AUS 29th 1 2005 Škoda Motorsport Škoda Fabia WRC MONRet SWE MEX9 NZL10 ITAEX CYP13 TURRet GRE18 ARG16 FIN11 GERRet GBR13 JPN10 FRARet ESP11 AUS8 24th 1
References
External links
Official website