After serving as the boss of BMW Motorsport for 12 years, Marion Theissen will be handing over control to Jens Marquardt next year. Dr. Theissen was appointed to supervise the German make’s competition activities the same year it won the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Mario Theissen

In 1999, BMW became the second German carmaker to win Le Mans with a BMW V12 LMR shared by Joachim Winkelhock, Pierluigi Martini and Yannick Dalmas. The same year saw the car claim victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring, the opening round of the American Le Mans Series, in the hands of Kristensen/Lehto/Muller.

Mario Theissen is passing on the baton after securing two ALMS titles with the BMW M3. In addition to being the person associated with BMW’s return to endurance racing, Mario Theissen will above be remembered for his role in bringing the brand to F1, initially as engine supplier to Williams. In 2003, Williams/BMW narrowly failed to win the Constructors’ crown and, at the end of 2005, Theissen founded BMW F1 after taking control of the Sauber team. In 2007, BMW Sauber finished second in the Constructors’ standings after giving Sebastian Vettel his first chance in the discipline!

Next July, Mario Theissen will be replaced by Jens Marquardt, the current General Manager of Toyota Motorsport. A qualified aerospace engineer, Marquardt worked as race engineer in IndyCar before heading for Toyota F1 where he became Team Manager

BMW