Volker Hermann Weidler (born 18 March 1962) is a German businessman and retired racing driver, best known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991.
Career
Formula racing In 1985, Weidler became German Formula Three champion.
In the 1989 Formula One season, Weidler entered ten Formula One Grands Prix, racing for the Rial team, but failed to qualify the uncompetitive car on every occasion.
After Formula One, Weidler moved to Japan and raced in the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship and the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship. He often fought over the title with Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Ross Cheever and others in the Japanese Formula 3000, and became popular in Japan.
GT / Sportscars Weidler won the , an annual award presented by Porsche AG to recognize the world's most successful privateer racing driver competing with Porsche machinery in a customer racing team, in 1987.
In 1991, Weidler teamed with Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot to win Le Mans behind the wheel of the Wankel engine-powered Mazda 787B, marking also the first win of the legendary French race by both a Japanese manufacturer and engine supplier. This Wankel engine-powered car was noted for being very loud.
Possibly related to the hours spent in the noisy Mazda, Weidler began to suffer from an ear problem (sensorineural hearing loss) which eventually forced him to retire prematurely from the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship during the 1992 season though Weidler was leading the championship at that time.
When Weidler left the Japanese team, Nova Engineering, he recommended Heinz-Harald Frentzen as his successor.
Post-racing career Weidler now works as a managing director for Weidler, a building cleaning company owned by his family, based in Weinheim.
Racing record
Complete International Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pts 1986 Bromley Motorsport with Rial Ralt RT20 Cosworth SIL VAL PAU SPA IMO MUG PER ÖST BIR BUG JAR NC 0 1988 Onyx Race Engineering March 88B Cosworth JER VAL PAU SIL MNZ PER BRH BIR BUG ZOL DIJ 15th 5
Complete Formula One results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pts Rial Racing Rial ARC2 Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8 BRA SMR MON MEX USA CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS NC 0
Complete Japanese Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 DC Pts 1990 Team Take One SUZRet FSWRet MIN11 SUZ5 SUG21 FSW3 FSWRet SUZ20 FSW1 SUZDSQ6th15 1991 Team Nova SUZ15 AUTDNQ FSW19 MIN3 SUZ3 SUG8 FSW3 SUZ10 FSWC SUZ3 FSW13rd25 1992 Team Nova SUZ3 FSWRet MINRet SUZ1 AUT3 SUG1 FSW FSW SUZ FSW FSW4th26
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans Results Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of the winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC). Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Porsche Kremer Racing Kris Nissen Kunimitsu Takahashi Porsche 962C C1 6 DNF DNF Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd Yojiro Terada Marc Duez Mazda 767 GTP 339 12th 3rd Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Bertrand Gachot Johnny Herbert Mazda 787 GTP 148 DNF DNF Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Johnny Herbert Bertrand Gachot Mazda 787B C2 362 1st 1st Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd. Oreca Johnny Herbert Bertrand Gachot Maurizio Sandro Sala Mazda MXR-01 C1 336 4th 4th
References Footnotes
Sources Profile at F1 Rejects