Max Welti: From the VW Group to the BMW Group
BRAND CHANGE After six years as a strategic motorsport consultant at the Volkswagen Group, former Sauber F1 team director Max Welti is moving to the BMW Group in the same role. At the 24 Hours of Spa, he was able to celebrate a double victory. Many people know Max F. Welti (65) quite well, but few know what he really does today. From the [...]
Many people know Max F. Welti (65) quite well, but few know what he really does today. The Swiss sports car champion of 1980 has become one of the most influential personalities in international automotive sport.
As team manager of Sauber-Mercedes, he celebrated his first major successes with the Hinwil-based team in Group C at Le Mans and in the World Sports Car Championship. For the 1991 season, he followed the call of long-time competitor Porsche.
In Stuttgart, the Zurich native first took charge of the Footwork Porsche F1 project, which was doomed to failure from the outset. Shortly afterwards, it was he who, in consultation with the entire board of directors, immediately ended the project due to technical unforeseeability.
As racing director, he was then responsible for the complete reorganization of the motorsport department and, as Porsche racing director, celebrated another triumph at Le Mans in 1994.
Return to Sauber F1
In mid-1995, Welti returned to Hinwil to take the team, which had in the meantime been promoted to Formula 1, further as team director. After 1998, the Sauber chapter was over.
In Germany, the Swiss was responsible for setting up the spectacular V8STAR touring car series as managing director from 2000. This was a championship for tube-frame cars with silhouettes from well-known manufacturers, uniform V8 engines under the hood and renowned drivers at their wheel.
World Cup winner with own Swiss team
After their end, Max Welti began one of the most intense and emotional moments of his career as a motorsport manager. He became a franchisee and team boss in the unique A1GP World Cup and built up the Swiss national motorsport team.
With Neel Jani, A1 Team Switzerland won the World Cup of Motorsports in 2008 and was runner-up in 2007 and 2009. The team is supported by the other Swiss drivers Marcel Fässler, Sébastien Buemi, Alexandre Imperatori, Rahel Frey and Natacha Gachnang.
No team and no driver were more successful than Switzerland with Neel Jani in the few years of this attractive global championship. Unfortunately, even Welti was unable to prevent its demise during the global economic crisis at the end of 2009.
Six years with the Volkswagen Group
He did not step into the international spotlight again until 2013. As a member of the Volkswagen Group Motorsport Steering Committee, he was sent to Italy as Motorsport Director of Lamborghini Corse to set up a new motorsport department there.
A task that was completed after a year and from which Lamborghini still benefits today. From then on, he was a freelance motorsport consultant for the entire Volkswagen Group.
For six years, Welti traveled to all the important races in Europe and on the American double continent. Wherever the Group brands Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini in particular were involved in sporting activities or intended to become involved, the tough Swiss conducted negotiations with organizers, promoters and technicians from various racing series. He was also always keen to exploit synergies within the Group.
Welcome gift in Spa
The BMW Group is now taking advantage of his immense experience. The father of four children has been working as a consultant for the Munich-based company since July 1.
As a welcome present, so to speak, the Walkenhorst and Rowe customer teams ensured a BMW one-two at the Spa 24 Hours two weeks ago. In Belgium, the Zurich native dealt with his new brand for the first time on site and almost incognito.
Max Welti: "Basically, I take on the same task at the BMW Group as I do at the Volkswagen Group. I advise those responsible on strategic matters and provide support in negotiations with authorities, organizers and promoters. I consider myself lucky to once again be able to take on a new challenge. I always thrive when I can accompany exciting projects."
Beautiful memories
Welti will continue to run into the motorsport representatives of his previous client at practically every race. He has many fond memories with all of them, so he never forgets to thank them.
Max Welti: "I have enjoyed working with many wonderful and valuable people. In a period that was anything but easy for the Group, I was able to accompany many interesting and exciting projects and contribute my knowledge. I was also able to experience the first phase of motorsports with electric drives, and thus learn that this not only represents a new technical challenge, but also appeals to completely new and younger audience segments. All this, together with the opportunity to have successfully moved things forward at a synergistic level within the Group, was a particularly fascinating time."
We are sure: His time with BMW will also be fascinating - we wish him a lot of strategic skill and sporting success!
