Volker Hermann Weidler (born 18 March 1962) is a German businessman and retired racing driver whose career peaked with victory in the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | German |
| Birthplace | Heidelberg, Germany |
| Born | 18 March 1962 |
| First Grand Prix | 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1989 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1989 |
| Current/Last Team | Rial |
Career
Formula racing
Weidler established his credentials by winning the 1985 German Formula Three Championship.
Formula One followed in 1989, but the opportunity proved deeply frustrating. He entered ten Grands Prix with Rial and failed to qualify the uncompetitive car on every occasion.
Rather than allowing that experience to define his career, Weidler moved to Japan. He competed in both Japanese Formula 3000 and the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, becoming a popular figure with local fans.
In Formula 3000, he regularly fought near the front against drivers including Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Ross Cheever. By 1992, Weidler had developed into a genuine title contender and was leading the championship when his career came to an unexpectedly early end.
GT and sports cars
Weidler also achieved considerable success in Porsche machinery. In 1987, he received the Porsche Cup, the manufacturer’s annual award recognising the world’s most successful privateer Porsche driver.
His greatest victory came four years later. At the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, Weidler shared Mazda’s rotary-powered 787B with Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot.
The famously loud, Wankel-engined prototype carried the trio to an historic win. Mazda became the first Japanese manufacturer—and the first Japanese engine supplier—to triumph at Le Mans.
Weidler subsequently developed sensorineural hearing loss. Although the condition has sometimes been linked to the many hours he spent inside the thunderous Mazda, that connection has not been established.
The hearing problem forced him to withdraw from Japanese Formula 3000 during the 1992 season, despite leading the championship at the time. When he departed Nova Engineering, Weidler reportedly recommended fellow German Heinz-Harald Frentzen as his replacement.
Post-racing career
After retiring from motorsport, Weidler entered the family business. He became managing director of Weidler, a building-cleaning company based in Weinheim.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 10 |
| Race Starts | 0 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | Never classified |
| Best Race Finish | Never classified |
| Retirements | 0 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 2 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 10 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 10 |
| Did Not Qualify | 2 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Rial | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNQ | 0 | 0 | Never classified |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rial | 1989 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNQ | 0 | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Danner | 1989 | 10 | – |
