Walter Röhrl facts for kids
Röhrl at Retro Classics Stuttgart, Germany 2012-03-23
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  German |
| Born | 7 March 1947 Regensburg, Germany |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1973–1987 |
| Co-driver | Jochen Berger Claes Billstam Willi-Peter Pitz Christian Geistdörfer Phil Short |
| Teams | Porsche, Fiat, Opel, Lancia, Audi |
| Rallies | 75 |
| Championships | 2 (1980, 1982) |
| Rally wins | 14 |
| Podiums | 31 |
| Stage wins | 420 |
| Total points | 494 |
| First rally | 1973 Monte Carlo Rally |
| First win | 1975 Acropolis Rally |
| Last win | 1985 San Remo Rally |
| Last rally | 1987 Acropolis Rally |
Walter Röhrl (born 7 March 1947) is a famous German rally and car racing driver. He won many races with different car brands like Fiat, Opel, Lancia, Audi, Porsche, Ford, and BMW.
Walter Röhrl won 14 races in his career. He also won the World Rally Championship twice. He won in 1980 with a Fiat Abarth car and again in 1982 with an Opel. He also raced in other types of motorsport, like long-distance races. He won a special class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1981.
In 1987, Röhrl set a new record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. He drove an Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 up the mountain very fast. Many people think he is one of the best rally drivers ever.
Contents
Walter Röhrl's Racing Journey
Early Life and First Steps in Racing
Walter Röhrl grew up in Regensburg, Germany. He was the youngest of three children. When he was 10, his parents separated, and he lived with his mother.
After school, he studied business. At 16, he started working for a company that helped the Bishop of Regensburg. He also loved skiing and became a ski instructor. He drove a lot for his job, sometimes up to 120,000 kilometers a year. In 1968, he was invited to drive in his first rally race.
Becoming a Rally Champion
Walter Röhrl was a top driver in the World Rally Championship during the 1970s and 1980s. He won the famous Monte Carlo Rally four times, each time with a different car brand. His co-driver for many years was Christian Geistdörfer.
In 1980, he won his first World Rally Championship. He was driving a Fiat 131 Abarth. He secured the title by winning the San Remo rally that year.
His win in 1982 was very impressive. He was driving an older rear-wheel-drive car, the Opel Ascona 400. He beat newer, more powerful four-wheel-drive cars, like those driven by Audi's Michèle Mouton. He won by being very consistent in his races. That same year, he also won the African Rally Championship.
After winning the 1982 championship, he left his team. He didn't like doing publicity events for the team's sponsor, a tobacco company. Walter Röhrl did not smoke and felt it was wrong to promote tobacco.
Switching Teams and Setting Records
In 1983, Röhrl joined Lancia. He drove the new, rear-wheel-drive Lancia 037. Then, in 1984, he switched to the four-wheel-drive Audi Quattro. This car was actually made in his home state of Bavaria.
In 1987, Walter Röhrl made history at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. He was the first driver to finish the 12.42-mile (19.99 km) mountain race in under 11 minutes. He drove a powerful 600-horsepower Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2. He completed the race in 10 minutes and 47.850 seconds on a road that was mostly gravel.
Walter Röhrl was careful about which races he entered. He didn't like races with many jumps, like the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland. He still managed to win 14 World Rally Championship races in his career.
Other Racing Successes and Recognition
Röhrl was also very good at road racing. The famous driver Niki Lauda called him a "Genius on Wheels." In a 1992 race at the 24 Hours Nürburgring, he drove incredibly fast even in thick fog and heavy rain. He knew the corners so well that he barely slowed down.
In Italy, he was named "Rallye driver of the century." In France, he was chosen as "Rallye driver of the millennium" in 2000. A group of 100 motorsports experts from around the world even voted him the "Best Rallye driver ever."
Today, Walter Röhrl works as a senior test driver for Porsche. He is known for setting very fast lap times when testing cars like the Porsche Carrera GT at the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife track.
In 2011, Röhrl was added to the Rally Hall of Fame. In 2016, he was also inducted into Germany's Sports Hall of Fame.
WRC victories
| # | Event | Season | Co-driver | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Acropolis Rally |
1975 | Jochen Berger |
Opel Ascona |
| 2 | Acropolis Rally |
1978 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Fiat 131 Abarth |
| 3 |  Critérium du Québec |
1978 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Fiat 131 Abarth |
| 4 |  Rally Monte Carlo |
1980 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Fiat 131 Abarth |
| 5 |  Rally Portugal |
1980 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Fiat 131 Abarth |
| 6 |  Rally Argentina |
1980 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Fiat 131 Abarth |
| 7 |  Rally Sanremo |
1980 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Fiat 131 Abarth |
| 8 | Rally Monte Carlo |
1982 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Opel Ascona 400 |
| 9 |  Rallye Côte d'Ivoire |
1982 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Opel Ascona 400 |
| 10 | Rally Monte Carlo |
1983 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Lancia 037 Rally |
| 11 | Acropolis Rally |
1983 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Lancia 037 Rally |
| 12 |  Rally New Zealand |
1983 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Lancia 037 Rally |
| 13 | Rally Monte Carlo |
1984 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Audi Quattro A2 |
| 14 | Rally Sanremo |
1985 | Christian Geistdörfer |
Audi Quattro Sport S1 |
24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Porsche System |
Jürgen Barth |
Porsche 944 LM | GTP +3.0 | 323 | 7 | 1st |
| 1993 | Le Mans Porsche Team |
 Hurley Haywood Hans-Joachim Stuck |
Porsche 911 Turbo S LM-GT | GT | 79 | DNF | DNF |
See also
In Spanish: Walter Röhrl para niños
