Fritz Enzinger appointed Motorsport Director of the Volkswagen Group

Seen particularly in Formula 1 at BMW, it is WEC que Fritz Enzinger s’est fait un nom. En effet, quand a été annoncé – en 2011 – le retour de Porsche in the queen category ofEndurance By 2014, the German firm asked the Austrian to set up the program from A to Z, entrusting him with both recruitment and supervision of the new buildings constructed in Weissach. We know the rest: in four years, the 919 Hybrid gave Porsche three victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and six world titles (drivers and manufacturers combined).

While Porsche Motorsport is reorganizing itself, with the end of the LM P1 program, the planned arrival in Formula E and the promotion of the GT branch, Enzinger was appointed on January 31, at the age of 61, motorsport director of the entire Volkswagen Group, to which Porsche belongs. He is therefore now responsible for the motorsport direction and coordination of the Group's brands. Enzinger therefore succeeds Wolfgang Dürheimer and reports directly to Matthias Müller, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group. “ I hope that our brands continue on the path to success in motorsport and I wish Fritz Enzinger every success in his new position, the latter said. I also extend my most sincere thanks to Wolfgang Dürheimer, who has served as Motosport Director since February 2011 and who has perfectly managed our strategy in the motorsport programs of the various brands. »

Enzinger supports the evaluation of the current portfolio of Customer Competition engagements and programs across all disciplines, as well as their long-term direction. To do this, he will work in close collaboration with the directors of the sports branches of the different brands. He will also be responsible for leading the use of highly efficient internal combustion engines, hybrid solutions and fully electric motors in motorsport. The objective is to align the programs so that they reflect the positioning specific to each of the Group's brands while allowing them to demonstrate their strengths.

« Our presence in the World Endurance Championship is a perfect example of what the Group's brands can do to achieve the best performance and cutting-edge innovations when competing in the same series, underlines the person concerned. Despite this situation of intentional competition, the Group must have a central authority capable of examining and evaluating the brands' commitments, identifying synergies and preserving the know-how developed for the Group. »

If he also retains his current role at Porsche, this should not take him too long, with the 919 Hybrid only having to leave the workshops for demonstrations or other record attempts.