57 replies to this topic

[Marklar]

alex wurz – ‏@alex_wurz
After 20yrs as Pro Racer its time to hang up the helmet. Thx Racing, you've been good to me! http://www.wurz.com

[Stephane]

Now, that's a retirement worthy of a thread. 

[Victor_RO]

Proper bloke, great with the fans in endurance racing, fantastic career, shame there was no Le Mans win for Toyota to go with the two for Joest/Porsche and Peugeot. This also means we're saying goodbye to an iconic (and hand-painted by the man himself) helmet design.

Congratulations to Alex for a long and distinguished career and best of luck to him in his future endeavours.

[RedBaron]

Some of my Wurz memories.

 

Schumacher vs Wurz Monaco.

 

 

Wurz turn 1 Canada 98.

 

 

And odd mismatching racing boots and eye holed balaclavas.

 

I'm sure he had better moment,s but those spring to mind for me. Including 1997 when he filled in for Berger, good showing.

Edited by RedBaron, 10 November 2015 - 10:38.

[GoldenColt]

Hopefully he'll continue to commentate the races on ORF. All the best, Alex! 

[August]

Great career in endurance racing, decent in F1. A career he can be proud of. Happy retirement days, Alex!

Also, an open seat in LMP1 now, hopefully Toyota can make it competitive over the winter. Who'd take that seat? Kobayashi?

Edited by August, 10 November 2015 - 10:41.

[TDN]

A true gentleman racer. A great career.

I remember this moment after a tough battle with Webber at Nurburgring.

https://encrypted-tb...aTTyRWmmbcM_vsr

Edited by TDN, 10 November 2015 - 10:48.

[muramasa]

Shame, he's still too young to retire.

 

He has not only speed and consistency but also great feedback and setting ability as well as leadership, Toyota will certainly miss him.

 

I just hope it was purely his own decision, not as a result of being effectively sidelined by Toyota.

[Myrvold]

[quote name="RedBaron" post="7376386" timestamp="1447151617"
Wurz turn 1 Canada 98.


And odd mismatching racing boots[/quote]

I had to take a pic of myself om the train right now...

[RedBaron]

A true gentleman racer.

 

Should second this.

[ensign14]

I wonder how good he would have been in F1 had he not been normal size.

[noikeee]

I had to take a pic of myself om the train right now...
 

 

lol, how did that happen?

[Hyatt]

never say never

[LuckyStrike1]

Great driver, respect for the decision. A retirement worth mentioning and a great character in the sport. 

[LeClerc]

Solid career. All around nice guy. I wish him success in the future. I suspect he will be on the telly a lot 

[SophieB]

He has been a credit to motorsport and I hope he continues to be a part of it in some way. It would be a great loss otherwise to not have what always seems a thoroughly decent guy around.

[Sheepmachine]

Great bloke and great driver. I hope he has fun doing whatever he does next.

[Lotus53B]

Lucky chap - I wish I could have retired at his age

 

I always liked Alex, total gent, hope he has a great time do what ever he wants, and I hope he pops up on coverage as often as possible, he's always good to listen to.

[maximilian]

Will miss him.  I always felt that he was a great "lost talent" in F1, warming the McLaren bench way too long.  Didn't help that he was so tall and didn't properly fit into open wheel cars.  Austria doesn't have much in the pipeline in terms of new drivers coming up, so this retirement hurts doubly.   All the best, Alex!

[JHSingo]

Seems like there's a bit of changing of the guard going on in the WEC. Capello, McNish, Kristensen and now Wurz all retiring within a few seasons. Although inevitable, it takes some getting used to not seeing any of those guys competing in a form of motorsport they became synonymous with.

 

All the best Alex, and congratulations on a long and successful career.

[Risil]

Hell of a career, and a bit of an unheralded figure in McLaren's thrilling first half of the 2000s. Loved his unexpected podium in Montreal during his otherwise underwhelming comeback in the Williams-Toyota.

 

And two Le Mans victories, although in truth it should've been three, but for a burned-out wiring loom in 2014.

[d246]

One of the few F1 drivers who could probably make it in the real world if he had to.

[WilliamsF1Fan]

It was a shame that when he drove for Williams he had a less than highly competitive car but I am glad I was at Silverstone to see him race for the team.  I always liked him and was thrilled when he became part of the Williams team and even more so when he became a race driver as opposed to a test driver.  Genuinely seems a great guy and has had a brilliant career after F1.  Good luck with everything in the future! 

 

Still, always feels odd when drivers you grew up with retire.

[Peat]

His arrival midway through 1997 was really impressive. The 98 car allowed him and Fizzy to showcase their talents too. Sadly, after that, he never really had a car that was up to snuff. 

Good bloke, too, from what i gather. 

[Myrvold]

lol, how did that happen?

 

It always happen for me It can be a tad expensive, but I like using shoes that have different colours

[Spillage]

A very good career. Never quite lived up to the early promise he showed in F1, but then, I think he spent his best years testing for Mclaren, which was a shame. He hopped into the car at Imola in 2005 and managed to make the podium. Anyway, cheers and good luck, Alex

[messy]

He was superb in 1998, him and Fisichella in that beautiful (to me anyway, beauty is subjective!!!) bright blue Benetton, two youngsters in a good car taking the fight to the establishment, his wheel-banging with Schumacher in Monaco, his impressive fourth places early in the season, his charge from 17th to 7th (?) in Austria. He did really well that season, probably edging Fisichella, shame that was as good as it got really.

[Giz]

Is he pregnant?

[HeadFirst]

Solid career. All around nice guy. I wish him success in the future. I suspect he will be on the telly a lot 

 

I hope so. A fine racing mind, his insight would be much appreciated by fans of the sport.

[HeadFirst]

Really like Alex, but getting to choose one's retirement is always a good thing. Congrats and good luck in the future.

[Jovanotti]

A great driver and a very intelligent, likeable guy - what's more to say? I hope to see him on TV also in the future. Hausleitner/Wurz are easily the best German speaking commentator duo.

[Volcano70]

It's better that he retired on his own mind and not a Doctor's.

Have a good life Alex.

[OSX]

Godspeed, Mr Wurtz!

[TF110]

Hell of a guy. Great career and not just f1. Shows theres life outside single seaters. Bet he stays with Toyota in some aspect.

[Arry2k]

Is he pregnant?

Yes! He got the idea after watching the Arnie film 'Junior'.

[Nonesuch]

A few years ago his fellow Peugeot drivers repeatedly got themselves involved in some rather dodgy moves; as far as I recall, Wurz was always above those shenanigans.

 

In fact, I don't think I've ever heard someone say something bad about him - though few ever wished him taller.

 

He has always been quite involved in the sport as a whole (think GPDA and the recent Fan Survey), too, so I'm sure this isn't the last we've heard of him!

 

[teejay]

Suzie, Alex, dropping like flies

 

Always been a fan, nice guy. 

 

Enjoy the next phase of life.

[Mila]

Loved his unexpected podium in Montreal [in 2007] . . .

 

Yeah, it was a remarkably brave drive. Having been rear-ended in the early laps, Wurz kept pace around the high-speed circuit with a damaged rear wing.

[Gilles4Ever]

Bianca Leppert @janci1612

#AMuS learnt that Manor owner Fitzpatrick made an offer to @alex_wurz to become team principal. Decision expected next week #F1

 

BBCF1 @bbcf1

Manor want former GP driver Alexander Wurz as their team principal. Full story bbc.in/1MOXdie #bbcf1

[Marklar]

Already denied

 

Ernst Hausleitner @ernie1c

@janci1612 im orf sagt @alex_wurz morgen, dass er abgesagt hat

 

Tomorrow at orf (where wurz is pundit) he will tell that he rejected the offer

[Quickshifter]

Respect.  Wish him well for whatever he does in his future endeavors.

[AustinF1]

Supposedly he has more than one TD offer. I get that Wurz is a clever guy, but what are these offers based on?

[jimjimjeroo]

Close Williams ties williams/manor/Mercedes B team

[Marklar]

James Moy – ‏@jamesmoy
Farewell photo shoot for @alex_wurz @Toyota_Hybrid #WEC

[Yoschl]

Saw this on TV today and I think this deserves to be posted here:

 

[MikeV1987]

^Ric 

 

He had a career to be proud of, good luck in your future endeavors Alex!

Edited by MikeV1987, 28 November 2015 - 21:30.

[Skett]

Only just saw this post. For some reason my main memory of him is the horns he gave on the podium in Canada:

 

Always seemed like a genuinely great guy, seems all the ROC drivers thought the same!

[Heisenberg]

Yeah, great guy and all, involved in the sport, but on track, I can't recall any worthy moments of him as a driver. Was he even participating in these last couple of years btw, cause I don't remember him competing? So what does he mean with this "retirement" anyway. Is it from the track or from the "paddock"? Or both...?

[Myrvold]

Yeah, great guy and all, involved in the sport, but on track, I can't recall any worthy moments of him as a driver. Was he even participating in these last couple of years btw, cause I don't remember him competing? So what does he mean with this "retirement" anyway. Is it from the track or from the "paddock"? Or both...?

Really?

[Marklar]

Yeah, great guy and all, involved in the sport, but on track, I can't recall any worthy moments of him as a driver. Was he even participating in these last couple of years btw, cause I don't remember him competing? So what does he mean with this "retirement" anyway. Is it from the track or from the "paddock"? Or both...?

You know, there are more things in motor racing than just F1....