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{{Short description|German rally driver (born 1947)}}
{{Infobox WRC driver
{{Infobox WRC driver
| name = Walter Röhrl
| name = Walter Röhrl
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| birth_place = [[Regensburg]], Germany
| birth_place = [[Regensburg]], Germany
| nationality = {{flagicon|DEU}} German
| nationality = {{flagicon|DEU}} German
⚫
| Co-driver = {{flagicon|DEU}} [[Jochen Berger]]<br />{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Claes Billstam]]<br />{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Willi-Peter Pitz]]<br />{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Christian Geistdörfer]]<br />{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Phil Short rally driver|Phil Short]]
| Years = 1973–1987
| Years = 1973–1987
⚫
| Co-driver = {{flagicon|DEU}} Jochen Berger<br />{{flagicon|SWE}} Claes Billstam<br />{{flagicon|DEU}} Willi-Peter Pitz<br />{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Christian Geistdörfer]]<br />{{flagicon|GBR}} Phil Short
| Teams = [[Porsche]], [[Fiat]], [[Opel]], [[Lancia]], [[Audi]]
| Teams = [[Porsche]], [[Fiat]], [[Opel]], [[Lancia]], [[Audi]]
| Races = 75
| Races = 75
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| Last race = 1987 [[Acropolis Rally]]
| Last race = 1987 [[Acropolis Rally]]
}}
}}
'''Walter Röhrl''' ({{IPA-de|ˈvaltɐ ˈʁøːʁl|-|De-Walter Röhrl.ogg}}; born 7 March 1947) is a German [[rallying|rally]] and [[motor-racing|auto racing]] driver, with victories for [[Fiat]], [[Opel]], [[Lancia]] and [[Audi]] as well as [[Porsche]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] and [[BMW]]. Röhrl has scored 14 victories over his career, with his notable achievements including winning the [[World Rally Championship]] twice: in 1980 in a Fiat Abarth and in 1982 while driving for Opel. He has also competed in other forms of motorsport, such as endurance racing, winning in the GTP +3.0 class in the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] in 1981 with the Porsche System team. Röhrl also set the [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb]] record in 1987 driving an [[Audi Quattro|Audi Quattro S1 E2]]. He is often regarded as one of the greatest rally drivers of all time.
'''Walter Röhrl''' ({{IPA|de|ˈvaltɐ ˈʁøːɐ̯l|-|De-Walter Röhrl.ogg}}; born 7 March 1947) is a German [[rallying|rally]] and [[motor-racing|auto racing]] driver, with victories for [[Fiat]], [[Opel]], [[Lancia]] and [[Audi]] as well as [[Porsche]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] and [[BMW]]. Röhrl has scored 14 victories over his career, with his notable achievements including winning the [[World Rally Championship]] twice: in 1980 in a Fiat Abarth and in 1982 while driving for Opel. He has also competed in other forms of motorsport, such as endurance racing, winning in the GTP +3.0 class in the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] in [[1981 24 Hours of Le Mans|1981]] with the Porsche System team. Röhrl also set the [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb]] record in 1987 driving an [[Audi Quattro|Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2]]. He is often regarded as one of the greatest rally drivers of all time.


==Career==
==Career==
Röhrl grew up as the youngest of three children of a stonemason in Regensburg. His parents separated when he was ten years old. From then on he lived with his mother. After leaving school he completed a commercial education at Bishop's Ordinariate Regensburg.<ref>[[:de:Walter Röhrl]]</ref> At the age of 16, Röhrl began working for the commercial director of a company that legally represented the [[Bishop of Regensburg]] along with 6 further Bishops in [[Bavaria]], and skied in his spare time. In time he became a qualified ski instructor and a keen driver, and became the chauffeur to the commercial director, covering up to 120,000 kilometres annually. Some unqualified reports have stated he was once the Bishop's own driver, but this has been acknowledged as untrue. Having also now been active in sports like [[skiing]], Röhrl was invited to drive his first rally in 1968.
Röhrl grew up as the youngest of three children of a stonemason in Regensburg, Bavaria, near [[Munich]]. His parents separated when he was ten years old. From then on he lived with his mother. After leaving school he completed a commercial education at Bishop's Ordinariate Regensburg.{{cn|date=March 2024}} At the age of 16, Röhrl began working for the commercial director of a company that legally represented the [[Bishop of Regensburg]] along with six further Bishops in [[Bavaria]], and skied in his spare time. In time he became a qualified ski instructor and a keen driver, and became the chauffeur to the commercial director, covering up to 120,000 kilometres annually. Some unqualified reports have stated he was once the Bishop's own driver, but this has been acknowledged as untrue. Having also now been active in sports like [[skiing]], Röhrl was invited to drive his first rally in 1968.


Röhrl was a [[World Rally Championship]] favourite throughout the 1970s and 1980s, winning the [[Monte Carlo Rally]] four times with four different marques. His co-driver for many years was [[Christian Geistdörfer]]. His [[Fiat 131]] Abarth carried him to the [[1980 World Rally Championship season|1980]] title, clinched with his victory in that year's [[San Remo rally]], but it was arguably his equivalent success in [[1982 World Rally Championship season|1982]] that impressed most of all, with Röhrl fending off audacious four-wheel drive opposition, led by [[Audi]]'s resurgent [[Michèle Mouton]], to take the title, by virtue of consistency, in his increasingly outmoded rear-drive [[Opel Ascona]] 400. It was also during this time that he won the [[African Rally Championship]], in 1982.<ref>[http://www.africanrallychampionship.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=80 African Rally Championship Website – PastChampions<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611050426/http://www.africanrallychampionship.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=80 |date=2012-06-11 }}</ref> However, shortly after winning the championship he was fired from the team by team manager [[Tony Fall]] because he disliked competing in the RAC rally (the rally he had little success in).<ref>{{YouTube|3R_M19xWk60}}</ref><ref>http://www.juwra.com/rohrl_walter.html</ref> Röhrl had already had severe arguments with Tony Fall about publicity activities for the team sponsor, tobacco company [[Rothmans, Benson & Hedges|Rothmans]]. Röhrl, as a strict nonsmoker, simply refused to do any filming for Rothmans publicity spots, claiming that he had been hired as a driver, not an actor, and that he could not see any sense in promoting tobacco as a nonsmoker anyway.<ref>Walter Röhrl, Aufschrieb. (Autobiography) {{ISBN|3-927458-04-X}}</ref>
Röhrl was a [[World Rally Championship]] favourite throughout the 1970s and 1980s, winning the [[Monte Carlo Rally]] four times with four different marques. His co-driver for many years was [[Christian Geistdörfer]]. His [[Fiat 131]] Abarth carried him to the [[1980 World Rally Championship season|1980]] title, clinched with his victory in that year's [[San Remo rally]], but it was arguably his equivalent success in [[1982 World Rally Championship season|1982]] that impressed most of all, with Röhrl fending off audacious four-wheel drive opposition, led by [[Audi]]'s resurgent [[Michèle Mouton]], to take the title, by virtue of consistency, in his increasingly outmoded rear-drive [[Opel Ascona]] 400. It was also during this time that he won the [[African Rally Championship]], in 1982.<ref>[http://www.africanrallychampionship.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=80 African Rally Championship Website – PastChampions<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611050426/http://www.africanrallychampionship.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=80 |date=2012-06-11 }}</ref> However, shortly after winning the championship he was fired from the team by team manager [[Tony Fall]] because he disliked competing in the RAC rally (the rally he had little success in).<ref>{{YouTube|3R_M19xWk60}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.juwra.com/rohrl_walter.html |title=Drivers - Walter Rohrl |publisher=Juwra.com |date=1947-03-07 |accessdate=2022-09-04}}</ref> Röhrl had already had severe arguments with Tony Fall about publicity activities for the team sponsor, tobacco company [[Rothmans, Benson & Hedges|Rothmans]]. Röhrl, as a strict nonsmoker, simply refused to do any filming for Rothmans publicity spots, claiming that he had been hired as a driver, not an actor, and that he could not see any sense in promoting tobacco as a nonsmoker anyway.<ref>Walter Röhrl, Aufschrieb. (Autobiography) {{ISBN|3-927458-04-X}}</ref>
[[File:Audi S1 Pikes Peak.jpg|thumb|Audi S1 Pikes Peak]]
[[File:Audi S1 Pikes Peak.jpg|thumb|Audi S1 Pikes Peak]]
In [[1983 World Rally Championship season|1983]], he joined [[Lancia]] to pilot the new, rear-wheel drive [[Lancia 037]], before finally changing his machinery, in [[1984 World Rally Championship season|1984]], to the four-wheel drive [[Audi Quattro]], an automobile actually produced in his home state of [[Bavaria]].
In [[1983 World Rally Championship season|1983]], he joined [[Lancia]] to pilot the new, rear-wheel drive [[Lancia 037]], before finally changing his machinery, in [[1984 World Rally Championship season|1984]], to the four-wheel drive [[Audi Quattro]], an automobile actually produced in his home state of [[Bavaria]].


In 1987 Röhrl set up a new record in the [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb]] for being the first driver to cover the 14.42 miles (19.99&nbsp;km) long mountain track to the [[Pikes Peak]] in less than 11 minutes. In his 600&nbsp;hp (440&nbsp;kW) [[Audi Quattro#S1|Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2]] he did the famed American hillclimb in 10 minutes and 47.850 seconds<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ppihc.com/race_winners_by_year/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321054622/http://www.ppihc.com/race_winners_by_year |archive-date=2013-03-21 |title=Race Winners by Year {{!}} PPIHC}}</ref> to reach Pikes Peak on the road which at that time was mainly covered with gravel.
In 1987 Röhrl set up a new record in the [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb]] for being the first driver to win the 12.42 miles (19.99&nbsp;km) long mountain track to the [[Pikes Peak]] in less than 11 minutes. In his 600&nbsp;hp (440&nbsp;kW) [[Audi Quattro S1|Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2]] he did the famed American hillclimb in 10 minutes and 47.850 seconds<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ppihc.com/race_winners_by_year/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321054622/http://www.ppihc.com/race_winners_by_year |archive-date=2013-03-21 |title=Race Winners by Year {{!}} PPIHC}}</ref> to reach Pikes Peak on the road which at that time was mainly covered with gravel.


Despite being selective in his choice of top-level events (he declined to do the famed 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland due to his dislike of jumps and cars getting airborne<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=The Grand Tour|title=The 1983 Rally Rivalry|date=2018-02-27|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghUldLcBCYw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/ghUldLcBCYw| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|access-date=2018-05-23}}{{cbignore}}</ref>), he did the RAC Rally in Britain only once more after 1979 and he only did the Swedish Rally twice, despite finishing 3rd in 1982) albeit during a time when this was a less unusual occurrence for top-line drivers in the championship, Rohrl still scored 14 WRC victories in his career.
Despite being selective in his choice of top-level events (he declined to do the famed [[1000 Lakes Rally]] in Finland due to his dislike of jumps and cars getting airborne,<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Grand Tour|title=The 1983 Rally Rivalry|date=2018-02-27|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghUldLcBCYw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/ghUldLcBCYw| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|access-date=2018-05-23}}{{cbignore}}</ref> he did the RAC Rally in Britain only once more after 1979 and he only did the [[Swedish Rally]] twice, despite finishing third in 1982), albeit during a time when this was a less unusual occurrence for top-line drivers in the championship, Röhrl still scored 14 WRC victories in his career.


Röhrl was also successful in road racing events, and was called "Genius on Wheels" by [[Niki Lauda]]. In the 1992 [[24 Hours Nürburgring]] race which saw fog and heavy rain in the night, he hardly slowed down, anticipating the corners by timing. The race was nevertheless interrupted for hours.
Röhrl was also successful in road racing events, and was called "Genius on Wheels" by [[Niki Lauda]]. In the 1992 [[24 Hours Nürburgring]] race which saw fog and heavy rain in the night, he hardly slowed down, anticipating the corners by timing. The race was nevertheless interrupted for hours.
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In Italy, he was elected "Rallye driver of the century". In France he was elected "Rallye driver of the millennium" in November 2000. A jury out of 100 worldwide motorsports experts meeting in Italy elected him "Best Rallye driver ever".
In Italy, he was elected "Rallye driver of the century". In France he was elected "Rallye driver of the millennium" in November 2000. A jury out of 100 worldwide motorsports experts meeting in Italy elected him "Best Rallye driver ever".


In recent years, he has been retained as the senior test driver for Porsche road cars, famously setting quick laptimes for them testing round the famous [[Nürburgring]] Nordschleife, for example with the [[Porsche Carrera GT]].
In recent years, he has been retained as the senior test driver for Porsche road cars, famously setting quick laptimes for them testing round the famous [[Nürburgring Nordschleife]], for example with the [[Porsche Carrera GT]].


Röhrl was expected to make his competitive return to the Nürburgring 24 hour race in 2010 at the wheel of a [[Porsche 911 GT3 RS]]. However, he was forced to withdraw from the event due to a back injury.<ref>[http://www.ausmotive.com/2010/04/25/injury-forces-walter-rohrl-out-of-nurburgring-24-hour.html AUSmotive.com – Injury forces Walter Röhrl out of Nürburgring 24 hour]</ref> It was to be his first 24-hour race in 17 years, since his last start in 1993. In 2011, Röhrl was inducted into the [[Rally Hall of Fame]] along with [[Hannu Mikkola]]<ref>{{Cite web | title=New Inductees to Rally Hall of Fame | work=[[Rally Finland|Neste Oil Rally Finland]] | url=http://www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi/en/28567.aspx | date=9 February 2011 | access-date=27 March 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430010448/http://www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi/en/28567.aspx | archive-date=30 April 2011 }}</ref> and in July 2016 was inducted into [[Germany's Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hall-of-fame-sport.de/aktuelles/presse-infos/2016/meldung-24-05-2016/|title=Meldung 24 05 2016|website=www.hall-of-fame-sport.de|access-date=2016-07-17}}</ref>
Röhrl was expected to make his competitive return to the Nürburgring 24 hour race in 2010 at the wheel of a [[Porsche 911 GT3 RS]]. However, he was forced to withdraw from the event due to a back injury.<ref>[http://www.ausmotive.com/2010/04/25/injury-forces-walter-rohrl-out-of-nurburgring-24-hour.html AUSmotive.com – Injury forces Walter Röhrl out of Nürburgring 24 hour]</ref> It was to be his first 24-hour race in 17 years, since his last start in 1993. In 2011, Röhrl was inducted into the [[Rally Hall of Fame]] along with [[Hannu Mikkola]]<ref>{{cite web | title=New Inductees to Rally Hall of Fame | work=[[Rally Finland|Neste Oil Rally Finland]] | url=http://www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi/en/28567.aspx | date=9 February 2011 | access-date=27 March 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430010448/http://www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi/en/28567.aspx | archive-date=30 April 2011 }}</ref> and in July 2016 was inducted into [[Germany's Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hall-of-fame-sport.de/aktuelles/presse-infos/2016/meldung-24-05-2016/|title=Meldung 24 05 2016|website=www.hall-of-fame-sport.de|access-date=2016-07-17|archive-date=2016-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717104041/http://www.hall-of-fame-sport.de/aktuelles/presse-infos/2016/meldung-24-05-2016/|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Complete WRC results==
==Complete WRC results==
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! rowspan=2| N/A
! rowspan=2| N/A
|-
|-
! [[Opel Ascona#Ascona A|Opel Ascona]]
! [[Opel Ascona#Ascona A (1970–1975)|Opel Ascona]]
|
|
|
|
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| [[1974 World Rally Championship season|1974]]
| [[1974 World Rally Championship season|1974]]
! [[Opel|Opel Euro Händler Team]]
! [[Opel|Opel Euro Händler Team]]
! [[Opel Ascona#Ascona A|Opel Ascona]]
! [[Opel Ascona#Ascona A (1970–1975)|Opel Ascona]]
| [[1974 Monte Carlo Rally|MON]]<br /><small>C</small>
| [[1974 Monte Carlo Rally|MON]]<br /><small>C</small>
| [[1974 Swedish Rally|SWE]]<br /><small>C</small>
| [[1974 Swedish Rally|SWE]]<br /><small>C</small>
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| [[1974 Safari Rally|KEN]]
| [[1974 Safari Rally|KEN]]
| [[1974 Acropolis Rally|GRE]]<br /><small>C</small>
| [[1974 Acropolis Rally|GRE]]<br /><small>C</small>
| [[1974 Rally Finland|FIN]]
| [[1974 1000 Lakes Rally|FIN]]
| [[1974 Rallye Sanremo|ITA]]
| [[1974 Rallye Sanremo|ITA]]
| [[1974 Rally of the Rideau Lakes|CAN]]
| [[1974 Rally of the Rideau Lakes|CAN]]
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| rowspan=2| [[1975 World Rally Championship season|1975]]
| rowspan=2| [[1975 World Rally Championship season|1975]]
! rowspan=2| [[Opel|Opel Euro Händler Team]]
! rowspan=2| [[Opel|Opel Euro Händler Team]]
! [[Opel Ascona#Ascona A|Opel Ascona]]
! [[Opel Ascona#Ascona A (1970–1975)|Opel Ascona]]
| style="background:#efcfff;"| [[1975 Monte Carlo Rally|MON]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
| style="background:#efcfff;"| [[1975 Monte Carlo Rally|MON]]<br /><small>Ret</small>
| [[1975 Swedish Rally|SWE]]
| [[1975 Swedish Rally|SWE]]
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|| [[1982 World Rally Championship season|1982]]
|| [[1982 World Rally Championship season|1982]]
! [[Rothmans International|Rothmans]] [[Opel|Opel Rally Team]]
! [[Rothmans International|Rothmans]] [[Opel|Opel Rally Team]]
! [[Opel Ascona#Ascona 400 rally car|Opel Ascona 400]]
! [[Opel Ascona 400]]
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| [[1982 Monte Carlo Rally|MON]]<br /><small>1</small>
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| [[1982 Monte Carlo Rally|MON]]<br /><small>1</small>
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| [[1982 Swedish Rally|SWE]]<br /><small>3</small>
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| [[1982 Swedish Rally|SWE]]<br /><small>3</small>
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| [[1987 World Rally Championship season|1987]]
| [[1987 World Rally Championship season|1987]]
! [[Audi|Audi Sport]]
! [[Audi|Audi Sport]]
! [[Audi 100#Racing|Audi 200 Quattro]]
! [[Audi 100#Motorsport|Audi 200 Quattro]]
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| [[1987 Monte Carlo Rally|MON]]<br /><small>3</small>
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| [[1987 Monte Carlo Rally|MON]]<br /><small>3</small>
| [[1987 Swedish Rally|SWE]]
| [[1987 Swedish Rally|SWE]]
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==WRC victories==
==WRC victories==
[[File:1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2.jpg|thumb|Röhrl's final WRC victory came at the wheel of an [[Audi Quattro#Sport Quattro S1 E2|Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2]] at the [[1985 World Rally Championship|1985]] [[Rallye Sanremo]]. The car was paraded at the Ignition Festival of Motoring in 2017.]]
[[File:1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2.jpg|thumb|Röhrl's final WRC victory came at the wheel of an [[Audi Quattro#Sport Quattro S1 E2|Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2]] at the [[1985 World Rally Championship|1985]] [[Rallye Sanremo]]. The car was paraded at the Ignition Festival of Motoring in 2017.]]
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; max-width: 49em;" width=100%
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; max-width:49em; width:100%;"
|-
|-
! &nbsp;#&nbsp;
! &nbsp;#&nbsp;
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| {{Flagicon|Greece}} [[Acropolis Rally]]
| {{Flagicon|Greece}} [[Acropolis Rally]]
| [[1975 World Rally Championship season|1975]]
| [[1975 World Rally Championship season|1975]]
| {{flagicon|Germany}}Jochen Berger
| {{flagicon|Germany}} Jochen Berger
| [[Opel Ascona]]
| [[Opel Ascona]]
|-
|-
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| {{Flagicon|Greece}} [[Acropolis Rally]]
| {{Flagicon|Greece}} [[Acropolis Rally]]
| [[1978 World Rally Championship season|1978]]
| [[1978 World Rally Championship season|1978]]
| {{flagicon|Germany}}[[Christian Geistdörfer]]
| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Christian Geistdörfer]]
| [[Fiat 131]] [[Abarth]]
| [[Fiat 131]] [[Abarth]]
|-
|-
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| [[1982 World Rally Championship season|1982]]
| [[1982 World Rally Championship season|1982]]
| {{flagicon|Germany}} Christian Geistdörfer
| {{flagicon|Germany}} Christian Geistdörfer
| [[Opel Ascona#Ascona 400 rally car|Opel Ascona 400]]
| [[Opel Ascona 400]]
|-
|-
| 9
| 9
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| {{Flagicon|Greece}} [[Acropolis Rally]]
| {{Flagicon|Greece}} [[Acropolis Rally]]
| 1983
| 1983
| {{flagicon|Germany}}Christian Geistdörfer
| {{flagicon|Germany}} Christian Geistdörfer
| Lancia 037 Rally
| Lancia 037 Rally
|-
|-
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[[Category:European Rally Championship drivers]]
[[Category:European Rally Championship drivers]]
[[Category:German rally drivers]]
[[Category:German rally drivers]]
[[Category:People from Regensburg]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Regensburg]]
[[Category:Porsche Supercup drivers]]
[[Category:Porsche Supercup drivers]]
[[Category:Trans-Am Series drivers]]
[[Category:Trans-Am Series drivers]]
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[[Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers]]
[[Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Bavaria]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Bavaria]]
[[Category:Porsche Motorsports drivers]]
[[Category:Audi Sport drivers]]

Latest revision as of 03:27, 25 October 2024

Walter Röhrl
Röhrl at Retro Classics Stuttgart, Germany 2012-03-23
Personal information
NationalityGermany German
Born (1947-03-07) 7 March 1947 (age 77)
Regensburg, Germany
World Rally Championship record
Active years1973–1987
Co-driverGermany Jochen Berger
Sweden Claes Billstam
Germany Willi-Peter Pitz
Germany Christian Geistdörfer
United Kingdom Phil Short
TeamsPorsche, Fiat, Opel, Lancia, Audi
Rallies75
Championships2 (1980, 1982)
Rally wins14
Podiums31
Stage wins420
Total points494
First rally1973 Monte Carlo Rally
First win1975 Acropolis Rally
Last win1985 San Remo Rally
Last rally1987 Acropolis Rally

Walter Röhrl (German pronunciation: [ˈvaltɐ ˈʁøːɐ̯l] ⓘ; born 7 March 1947) is a German rally and auto racing driver, with victories for Fiat, Opel, Lancia and Audi as well as Porsche, Ford and BMW. Röhrl has scored 14 victories over his career, with his notable achievements including winning the World Rally Championship twice: in 1980 in a Fiat Abarth and in 1982 while driving for Opel. He has also competed in other forms of motorsport, such as endurance racing, winning in the GTP +3.0 class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1981 with the Porsche System team. Röhrl also set the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record in 1987 driving an Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2. He is often regarded as one of the greatest rally drivers of all time.

Career

[edit]

Röhrl grew up as the youngest of three children of a stonemason in Regensburg, Bavaria, near Munich. His parents separated when he was ten years old. From then on he lived with his mother. After leaving school he completed a commercial education at Bishop's Ordinariate Regensburg.[citation needed] At the age of 16, Röhrl began working for the commercial director of a company that legally represented the Bishop of Regensburg along with six further Bishops in Bavaria, and skied in his spare time. In time he became a qualified ski instructor and a keen driver, and became the chauffeur to the commercial director, covering up to 120,000 kilometres annually. Some unqualified reports have stated he was once the Bishop's own driver, but this has been acknowledged as untrue. Having also now been active in sports like skiing, Röhrl was invited to drive his first rally in 1968.

Röhrl was a World Rally Championship favourite throughout the 1970s and 1980s, winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times with four different marques. His co-driver for many years was Christian Geistdörfer. His Fiat 131 Abarth carried him to the 1980 title, clinched with his victory in that year's San Remo rally, but it was arguably his equivalent success in 1982 that impressed most of all, with Röhrl fending off audacious four-wheel drive opposition, led by Audi's resurgent Michèle Mouton, to take the title, by virtue of consistency, in his increasingly outmoded rear-drive Opel Ascona 400. It was also during this time that he won the African Rally Championship, in 1982.[1] However, shortly after winning the championship he was fired from the team by team manager Tony Fall because he disliked competing in the RAC rally (the rally he had little success in).[2][3] Röhrl had already had severe arguments with Tony Fall about publicity activities for the team sponsor, tobacco company Rothmans. Röhrl, as a strict nonsmoker, simply refused to do any filming for Rothmans publicity spots, claiming that he had been hired as a driver, not an actor, and that he could not see any sense in promoting tobacco as a nonsmoker anyway.[4]

Audi S1 Pikes Peak

In 1983, he joined Lancia to pilot the new, rear-wheel drive Lancia 037, before finally changing his machinery, in 1984, to the four-wheel drive Audi Quattro, an automobile actually produced in his home state of Bavaria.

In 1987 Röhrl set up a new record in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for being the first driver to win the 12.42 miles (19.99 km) long mountain track to the Pikes Peak in less than 11 minutes. In his 600 hp (440 kW) Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 he did the famed American hillclimb in 10 minutes and 47.850 seconds[5] to reach Pikes Peak on the road which at that time was mainly covered with gravel.

Despite being selective in his choice of top-level events (he declined to do the famed 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland due to his dislike of jumps and cars getting airborne,[6] he did the RAC Rally in Britain only once more after 1979 and he only did the Swedish Rally twice, despite finishing third in 1982), albeit during a time when this was a less unusual occurrence for top-line drivers in the championship, Röhrl still scored 14 WRC victories in his career.

Röhrl was also successful in road racing events, and was called "Genius on Wheels" by Niki Lauda. In the 1992 24 Hours Nürburgring race which saw fog and heavy rain in the night, he hardly slowed down, anticipating the corners by timing. The race was nevertheless interrupted for hours.

In Italy, he was elected "Rallye driver of the century". In France he was elected "Rallye driver of the millennium" in November 2000. A jury out of 100 worldwide motorsports experts meeting in Italy elected him "Best Rallye driver ever".

In recent years, he has been retained as the senior test driver for Porsche road cars, famously setting quick laptimes for them testing round the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife, for example with the Porsche Carrera GT.

Röhrl was expected to make his competitive return to the Nürburgring 24 hour race in 2010 at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. However, he was forced to withdraw from the event due to a back injury.[7] It was to be his first 24-hour race in 17 years, since his last start in 1993. In 2011, Röhrl was inducted into the Rally Hall of Fame along with Hannu Mikkola[8] and in July 2016 was inducted into Germany's Sports Hall of Fame.[9]

Complete WRC results

[edit]
Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WDC Points
1973 Irmscher Tuning Opel Commodore GS/E MON
45 		SWE POR KEN MOR GRE POL FIN N/A N/A
Opel Ascona AUT
Ret 		ITA USA GBR
Ret 		FRA
1974 Opel Euro Händler Team Opel Ascona MON
C 		SWE
C 		POR
Ret 		KEN GRE
C 		FIN ITA CAN USA GBR
5 		FRA N/A N/A
1975 Opel Euro Händler Team Opel Ascona MON
Ret 		SWE KEN GRE
1 		MOR
Ret 		POR
Ret 		FIN N/A N/A
Opel Kadett GT/E ITA
Ret 		FRA GBR
Ret
1976 Opel Euro Händler Team Opel Kadett GT/E MON
4 		SWE POR
Ret 		KEN
Ret 		GRE MOR FIN ITA
Ret 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
Ret 		N/A N/A
1977 Opel Euro Händler Team Opel Kadett GT/E MON
Ret 		SWE POR KEN NZL GRE
Ret 		FIN GBR
Ret 		NC 0
Fiat S.p.A. Fiat 131 Abarth CAN
Ret 		ITA
Ret 		FRA
1978 Alitalia Fiat Fiat 131 Abarth MON
4 		SWE KEN POR
Ret 		GRE
1 		FIN CAN
1 		ITA
Ret 		CIV FRA GBR
6 		6th 13
1979 Alitalia Fiat Fiat 131 Abarth MON
Ret 		SWE POR KEN
8 		GRE NZL FIN CAN ITA
2 		FRA GBR
8 		CIV 9th 21
1980 Fiat Italia Fiat 131 Abarth MON
1 		SWE POR
1 		KEN GRE
5 		ARG
1 		FIN NZL
2 		FRA
2 		GBR CIV 1st 118
Jolly Club ITA
1
1981 Eminence Porsche 911 SC MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRE ARG BRA FIN ITA
Ret 		CIV GBR NC 0
1982 Rothmans Opel Rally Team Opel Ascona 400 MON
1 		SWE
3 		POR
Ret 		KEN
2 		FRA
4 		GRE
2 		NZL
3 		BRA
2 		FIN ITA
3 		CIV
1 		GBR 1st 109
1983 Martini Racing Lancia 037 Rally MON
1 		SWE POR
3 		KEN FRA
2 		GRE
1 		NZL
1 		ARG FIN ITA
2 		CIV GBR 2nd 102
1984 Audi Sport Audi Quattro A2 MON
1 		SWE POR
6 		KEN NZL
Ret 		ARG FIN 11th 26
Audi Sport Quattro FRA
Ret 		GRE
Ret 		ITA
Ret 		CIV GBR
1985 Audi Sport Audi Sport Quattro MON
2 		SWE
Ret 		POR
3 		KEN FRA
Ret 		GRE
Ret 		NZL
3 		ARG FIN 3rd 59
Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 ITA
1 		CIV GBR
Ret
1986 Audi Sport Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 MON
4 		SWE POR
Ret 		KEN FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR USA 22nd 10
1987 Audi Sport Audi 200 Quattro MON
3 		SWE POR KEN
2 		FRA GRE
Ret 		USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR 11th 27

WRC victories

[edit]
Röhrl's final WRC victory came at the wheel of an Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 at the 1985 Rallye Sanremo. The car was paraded at the Ignition Festival of Motoring in 2017.
 #  Event Season Co-driver Car
1 Greece Acropolis Rally 1975 Germany Jochen Berger Opel Ascona
2 Greece Acropolis Rally 1978 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Fiat 131 Abarth
3 Canada Critérium du Québec 1978 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Fiat 131 Abarth
4 Monaco Rally Monte Carlo 1980 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Fiat 131 Abarth
5 Portugal Rally Portugal 1980 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Fiat 131 Abarth
6 Argentina Rally Argentina 1980 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Fiat 131 Abarth
7 Italy Rally Sanremo 1980 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Fiat 131 Abarth
8 Monaco Rally Monte Carlo 1982 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Opel Ascona 400
9 Ivory Coast Rallye Côte d'Ivoire 1982 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Opel Ascona 400
10 Monaco Rally Monte Carlo 1983 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Lancia 037 Rally
11 Greece Acropolis Rally 1983 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Lancia 037 Rally
12 New Zealand Rally New Zealand 1983 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Lancia 037 Rally
13 Monaco Rally Monte Carlo 1984 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Audi Quattro A2
14 Italy Rally Sanremo 1985 Germany Christian Geistdörfer Audi Quattro Sport S1

24 Hours of Le Mans results

[edit]
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1981 Germany Porsche System Germany Jürgen Barth Porsche 944 LM GTP +3.0 323 7 1st
1993 Germany Le Mans Porsche Team United States Hurley Haywood
Germany Hans-Joachim Stuck 		Porsche 911 Turbo S LM-GT GT 79 DNF DNF

References

[edit]
  1. ^ African Rally Championship Website – PastChampions Archived 2012-06-11 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Video on YouTube
  3. ^ "Drivers - Walter Rohrl". Juwra.com. 1947-03-07. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  4. ^ Walter Röhrl, Aufschrieb. (Autobiography) ISBN 3-927458-04-X
  5. ^ "Race Winners by Year | PPIHC". Archived from the original on 2013-03-21.
  6. ^ "The 1983 Rally Rivalry". The Grand Tour. 2018-02-27. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
  7. ^ AUSmotive.com – Injury forces Walter Röhrl out of Nürburgring 24 hour
  8. ^ "New Inductees to Rally Hall of Fame". Neste Oil Rally Finland. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  9. ^ "Meldung 24 05 2016". www.hall-of-fame-sport.de. Archived from the original on 2016-07-17. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Walter Röhrl.
Sporting positions
Preceded by European Rally champion
1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by World Rally champion
1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by World Rally champion
1982 		Succeeded by
Preceded by African Rally champion
1982 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Race of Champions
Classic Master
1997 		Succeeded by
Records
Preceded by
Björn Waldegård
36 years, 32 days
(1979 season)
 Youngest World Rally champion
33 years, 232 days
(1980 season) 		Succeeded by
Ari Vatanen
29 years, 212 days
(1981 season)
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