The Red Bulletin F1 Special - The Austrian Grand Prix 2020 - 02

SATURDAY, 4 JULY, 2020

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F1 Spielberg Gallery 3

The Red Bulletin 4 July, 2020

RETURN TO

RACING! Who remembers December 1, 2019? That’s the day the engines shut down in Abu Dhabi. Seems like a world away now. OK, so maybe we’ve had six pre-season test days and a few recent trial runs in between, but other than those we’ve had only silence amid a long, often painful hiatus.

That all changed yesterday when, at last, F1 fired up again at the Red Bull Ring. In some ways it was a bit like the first day back at school as everyone got back up to speed. And just like a new term, it wasn’t long before we began to see who’d done some early revision and who was at the back of the class. But no matter what the report card said, there was one message that went out loud and clear and that was: It’s good to be back.

Warming up for the action: The pit crews also had to become a well-oiled machines in Spielberg, including a safety margin.

Tires: hard, medium or soft? The teams sorted out their mixtures on Friday.

Bottas is sent out here on the mediums.

PICTUREDESK.COM, GETTY IMAGES, GEPA IMAGES

WERNER JESSNER

Historic moment 1: After months of forced downtime, Carlos Sainz drives the McLaren MCL35 as the very first car on the Red Bull Ring.

Historic moment 2: Daniil Kvyat takes to the track with the newly-named AlphaTauri.

Historic moment 3: After a year and a half break, Esteban Ocon is back in F1.

Historic moment 4: Max Verstappen’s last chance to become the youngest world champion in F1 history.

4 Bullhorn F1 Spielberg

4 July, 2020 The Red Bulletin

BRIEF ENCOUNTER: GERHARD BERGER How a chance meeting in Styria 35 years ago changed the world of motorsport forever...

I

t was my first full season in Formula l. I was driving for Arrows-BMW. Money was tight and I had to fight incredibly hard for every penny. Luckily, BMW had faith in me. But I was living hand to mouth and worried that one day another driver might turn up at team principal Jackie Oliver’s door with money of his own and make a bid for my seat.

The car was solid but slow and the standard I had to measure myself against was my team-mate, Thierry Boutsen. The Belgian was experienced but I felt I was gradually getting the better of him. But my future wasn’t looking too rosy because by the time the Austrian Grand Prix came round, the championship table said otherwise: Boutsen 9 points, Berger 0. And then he beat me in qualifying at my home grand prix too – even if it was only by a measly 100th of a second.

So there I was, standing around in the paddock when this big guy came up and introduced himself.

There’s more attention on you at your home race than normal and almost everyone that shakes your hand wants something from you. This guy was no different. He wanted to sponsor me, he said. He said he had an idea for a great new product and that I would be the perfect figurehead for it. Normally you try to keep this sort of conversation as short as possible. You roll your eyes (internally) and make your excuses. Unfortunately, I was in no position to roll my eyes so instead I listened to what he had to say.

He didn’t have a company set up yet, he explained, but that would all be sorted within a few days… or maybe a few weeks… or months. He didn’t really have any money either, so I might have to make a little advance payment, if I could. But he would be able to offer me the massive sum of $10,000. My eyes rolled for a second time (internally) because even in 1985, $10,000 got you nowhere in Formula 1. But there was something I liked about him right from the start and the more he spoke, the more I liked what I heard. He was enthusiastic and convincing. It was clear he was someone who got things done. It wasn’t all bluster. We hit it off right from the start and that’s a good sign in any business relationship. We agreed to meet after practice for a beer up at the Enzinger guesthouse, near the old Bosch turn.

You’ve no doubt guessed that the guy was Dietrich Mateschitz and the product he had such faith in was Red Bull. Six later he had set up his company and he called me to check if our deal still stood. “Of course,” I said. And that’s how we sealed the deal.

IMPRINT Editor-in-Chief Alexander Macheck Deputy Editors-in-Chief Justin Hynes, Werner Jessner Creative Director Erik Turek Art Directors Marion Bernert-Thomann, Miles English, Kasimir Reimann Head of Photography Eva Kerschbaum Production Editor Marion Lukas-Wildmann Managing Editor Ulrich Corazza Graphic Design Martina de ­Carvalho-Hutter, Kevin Goll Picture Editors Tahira Mirza, Rudi Übelhör General Manager & Publisher Andreas Kornhofer Managing Director Stefan Ebner Head of Media Sales & Partnerships Lukas Scharmbacher Project Management Bernhard Schmied, Sara Varming, Anna-Lucia Wilczek Executive Creative Director Markus Kietreiber Head of Production Veronika Felder Production Friedrich Indich, Walter O. Sádaba, Sabine Wessig Reproduction Clemens Ragotzky (Ltg.), Josef Mühlbacher Sub Editor Hans Fleissner (Ltg.), Petra Hannert, Paul Keith Printer 1a druck Judenburg, Aichfelder Druck Ges.m.b.H., A-8750 Judenburg Editorial office Heinrich-Collin-Straße 1, A-1140 Wien Tel +43 1 90221-0 Web redbulletin.com Publisher Red Bull Media House GmbH, Oberst-Lepperdinger-Straße 11–15, A-5071 Wals bei Salzburg, FN 297115i, Landesgericht Salzburg, ATU63611700 Chief Executive Officers Dkfm. Dietrich Mateschitz, Dietmar Otti, Christopher Reindl, Marcus Weber

SUBSCRIBE NOW: GETREDBULLETIN.COM

GERHARD BERGER

Gerhard Berger, 60, drove in 210 races between 1984 and 1997. He won 10 times and finished on the podium in 48. He is now chairman of DTM.

PICTUREDESK.COM

So that’s how a paddock encounter gave rise to a unique motorsport success story, a partnership that has lasted all these years and, what’s more, cemented a lifelong friendship.

It also led to my first run-in with Formula 1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone; I took my Red Bull water bottle onto the podium but he had sold exclusive rights to a Champagne producer. Bernie went through the roof – but I stuck to my guns. That was the spirit in those early years: we were always a bit cheeky and constantly rubbing people up the wrong way. Then, when things really got going with Red Bull, it didn’t hurt either of us that I was driving for Ferrari.

Sometimes I’m amazed at how much came out of that little encounter 35 years ago. It lies at the root of Red Bull sponsoring motorsport. Without it, it might never have happened. The Österreichring is now the Red Bull Ring. There are now two F1 teams, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri, plus there’s the Junior Team. Red Bull has created winners and world champions.

If Dietrich hadn’t hung around to talk to me in the paddock back then, we wouldn’t be here now – me here in Spielberg and you watching great TV coverage of the Austrian Grand Prix and the first Styrian Grand Prix.

BEN KIRCHNER(COVER)

‘There was something about the guy I liked’

F1 Spielberg Tech Talk 05

The Red Bulletin 4 July, 2020

MISSING THE MEDIA?

The paddock won’t be the same without the press pack but – never fear – we have a solution. On a dark day for machine intelligence, we present Hack3000™, the robot reporter with a nose for a scoop…

STATE-OF-THE-ART ANALYSIS TOOLS

and race ellent grasp of strategy Hack3000™ has an exc n carefully bee e hav t tha ns ctio fun car engineering – only vens ‘the show’ by having deleted to ensure it enli on. ng goi t’s wha of sp the most superficial gra olutely te content that bears abs Hack3000™ will genera ed on track, pen hap y uall act t tha g no relation to anythin race even the most humdrum thus guaranteeing that nd Gra o nac Mo 2 198 n the sounds like a cross betwee nes at Altamont.

Sto ling Rol the and Prix

HE’S THE DROID TO AVOID

led, With the Vacuum Cleaner setting enab rhome Hack3000™ will enter a team’s moto eruninvited at lunchtime and enter Hoov nds, mode. If not ejected within 30 seco e that Hack3000™ launches a sub-routin food, commands it to demolish all of your lowa emit and wine of et buck a drain n a fivepitched drone that irritates all withi ker®’ metre radius. The optional ‘SuperSuc ance of setting will result in complete clear ry and your buffet, including dishes, cutle be ‘free’ anything Hack3000™ perceives to ing: – saving you washing up time. Warn danger of furniture removal.

CLEANING UP THE CASH

MATT YOUSON

MARK WARD

lf in Hack3000™ pays for itse Infinite no time with the built-in k3000™ Expense Generator. Hac plete com s eipt rec own its ts prin ained obt it how of own akd with a bre ing buy by tion crucial informa r main Driver X two starters, fou a cheese ts, ser des e thre s, rse cou wine on the board and six bottles of ultaneously same evening. It will sim sting in offset the claim by inve iting an essential two-week ‘wr ne. dog Dor the in ’ eat retr

SPYBOT THAT PUTS THE FAKE IN NEWS

To meet demand for minute-to-minu te speculative journalism, Hack3000™’s proprieta ry algorithms can turn the most unguarded comment into a screaming headline. Simply pull the convenien t handle and Formula 1 becomes instantly more sensational.

Team principal from Team X remarks on a rival Y’s engine settings providing a sudden mysteriou s advantage?

They must be cheating! Driver Z make s an innocuous remark about his team-mate’s third poor grid position in a row? It’s all-out civil war! Cham pion dithering over signing that budget-busting $30m-a-ye ar contract?

Obviously, he’s desperate to get away !

REALISTIC GRID WALK CAPABILITY

Now, there’s absolutely no reason for Hack3000™ to be on the grid befor e the start of a grand prix but don’t worr y, it’ll be there anyway. A unique visio n algorithm will allow Hack3000™ to get in the way of mechanics while simultaneously seek ing out its national broadcaster in order to stand in the background of a shot. Once in place , it will nod sagely at something its camera-wi elding companion, SnapperBot®, isn’t actua lly saying, while pointing knowingly at a random car element with one hand and maki ng a gentle wobbling motion with its other hand .

SUPER SOARAWAY TABLOID MODE!

Phwoar! When set to Eng lish (UK), the Hack3000™ uses a special subroutine to make every que stion about Lewis Hamilton. What did you think of Lewis’ race? Would you like Lewis as a team-mate? During your 1.85s pitstop on lap 24 for Med ium tyres, did you have time to thin k about eating at Lewis Hamilto n’s new vegan burger bar? Don’t worry if you really couldn’t care less, Hack30 00™ will make it sound like you do!

06 Lucky Dip F1 Spielberg

4 July, 2020 The Red Bulletin

MAX’s

#7

PICK ’N’ MIX Forty random questions and a limited amount of interview time means just one thing.

It’s lucky dip time for two-time Austrian Grand Prix winner MAX VERSTAPPEN.

WHAT’S IS THE WORST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IN TRAINING?

Actual training? All of it! No, I think the worst is maybe interval training or something like that. Interval running is doing repetitions of sprints for example. So you need to do a 100-metre sprint six or eight times, or something like that.

For me, that’s the worst of all, because sometimes it makes you feel a little bit sick.

#10

YOU’VE GOT TWO ATTEMPTS TO WIN THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX THIS YEAR. HOW GOOD WOULD IT BE TO GRAB A HAT-TRICK OF HOME WINS FOR THE TEAM, AND BASED ON THE FEELING FROM TESTING IN BARCELONA, IS THE RB16 THE CAR THAT CAN DO THAT?

Honestly, it’s been such a long time that it’s really difficult to say anything about the car’s performance. At the time it felt good. I think there are always areas you want to improve with the car and I think the team has been working on that. We just have to wait and see. It’s been such a weird year; I don’t think you can really say a lot at the moment.

YOU SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME E-RACING DURING THE LOCKDOWN, IN A VARIETY OF SERIES. WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A CRACK AT ANY OF THEM IN THE REAL WORLD?

WHAT WOULD A HAT-TRICK MEAN TO YOU? WOULD IT BE PRETTY SPECIAL?

Lando [Norris] and I did the virtual Le Mans and Spa 24 Hours last year and they were really cool. Le Mans didn’t go so well for me this time, but the event is great. I would only do it if it was in a competitive car to try and win that race.

Hard to do at the moment but one day, hopefully. I really loved Le Mans in the virtual world, so I can only imagine that it’s even better in real life.

Well, I’d prefer to win a championship! I don’t really care if it’s a double, a hat-trick or four times in a row. Those kinds of things... they happen or they don’t. I just hope that we have a competitive car. Even if you don’t win that race, as long as you see that the car is working really well and that it’s fast, well, then I’m more than happy.

#3

DUSTIN SNIPES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

#23

“Y

Well… Hmm, difficult question. There are always things you try to control.

Being over aggressive is not good. There are always limits to how much you should make use of it. I am a very driven person and maybe sometimes I want it a bit too much you know. So I just have to try to manage that.

#9

Words JUSTIN HYNES

ou just caught me finishing my training,” smirks Max Verstappen as he hops up from a series of hastily faked press-ups and takes a seat on the terrace of the Monaco apartment where he’s spent the last few months. Behind his head, on screen, the skies above the harbour are a cloudless azure. Not an unbearable place to spend some downtime, then?

“It hasn’t been too bad,” he grins.

“At first, I was on my own but I did a lot of sim racing and working out. Luckily, everything is opening up a little bit more, so now we’re able to move around more and meet with friends.”

And able to spend part of a busy morning looking after pre-season media requests. We’ve got a half-hour slot and 40 questions to get through. We’re never going to get through them all, so the simple solution is to hand the controls over to Max, let him take pot luck and see how many we can get through. Right, pick a number…

“OK, let’s start with 23.”

“So, number 23. That is…”

IS THERE A CHARACTERISTIC OR BEHAVIOURAL TRAIT IN YOURSELF THAT YOU DISLIKE AND THAT YOU TRY TO CONTROL?

The Red Bulletin 4 July, 2020

F1 Spielberg Lucky Dip 07

#29

PICK ONE OF THESE F1 ERAS TO RACE IN AND EXPLAIN WHY: 1950S, ’60S, ’70S OR ’80S?

After a promising showing in testing, Max Verstappen can’t wait to see whether the RB16 is a world beating car.

I think the ’80s. Why? Because I don’t really remember a lot of what happened before that!

Towards the late ’80s you have the memory of Ayrton Senna driving and fighting with Alain Prost.

There were some very interesting battles.

Also, the cars looked pretty aggressive.

08 Lucky Dip F1 Spielberg

4 July, 2020 The Red Bulletin

#27

WHAT’S THE TOUGHEST THING HELMUT MARKO HAS SAID TO YOU?

Usually when he said things like: “That was really stupid,” or “It’s not acceptable, you can’t keep doing this” or “Do you understand that was stupid?” Probably the toughest was in Austria 2016. I pitted when I shouldn’t have, because there was no pit ready for me.

I thought they had called me in, but they hadn’t. Not good.

#2

LIST YOUR TOP THREE DRIVES TO DATE FOR RED BULL RACING AND WHAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT THEM.

Max ranks his win at Interlagos last year as his finest... so far.

Number three is Spain ’16. Number two… Austria ’19. And number one is Brazil ’19.

NOT YOUR FIRST WIN? No, because we were not the fastest. It was good, but I mean I was such a rookie. I didn’t really know the car, so I would never choose that as my best drive. I was just making sure that they couldn’t pass me out of the last corner. I just had to make sure I had a good exit.

#33

Max rates “real fighter” Fernando Alonso as one of F1’s best ever drivers.

It’s difficult to say, but I really like that even when he had a car that wasn’t capable of winning, thanks to a good start or a good first lap, he would always put himself in a position where he got a better result than the car deserved.

He’s also a real fighter. He’s probably a very difficult teammate to work with but at the end of the day, if you want to win, you have to try to extract the best for yourself. He was always a very nice guy when I spoke to him.

Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to really race against him. That’s a bit of a shame, but for sure he’s still one of my favourites just in terms of his fighting spirit.

PICTUREDESK.COM, MOTORSPORT IMAGES

WHEN WERE ABOUT TO MAKE YOUR F1 DEBUT, YOU SAID YOU DON’T LOOK UP TO ANY OTHER DRIVERS, BUT THAT YOU HAD GREAT RESPECT FOR FERNANDO ALONSO. SINCE THEN, YOU’VE RACED AGAINST HIM AND ALL THE MAJOR STARS, SO IS FERNANDO STILL THE BEST OF THE BUNCH FOR YOU?

F1 Spielberg Lucky Dip 09

The Red Bulletin 4 July, 2020

#15

#22

HOW PAINFUL WAS LAST YEAR’S MEXICAN GRAND PRIX? DID THE PLEASURE OF FIGHTING FROM THE BACK OF THE FIELD TO P6 AT LEAST MAKE IT A GOOD RACE IN THE END?

REVERSE GRIDS, REVERSE TRACKS, AERO HANDICAPS, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THESE MECHANISMS? DO WE NEED THEM? I think first we have to sort out our real issues, that we should be able to fight under normal circumstances. And then if that’s exciting then you wouldn’t need these kinds of things. I think first let’s just get on with it now. Let’s start driving and don’t try to implement things straight away to make it even more complicated.

GETTY IMAGES, ARON SUVEG/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

After claiming pole, everything went wrong for Max the 2019 Mexican GP.

#11

IF YOU HAD TO GET A TATTOO, WHAT WOULD YOU GET DONE AND WHY?

Max waves to his army of devoted fans.

I would take my number, 33.

It would probably have to be somewhere you can hide it when you are wearing a shirt or whatever, probably on my upper body.

No, for me, it was an absolutely shit race. I hated it so much it was insane! I was counting down the laps because I was so pissed off.

First of all, because of losing my pole. I mean, yes, you can say whatever: you can cancel that lap or whatever, and it’s sad, and yes I should have lifted, but I didn’t see the flag.

But that other lap had nothing to do with it. So that was for me just stupid. Anyway, then you’re starting fourth, and whatever happened on that first lap, well, that can happen.

And then I go for a move and Bottas doesn’t see me. He turns in onto my wheel, I get a puncture and I’m last.

So then the whole strategy is also completely shot. So you have to do so many laps on one tyre. It was maybe one of the most… not boring, because I had to fight and push, but it was so annoying!

We could have won that race if it had been all a bit more normal from quali. But, sometimes you have those weekends and you just have to deal with it. You have to try to get some points on the board, drive as well as you can out of a losing position and then pack your bags, go home and try again.

#18

IT’S GOING TO BE INTENSE SEASON BUT, BECAUSE OF THAT, COULD IT BE ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING ON RECORD?

Time will tell. I don’t really know what’s going to happen. It’s going to be very different that’s for sure, but yeah, I hope it’s going to be interesting for good reasons. No, wait… Actually, I hope it’s going to be boring! Me winning a lot of races and not much competition. That would be just fine!

10 Dynasties F1 Spielberg

4 July, 2020 The Red Bulletin

JACK DOOHAN (17) F3, HWA

Father: Mick Doohan (55), five-time 500cc world champion.

MICK SCHUMACHER (21) F2, PREMA RACING

Father: Michael Schumacher (51), , seven-time Formula 1 world champion 91 grand prix wins.

F1 nation His father turned Germany into an than any and won more world championships to other driver. If Sebastian Vettel were retire, all eyes would turn to Mick any.

Schumacher to fly the flag for Germ GP No pressure, then. Named after Moto pean champion Mick Doohan, he was Euro season F3 champion in 2018 but his first full ri Ferra the in He’s y. patch was 2 in Formula chance Driver Academy and stands a decent test. of an F1 debut after his next rookie

Speaking of Mick Doohan, his son Jack is racing in F3 in Spielberg. Jack was rbikes originally interested in racing moto ed a like his father but at age five, he crash his dirt bike at a birthday party and broke race to ed want he on, point that From leg. karts – which his dad totally supports.

After all, Mick’s seen many sons of ht motorbike legends fail under the weig of great expectations.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

Verstappen, Villeneuve, Hill, Sainz and Rosberg have all shown the way – they started out as sons of petrol heads and ended up as heroes in their own right. A glance down the names in the current feeder series reads like a racing drivers’ who’s who

PEDRO PIQUET (22), F2, CHAROUZ RACING SYSTEMS

GIULIANO ALESI (20) F2, HWA RACELAB

Father: Nelson Piquet (67), F1 world champion 1981, 1983 and 1987.

Father: Jean Alesi (56), 201 F1 grands prix for Tyrrell, Ferrari, Benetton and others. One win. he Giuliano started out in karting when d behin was he later years two 14 and just second the wheel of a GP3. He’s now in his season in Formula 2, having finished h 15th last season. But 2019 was a toug star. emy Acad r Drive ri Ferra the year for oine The season was overshadowed by Anth end of Hubert’s fatal accident at Spa at the a sequence of incidents triggered when Alesi crashed due to tyre damage.

Pedro will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Friday at the Red Bull Ring. But he’ll have mixed feelings about the Spielberg circuit.

In 2016, he was involved in a crash coming out of the former Gerhard Berger turn in an F3 European Championship race.

Chinese driver Zhi Cong Li’s car was hurled several metres into the air and came crashing down next to Piquet. Pedr o has now worked his way up into F2 hopin g to follow his father and half-brother Nelso n Junior into Formula 1.

F1 Spielberg Dynasties 11

The Red Bulletin 4 July, 2020

ENZO FITTIPALDI (18) F3, HWA

Grandfather: Emerson Fittipaldi (73), F1 world champion in 1972 and 1974. is also The other Brazilian racing dynasty the represented at the Red Bull Ring in shape of Enzo Fittipaldi, grandson to test Emerson and brother to Pietro (a Haas driver). In 2018, Emerson’s daughter in Juliana’s son of won his first race here F4. Ferrari Driver Academy Enzo is on, competing in his first Formula 3 seas air though he’s already breathed in the tly of Formula 1 in sim racing. He recen took part in an official online race against Leclerc and company.

DAVID SCHUMACHER (18) F3, CHAROUZ

Father: Ralf Schumacher (45), 182 F1 grands prix with Jordan, Williams and Toyota. Six wins.

All eyes are on his cousin, Mick, but Ralf’s son David, who grew up in Salzburg, is really taking off. He’ll make his F3 debut at the Red Bull Ring. David is more outgoing than Mick, but his career planning is just as painstaking and structured. Like Enzo Fittipaldi, David has F1 Esports experience.

GETTY IMAGES, DUTCH PHOTO AGENCY/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, PICTUREDESK.COM, MOTORSPORT IMAGES GERALD ENZINGER

MATTEO NANNINI (16) F3, JENZER MOTORSPORT Uncle: Alessandro Nannini (60), 78 F1 grands prix with Minardi and Benetton. One win.

His uncle won the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix before a hand injury sustained in a helicopter crash brought his F1 career to a close. Matteo’s ascent through the ranks has been breathtaking: F4 champion in the UAE and some strong performances in the Formula Regional European Championship as a rookie. Now he’s in his rookie season in the F3 European Championship and he’s still only 16. His handicap... “I hardly know any of the circuits.”

LOUIS DELÉTRAZ (23) F2, CHAROUZ RACING SYSTEMS Father: Jean-Denis Delétraz (60), three F1 grands prix with Larrousse and Pacific.

Louis’s dad only experienced Formula 1 from the back of the grid. The cars he drove – Larrousse, Pacific – could be up to 10 seconds slower than the top cars per lap. But the Swiss driver also scored two class wins at Le Mans which goes to show that JeanDenis was better than his results. His son Louis is already in his fourth season of F2. He finished his first three seasons in 17th, 10th and 8th.

ROY NISSANY (25) F2, TRIDENT

Father: Chanoch Nissany (56), 1 F1 grand prix weekend with Minardi (no starts).

Budapest-based proper ty developer Chanoch had never eve n driven a kart before the age of 38 but in 2001 he set his sights on F1. He tried var ious racing cars over a period of four yea rs and on his 42nd birthday in 2005, he dro ve in FP1 at the Hungarian Grand Prix and came in 13 seconds slower than the best man that day, Alex Wurz. But he had ach ieved his dream.

Now his son Roy is taking up the reins. In his first F2 season he fini shed 22nd overall.

The 2021 season should see Arthur Leclerc (brother of Charles) and Sebastian Montoya (son of Juan Pablo) joining the F3 European Championships. Let nobody say that motorsport isn’t family-friendly.

12 Photo Album F1 Spielberg

4 July, 2020 The Red Bulletin

1965 GARÇON AND BELLBOY

2019 PORSCHE TEAM PRINCIPAL

Starting on the ground floor at Vienna’s venerable H ­ otel Sacher taught the young Walter how to handle people.

FROM THE

In 2003, Lechner Racing entered the Porsche Supercup that supports the F1 World Championship. His team has four titles to its name.

SACHER In a storied career, WALTER LECHNER, 70, has gone from polishing silverware as a hotel waiter to collecting it as a successful team principal. On the way, he’s also been a nightclub owner, winning driver and mentor to generations of great pilots.

This is his life in pictures...

Text WERNER JESSNER

ARCHIV WALTER LECHNER, PORSCHE/HOCH ZWEI

TO SPIELBERG

F1 Spielberg Photo Album 13

The Red Bulletin 4 July, 2020

1990

INTERSERIE Lechner entered what was then the second-highest sports car category with a formidable Por­sche 962C. With more than 1000bhp under his right foot, he scored 11 wins and two titles in six years.

He still has the car.

1985 WALTER BRUN The Swiss racer and team-owner has had a lot of dealings with Lechner. His former protégé Stefan Bellof died in 1985 in a Brun Porsche and Lechner and his former apprentice Roland Ratzen­berger started the 1989 Le Mans for Brun.

1982 FORMULA SUPER VEE

1993 TOTO WOLFF The Mercedes team principal desperately wanted to get into F1 and competed in Formula Ford for three years, with some success, but not enough. It was Lechner’s honesty that set Wolff’s career down the right path. He said, “Man, go and do something useful instead. You’re too slow for F1.”

This was the last year of the rookie series.

Engines were based on the VW Beetle but generated 190bhp. Lechner went down as the last champion in its history, at the grand old age of 33.

14 Photo Album F1 Spielberg

4 July, 2020 The Red Bulletin

1988 LE MANS This was the heyday of private teams.

Lechner raced in Walter Brun’s team and endurance legend Franz Konrad (right), an Austrian with a German licence, drove for Joest. Both men raced Porsche 962Cs. In both his Le Mans starts Lechner retired with technical difficulties.

1975

CAR RACING SCHOOL

1979 ROLAND RATZENBERGER The Salzburg native earned his place in Lechner’s Formula Ford team by working as one of the driving instructors – as did the 1983 Austrian champion and now AlphaTauri team principal, Franz Tost.

1980 STEFAN BELLOF Lechner spotted this penniless young German’s extraordinary talent. As Bellof couldn’t find the support he needed back home, Lechner gave him a drive in one of his Formula Fords, and he repaid his faith by winning championships.

ARCHIV WALTER LECHNER, PORSCHE/HOCH ZWEI, MOTORSPORT IMAGES, KRÄHLING MOTORSPORT

The idea came from Jim Russell (left), who had set up a succesful racing school in the UK, and it was Lechner’s job to import the concept to Austria. Partly “because no-one in Austria knew who Jim Russell was,” and mostly because “you couldn’t hire racing cars anywhere back then.” Lechner understood the business model, sold his nightclub and founded the Walter Lechner Racing School.

The Red Bulletin 4 July, 2020

F1 Spielberg Photo Album 15

1986

KLAUS LUDWIG Over the years, Lechner earned the respect of the great and good in the sports car scene. Unlike them, he hadn’t got behind the wheel of a racing car until he was 26. “I was fascinated by the cars,” he explains. “But I only started thinking about winning much later.”

1992 ALEX WURZ Lechner honed Wurz’s skills in Formula Ford and Formula Opel Lo­tus, with the youngster spending one winter in New Zealand to compete in the Formula Ford championship. On one occasion, Alex could only find two odd race boots. He put them on and won the race – it became his trademark.

2019 PORSCHE MOBIL 1 SUPERCUP The series has been run alongside the F1 World Championship since 1993. It’s the quickest one-make racing series in the world and Lechner has been there since 2003, often leading. His 2020 drivers are Michael Ammer­müller and Thomas Preining, son of the former motorbike racer Andreas Preining.

e: you MBILLA’s cas A R B IO R O T za in VIT how The Mon fore a fall or, e ’s b re s e e H m . o d c n e e g Prid e a le h, you becom 75 Austrian Grand Prix s ra c u o y , in w 19 history at the Gorilla made

Brambilla shakes a fist in celebration and, seconds later, crashes on his victory lap.

On the podium (above) with James Hunt.

August 17th 1975 The heavens had opened and the Österreichring was drenched. The spectators were soaked to the skin .

These were extremely hazardous conditions for the drivers. Niki Laud a in the Ferrari was leading the wor ld championship and was on pole.

Would the home hero go for it in the rain? Not Niki’s style. Vittorio Brambilla – the 37-year-old Italian, feared most for his brutal handshak e – would provide the fireworks this time round. Brambilla liked the rain .

While others bided their time, he overtook. He got past five on the first lap. Only Hunt and Lauda were still ahead of him. He elegantly picked off both in a single lap and took the lead in a grand prix for the first time in his career.

The weather got even worse and it would have been irresponsible to carr y on. Eventually, the race was cut short after 29 laps instead of the scheduled 54. Brambilla had won his first Grand Prix! The old guy! The Monza Go­rilla! Elated, he threw his hands in the air at the chequered flag, promptly lost control of his March and rammed it into a wall.

The first man to do a Brambilla: the first to win and wreck his car.

WERNER JESSNER

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T N A I L L I R B M A BR

4 July, 2020 The Red Bulletin

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16 Magic Moments F1 Spielberg