Winkelhock considers V8 Supercars

A member of one of Europe’smost famous motor racing families is keen to have a crack at V8 Supercarsracing.

Markus Winkelhock, who led the only Formula One race he evercontested, is currently a factory Audi Sport endurance driver, GT1 worldchampion and defending winner of the famous Nurburgring 24 Hour.

“In future it might be a nice opportunity for me to racehere,” the German told v8supercars.com.au during a visit to Australia lastweek for the media launch of the facelifted R8 sports car.

Winkelhock said his interest in V8 Supercars was firstaroused when he saw the support races at the Australian Grand Prix in 2006 and2007, which he attended as reserve and test driver for the Midland and Spyker F1 teams.

“I really loved the racing then,” Winkelhock said. “I wasstill in F1 at this time and focussed on single seater racing but I remember itwas really good racing. Proper racing.”

Winkelhock considered chasing a V8 Supercars drive for 2011after his three-year deal racing in the DTM for Audi customer, Team Rosberg,ended.

“I was interested to do that racing, but it was not easy tofind a team coming from Europe,” he explained.“I did not know any one here, so it was not that easy to find a cockpit.

“I didn’t speak to any teams but I tried to find a contactto get closer to the teams but in the meantime I find another drive in the GT1world championship, so that’s why I didn’t continue working to come over here.”

That campaign, with Munnich Motorsport, resulted inWinkelhock and Marc Basseng winning the world championship in 2012.

However, with GT1 championship scrapped for 2013 and that teamswapping to the World Touring Car Championship, Winkelhock accepted an offer torace in the European Blancpain Endurance Series for Audi with Phoenix Racing.

Winkelhock’s interest in V8 Supercars has continued, in partbecause of the signing of DTM contemporaries Alex Premat at GRM and this year,Maro Engel at Erebus.

“Alex is a nice guy and we had a lot of fun and a reallygood time in DTM together,” Winkelhock said.

Winkelhock said his endurance experience could stand him ingood stead for V8 Supercars’ long distance races.

“I have done the last two years endurance races where Ishared always the car with the team-mate, so I am used to it.

“I remember the first race I did in GT1 in 2011, it wasquite weird sharing a race car with someone else, but now I am really used toit. It is quite a lot of fun to do the long endurance races.”

The 32-year old is the son of the late Manfred Winkelhockand the nephew of Joachim ‘Smokin’ Jo’ Winkelhock.

Both briefly raced in F1. Tragically, Manfred was killedracing sports cars while Joachim was a highly successful touring car driverprimarily with BMW.

Markus’ sole F1 race was for Spyker at the 2007 EuropeanGrand Prix at the Nurburgring, where he replaced Christijan Albers. Last on thegrid he started on intermediates, racing to the front when rain arrived and therest of the slick-shod field had to pit.

At one stage, before the race was stopped in torrentialconditions, he led by 33 seconds. He re-started from pole but retired soonafter.

In F1 history, he is the only driver to have started fromlast and first on the grid in the same race. He is also the only driver to havestarted last on the grid and led his first GP.

Despite all that, Spyker did not offer Winkelhock an ongoingdrive, instead pay driver Sakon Yamamoto took over the seat for the remainderof the year.