Volker Weidler

Volker Hermann Weidler is a retired racing driver from Germany, best known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 [24 Hours of Le Mans|1991].

Career

In 1985, Weidler became List of [German Formula Three champions|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.

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 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.

Weidler now works as a managing director for Weidler, a building cleaning company owned by his family, based in Weinheim.

Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of the winner's distance marked as Not Classified.