Alexander Georg Wurz (; born 15 February 1974) is an Austrian former

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

motorsport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of Car, automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and Aircraft, powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific term ...

executive and businessman, who competed in

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

between and . In endurance racing, Wurz is a two-time winner of the

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with ...

in and with Joest and

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French automobile brand owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was established in 1810, making it the oldest car company in the world. On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applie ...

, respectively. Amongst several test driver roles, Wurz competed at 69 Grands Prix across six seasons with Benetton,

McLaren McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...

, and Williams; he achieved three podiums. Since his retirement, he has been a commentator for television, as well as chairman of the

Grand Prix Drivers' Association The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) is the trade union of Formula One drivers. Founded in 1961 and refounded in 1994, it has organised several drivers' strikes and boycotts over the years, primarily in response to unsafe circuits on th ...

. and occasionally a driver steward.

Early life

Alexander Georg Wurz was born on 15 February 1974 in

Waidhofen an der Thaya Waidhofen an der Thaya (; Czech language, Czech: ''Český Bejdov'') is an Austrian town located on the German Thaya river in the Waidhofen an der Thaya (district), district of the same name in Lower Austria. It is the northernmost of the capitals ...

, Lower Austria. He is the second son of former

rallycross Rallycross is a form of sprint style motorsport held on a mixed-surface circuit (racing), racing circuit using modified production touring automobile, cars or prototype racing cars. It began in the 1960s as a cross between rallying and autocross ...

driver Franz Wurz, who won the European Rallycross Championship in 1974, 1976 and 1982. Wurz competed in cycling events in his youth, and won the

BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the ea ...

World Championship in 1986 at the age of 12.

Junior racing career

Like most Formula One drivers, Wurz's motorsport career began with

karting Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motor ...

. In 1991, Wurz drove in

Formula Ford Formula Ford, also known as F1600 and Formula F, is an entry-level class of single-seater, open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held across the world have historically been an important step for many prospective Formula One dri ...

. In 1993, he switched to the

German Formula Three Championship The German Formula Three Championship was the national Formula Three championship of Germany, and the former West Germany, from 1950 to 2002, then as Formel 3 until 2014. In 2003, the series had merged with the French Formula Three Championship ...

. During his time in Formula 3, Wurz crashed out of the lead at a race at

AVUS The ('Automobile traffic and training road'), known as AVUS (), is a public road in Berlin, Germany. Opened in 1921, it was also used as a motor racing circuit until 1998. Today, the AVUS forms the northern part of the Bundesautobahn 115. C ...

in 1995 after a collision with the

safety car In motorsport, a safety car, or a pace car, is a car that limits the speed of competing cars or motorcycles on a racetrack in the case of a ''caution period,'' such as an obstruction on the track or bad weather. The safety car aims to enable the ...

. From 1996, Wurz drove an Opel Calibra for the

Joest Racing Joest Racing is a German sports car racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest. Their headquarters are in Wald-Michelbach, Germany. Between 1998 and 2016, Joest Racing were strongly linked with ...

touring car team in the DTM. Also in 1996, Wurz, together with Davy Jones and

Manuel Reuter Manuel Reuter (born 6 December 1961) is a German former racing driver. He has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice: *in 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans for Sauber-Mercedes *in 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans for Joest Racing He also won the Interserie in 19 ...

, won the Le Mans 24 Hours and in so doing became the youngest ever winner of the 24-hour race, a record he still holds.

Formula One career

Benetton (1997–2000)

Wurz's Formula One debut was on 15 June 1997 at

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

for Benetton filling in for fellow Austrian Gerhard Berger, who could not race due to illness. Wurz achieved a podium position in his third race ( 1997 British Grand Prix) before returning to being a test driver upon Berger's return to the cockpit at the

German Grand Prix The German Grand Prix () was a motor race that took place most years since 1926, with 75 races having been held. The race has been held at only three venues throughout its history: the Nürburgring in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hockenheimring in B ...

, which Berger won. Wurz was given a full-time race seat for the 1998 season with Benetton and spent three more seasons at the team, partnered each year by

Giancarlo Fisichella Giancarlo "Giano" Fisichella (; born 14 January 1973), also known as Fisico or Fisi, is an Italian racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Fisichella won three Formula One Grands Prix across 14 seasons. Bo ...

. In 1998, he outscored Fisichella by one point to finish joint 7th in the driver's championship together with

Heinz-Harald Frentzen Heinz-Harald Frentzen (; born 18 May 1967) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Frentzen was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Williams, and won three Grands Prix across 10 se ...

. At the

1998 Monaco Grand Prix The 1998 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on 24 May 1998. It was the sixth race of the 1998 Formula One World Championship. The 78-lap race was won by Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen, driving a McLaren- Mercedes, his ...

, he was running second ahead of

Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...

for a brief period, but his hopes of a podium finish were ruined when Schumacher collided with him when tried to pass at Loews hairpin. The collision broke his suspension, causing him to spin off and crash at the Nouvelle Chicane exiting the tunnel. The 1999 season was a disappointment for both drivers with the uncompetitive B199 (although Fisichella scored a podium in Canada). In the 2000 season, Wurz scored points only at the

Italian Grand Prix The Italian Grand Prix () is the fifth oldest national Grand Prix motor racing, motor racing Grand Prix (after the French Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix and the Russian Grand Prix), having been held since 1921 ...

, while Fisichella scored podium finishes three times. For 2001, Benetton's last season before its transformation into

Renault Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...

, he was replaced with

Jenson Button Jenson Alexander Lyons Button (born 19 January 1980) is a British racing driver, who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Jota. Button competed in Formula One from to , and won the World Drivers' Championship in with Brawn; ...

McLaren test driver (2001–2005)

In , Wurz was a test driver for

. In , he was almost promoted as race driver to replace

Mika Häkkinen Mika Pauli Häkkinen (; born 28 September 1968) is a Finnish former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "the Flying Finn", Häkkinen won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with M ...

, but he remained as test driver after Kimi Räikkönen took over. In April 2005, with

Juan Pablo Montoya Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born 20 September 1975) is a Colombian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to , IndyCar between 1999 and 2022, and the NASCAR Cup Series between 2006 and 2024. Montoya won seven Formula One Grand ...

injured, Wurz drove for McLaren in the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix, finishing fourth in the race, but taking third place after both BAR-Honda drivers were disqualified. This gave him the record for the longest interval between podium finishes at eight years. Since signing to McLaren as test driver, Wurz had been eager to return to racing. At various times, rumours linked him to a return to a full race seat. In he was strongly linked to a race seat at Jaguar, where the under-fire

Antônio Pizzonia Antônio Reginaldo Pizzonia Júnior (born 11 September 1980) is a Brazilian professional racing driver who has raced in Formula One and the Champ Car World Series. Born in Manaus, he started his car racing career in the Formula Vauxhall Junior ...

was struggling. However, McLaren were struggling with their abortive new car and blocked the move to retain Wurz as a development driver. Jaguar then decided to give Pizzonia more time to prove himself, before drafting in Justin Wilson.

Williams (2006–2007)

Wurz signed a deal with

WilliamsF1 Williams Racing, legally known as Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited and competing as Atlassian Williams Racing, is a British Formula One team and constructor. It was founded by Frank Williams (1942–2021) and Patrick Head. The team w ...

to become the team's official test and reserve driver at the beginning of 2006. He drove the third car at all Friday sessions in . It was announced on 3 August 2006 that Wurz would replace Mark Webber as a race driver at Williams for the season. This was Wurz's first full-time race drive since 2000, and his teammate was

Nico Rosberg Nico Erik Rosberg (born 27 June 1985) is a German and Finnish former racing driver and entrepreneur, who competed under the German flag in Formula One from to . Rosberg won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Mercedes, and w ...

. At the Monaco GP on 27 May 2007, Wurz scored his first points for Williams, finishing in 7th place after qualifying 11th. He came third for the third time in his F1 career at the

Canadian Grand Prix The Canadian Grand Prix () is an annual motor racing event held since 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967. It was first staged at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, as a sports car event, before alterna ...

on 10 June 2007, having started 19th on the grid in an action packed race. He nearly repeated this at the

European Grand Prix The European Grand Prix (also known as the Grand Prix of Europe) was a Formula One event that was introduced during the mid-1980s and was held every year from to , except in . During these years, the European Grand Prix was held in a countr ...

, but was unable to overtake Mark Webber at the final chicane. That race turned out to be Wurz's last points finish. On 8 October 2007 he announced his immediate retirement from Formula One, meaning that the

2007 Chinese Grand Prix The 2007 Chinese Grand Prix (officially the 2007 Formula 1 Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix) was the sixteenth race of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship. It was held on 7 October 2007 at Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China. The ra ...

was his final race. He cited doubts over his own commitment as the main reason for his departure. He was replaced by Williams test driver Kazuki Nakajima for the final race of the 2007 season in

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Honda / Brawn test driver (2008–2009)

Wurz was the

Honda F1 The Japanese automobile manufacturer Honda has participated in Formula One, as an engine manufacturer and team owner, for various periods since 1964. They have been active as engine manufacturers since , producing the Honda V6 hybrid Formula ...

test driver for the

2008 Formula One season The 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 62nd season of Formula One motor racing, recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) – the governing body of motorsport – as the highest class of competition for ...

, a role he kept when the team became

Brawn GP Brawn GP was a Formula One constructor which competed in the 2009 Formula One World Championship, with drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. The team was formed in 2009 by a management buyout led by Ross Brawn of the Honda Racing F1 T ...

in . In the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Wurz drove the medical car after regular driver Jacques Tropenat fell ill. Wurz did not return to Formula One after the 2009 season. He re-joined Williams in as a mentor for the team's inexperienced drivers: Bruno Senna and

Pastor Maldonado Pastor Rafael Maldonado Motta (; born 9 March 1985) is a Venezuelan former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Maldonado won the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix with Williams. After winning the GP2 Series in 2010 with Rapax, Maldona ...

Other racing

Sportscar racing

Wurz signed with

to be part of their driving squad for the

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

and he also participated 1000km of Spa in the

Le Mans Series The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the ...

. In 2009, together with

Marc Gené Marc Gené i Guerrero (born 29 March 1974) is a Spanish professional racing driver. He is best known as a tester for Williams Grand Prix Engineering, Williams and Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari in Formula One, Minardi Formula One driver and factory ...

and

David Brabham David Philip Brabham (born 5 September 1965) is an Australian racing driver and one of the most successful and experienced specialists in sports car racing. He has won three international Sports Car series and is one of four Australians to have ...

, he took outright victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours, driving a works Peugeot. The 13-year gap between Wurz's victories is the largest in the event's history. Together with his victory in 2010 of the 12hrs race of Sebring with Marc Gené and Anthony Davidson and his victory of the 1000 miles race of Road Atlanta with Stéphane Sarrazin and Franck Montagny in 2011 it made him win the 3 big Sportscar Classic Races in a Peugeot 908. Wurz continued to race for Peugeot Sport Total through 2010 and 2011, though no further Le Mans wins were forthcoming. In November 2011, Toyota Motorsports confirmed Wurz as one of their factory drivers for the companies planned return to the 24 Heures du Mans in 2012. Wurz will drive their new LMP1 Hybrid Prototype alongside Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima.Wurz leaves Peugeot to head Toyota driver lineup
/ref>

Rallycross

In May 2018 Wurz announced that he would follow in the footsteps of his father by making his competitive rallycross debut at the

FIA World Rallycross Championship The FIA World Rallycross Championship (official abbreviation is World RX) is a rallycross series organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA in conjunction with series promoter Rallycross Promoter GmbH (founded by Red Bull G ...

's World RX of Norway at Lånkebanen the following month, driving a Ford Fiesta Supercar for MJP Racing Team Austria.

Other ventures

Since 2008, Wurz had been working as an expert at Austria's state broadcaster ORF alongside commenting F1 sessions.

Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA)

Wurz has served as Chairman of the GPDA since October 2014, making him the longest serving head in the organization. He oversaw the GPDA's advocacy for the Halo cockpit protection (stating its function “had to take precedence” despite aesthetic concerns) and has repeatedly pushed for safety reviews, from camera angles and gravel/asphalt runoff reforms to immediate FIA discussions after roll hoop incidents at the 2022 British GP. He emphasizes that much of the GPDA’s impact takes place “behind the scenes” in close collaboration with the FIA.

FIA Safety Commission

In his capacity as GPDA chairman and FIA 'expert representative', Wurz is also an active member of FIA safety commissions. These roles involve shaping circuit homologation standards, refining runoff configurations, and contributing to initiatives like the FIA Safety Week seminars. He regularly communicates with FIA leadership, most recently urging President Mohammed Ben Sulayem to act after concerning roll‑hoop failures.

Rainer-Wurz.com

In 2000, Wurz started a

mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling (''mountain biking''). Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in r ...

team with his countryman Markus Rainer. The team, Rainer-Wurz.com, is sponsored by sponsors

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...

, and Cannondale, and has won the World Cup several times. In the early 2000s, niche bicycle brand Katarga presented a limited edition high-end

called the Alexander Wurz EVO SL, whose frame prominently featured Wurz's autograph.

Road safety

In 2006, he and his father founded the company ''Test and Training International'', a leader in the field of road safety and driver training. He also works closely with the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), since 2011 as an operating partner of the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy. In 2015, TTI received the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its evidence-based driver training programmes, praised globally as “best in the world”, and its influence on road safety within governments and schools. Operating from sites in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, Teesdorf, and

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

, TTI leverages relationships with the FIA, leading motorsport series (F1, WEC, MotoGP, Rally), OEMs, and public authorities. Its training standards helped shape road safety legislation in Luxembourg, Switzerland, Finland, Poland, and formed the basis for an Austrian road‑safety law in 2002.

Team Superfund

Wurz lodged an entry for his own team into Formula One (announced on 31 May 2009) but the application was unsuccessful. Team Superfund was one of several new applicants hoping to compete in the sport from the 2010 season onwards. It was believed that Wurz would prefer to align the team with an existing constructor based in the UK, perhaps renting space, facilities and staff from its factory, while Superfund takes time to build up its own headquarters, possibly based on existing resources in Austria. The team would have been funded by Christian Baha, the owner of the Superfund Group, and the cars would be powered by Cosworth engines.

Circuit design

A segment of TTI, Wurz Design, with Wurz as founder and creative lead—focuses on designing tracks for diverse applications: single‑seater circuits, motorbike layouts, rallycross, off‑road, drag strips, karting venues, test facilities, and driver training centres. Notable projects include circuit masterplanning for the upcoming Qiddiya Speed Park (Saudi Arabia, host of the 2027 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix) and feasibility work on a Rwanda Grand Prix circuit.

Personal life

Wurz resides in Monaco, is married to Julia Horden and has three sons: Charlie, Felix and

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

. He used to race with different coloured boots on each foot, but after his return to racing in 2007, he wore matching pairs. His eldest son, Charlie, has competed in

FIA Formula 3 The FIA Formula 3 Championship (FIA F3) is a third-tier international single-seater racing championship organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for the FIA Formu ...

for Jenzer and

Trident A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...

, and his youngest son, Oscar, won the 2024 Formula 4 CEZ Championship.

Racing record

Career summary

Complete German Formula Three Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete International Touring Car Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula One results

( key) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) Driver did not finish the Grand Prix, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Sports car racing

Le Mans 24 Hours results

Le Mans Series results

: ¹ Driver run for the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, no points awarded for the

American Le Mans Series results

: ¹ Driver run for the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, no points awarded for the

American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le M ...

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup results

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Complete FIA World Rallycross Championship results

( key)

Supercar

Notes

References

External links

* * * interview
Tyler's Long One: Alex Wurz
interviewer
Graham Tyler
, {{DEFAULTSORT:Wurz, Alexander 1974 births Living people People from Waidhofen an der Thaya District 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers 24 Hours of Le Mans winning drivers Austrian Formula One drivers Benetton Formula One drivers McLaren Formula One drivers Williams Formula One drivers Austrian racing drivers British Formula Three Championship drivers BMX riders FIA GT Championship drivers German Formula Three Championship drivers EFDA Nations Cup drivers American Le Mans Series drivers European Le Mans Series drivers Austrian Formula Three Championship drivers Austrian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Austrian expatriate sportspeople in Monaco Austrian expatriate sportspeople in England FIA World Endurance Championship drivers 24 Hours of Daytona drivers WeatherTech SportsCar Championship drivers 12 Hours of Sebring drivers Sportspeople from Lower Austria Walter Lechner Racing drivers RSM Marko drivers G+M Escom Motorsport drivers Team Joest drivers Mercedes-AMG Motorsport drivers Peugeot Sport drivers Toyota Gazoo Racing drivers Porsche Motorsports drivers Chip Ganassi Racing drivers