Alexander Wurz facts for kids
Wurz at Le Mans in 2016
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| Born | 15 February 1974 Waidhofen an der Thaya, Lower Austria, Austria |
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| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Austrian |
| Active years | 1997–2000, 2005, 2007 |
| Teams | Benetton, McLaren, Williams |
| Entries | 69 (69 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Career points | 45 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First entry | 1997 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2007 Chinese Grand Prix |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1996, 2008–2015 |
| Teams | Joest Racing, Team Peugeot Total |
| Best finish | 1st (1996, 2009) |
| Class wins | 2 (1996, 2009) |
Alexander Georg Wurz (born February 15, 1974) is a former professional racing driver from Austria. He is also an expert in driver training and a businessman. Alexander Wurz competed in Formula One races from 1997 to 2007. He is also famous for winning the tough 24 Hours of Le Mans race two times.
After his racing career, he became a TV commentator for Formula One. He also worked as a driver coach for the Williams F1 Team. He was the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, which helps F1 drivers. Sometimes, he even acted as a race steward.
Contents
Alexander Wurz's Racing Journey
Early Days: Cycling
Alexander Wurz was born in Waidhofen an der Thaya, Austria. When he was young, he loved cycling. At just 12 years old, he won the BMX World Championship in 1986.
Later, in 2000, Wurz started a mountain bike team with Markus Rainer. This team, called Rainer-Wurz.com, was very successful. It won the World Cup several times. A special mountain bike model was even named after him!
Starting in Auto Racing
From Karts to Formula 3
Like many Formula One drivers, Alexander Wurz began his racing career in karting. In 1991, he moved up to Formula Ford racing. By 1993, he was competing in the German Formula Three Championship.
In 1995, during a Formula 3 race at AVUS, he was leading but crashed. This happened after a collision with the safety car. In 1996, Wurz started driving touring cars for the Joest Racing team.
Youngest Le Mans Winner
Also in 1996, Alexander Wurz made history. He won the Le Mans 24 Hours race with his teammates Davy Jones and Manuel Reuter. He was the youngest person ever to win this 24-hour race. This record still belongs to him!
Formula One Adventures
Racing for Benetton (1997–2000)
Alexander Wurz first raced in Formula One on June 15, 1997. He joined the Benetton team at the 1997 Canadian Grand Prix. He was filling in for fellow Austrian driver Gerhard Berger, who was sick.
In only his third race, the 1997 British Grand Prix, Wurz finished on the podium in third place! After that, Berger returned, and Wurz became a test driver again.
For the 1998 season, Wurz got a full-time racing spot with Benetton. He raced for three more years with teammate Giancarlo Fisichella. In 1998, he scored more points than Fisichella. At the 1998 Monaco Grand Prix, he was running second. But his race ended when Michael Schumacher crashed into him.
The 1999 season was tough for Benetton, and their car was not very fast. In 2000, Wurz only scored points in one race. After the 2000 season, he was replaced by Jenson Button.
Being a Test Driver (2001–2006)
From 2001, Alexander Wurz became a test driver for McLaren. In 2002, he was almost chosen to be a main driver. But Kimi Räikkönen got the spot instead.
In April 2005, a McLaren driver was injured. So, Wurz got to race at the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix. He finished fourth but was moved to third place after other drivers were disqualified. This meant he had the longest gap between podium finishes in F1 history, at eight years!
Wurz really wanted to return to full-time racing. There were rumors he might join other teams. But McLaren wanted to keep him as a development driver.
Racing for Williams (2007)
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In 2006, Wurz joined WilliamsF1 as their test and reserve driver. He drove the third car during Friday practice sessions. On August 3, 2006, it was announced that Wurz would be a full-time race driver for Williams in 2007. This was his first full season since 2000. His teammate was Nico Rosberg.
At the Monaco Grand Prix in 2007, Wurz scored his first points for Williams. He finished seventh. He then achieved his third F1 podium finish at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix. He started 19th on the grid and drove a great race.
On October 8, 2007, he announced he was retiring from Formula One right away. He said he wasn't sure if he had enough commitment anymore. His last race was the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix.
After Formula One
After leaving Williams, Wurz became a test driver for Honda F1 in 2008. He continued this role when the team became Brawn GP in 2009.
In 2012, Wurz returned to the Williams F1 Team. This time, he was there to help guide the team's new drivers, Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado.
Sportscar Racing Success
Alexander Wurz also had a very successful career in sportscar racing. In 2008, he joined Peugeot to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In 2009, he won the Le Mans 24 Hours again! He drove a Peugeot with teammates Marc Gené and David Brabham. The 13-year gap between his two Le Mans victories is the longest in the race's history. He also won other big sportscar races like the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 1000 Miles of Road Atlanta.
In 2011, Toyota Motorsports announced Wurz would be one of their factory drivers. He would race their new hybrid prototype car in the 24 Heures du Mans starting in 2012.
Rallycross
In May 2018, Wurz tried a new type of racing: rallycross. He followed in his father's footsteps, who was also a rallycross driver. He competed in the FIA World Rallycross Championship in Norway.
Road Safety Work
Alexander Wurz cares a lot about road safety. In 2006, he and his father started a company called Test and Training International. This company teaches people about road safety and driver training. He also works with the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) to help train young drivers.
Medical Car Driver
At the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Alexander Wurz even drove the medical car. He stepped in when the usual driver became ill.
Team Management
In 2009, Alexander Wurz tried to start his own Formula One team called Team Superfund. He wanted the team to join F1 in 2010. However, his application was not successful.
Personal Life
Alexander Wurz is the second son of Franz Wurz, a former rallycross driver. His father won the European Rallycross Championship multiple times.
Alexander Wurz lives in Monaco with his wife, Julia Horden, and their three sons. His sons are Charlie, Felix, and Oscar. Interestingly, he used to wear different colored racing boots on each foot! But after returning to racing in 2007, he started wearing matching pairs.
On November 10, 2015, Alexander Wurz announced he was retiring from racing after 20 years. His son Charlie is now racing in Formula 3. His son Oscar won the 2024 Formula 4 CEZ Championship.
Images for kids
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Alexander Wurz at Le Mans in 2016
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Walk of Fame – Le Mans, Handprints and signatures from the winners of the 1996 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
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Wurz at the 1997 British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
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Wurz testing for Williams at Silverstone in 2006.
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Wurz at the 2007 Malaysian Grand Prix.
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Wurz demonstrating a Honda RA108 at the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
See also
In Spanish: Alex Wurz para niños
