Volker Hermann Weidler (born 18 March 1962) is a retired racing driver from Germany, best known for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991. Career Formula racing In 1985, he became German Formula Three champion. In the 1989 Formula One season, Weidler entered 10 Formula One Grands Prix, racing for the Rial team, but failed to qualify the uncompetitive car on every occasion. After Formula One, he moved to Japan and raced in the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship and the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship. He often fought over the title with Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Ross Cheever and others in the Japanese Formula 3000, and became popular in Japan. GT / Sportscars In 1991, Weidler teamed with Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot to win Le Mans behind the wheel of the Wankel engine-powered Mazda 787B, marking also the first win of the legendary French race by both a Japanese manufacturer and engine supplier. This Wankel engine-powered car was noted for being very loud. Possibly related to the hours spent in the noisy Mazda, Weidler began to suffer from an ear problem (sensorineural hearing loss) which eventually forced him to retire prematurely from the Japanese Formula 3000 Championship during the 1992 season though Weidler was leading the championship at that time. When Weidler left the Japanese team, Nova Engineering, he recommended Heinz-Harald Frentzen as his successor. Post-racing career Weidler now works as a managing director for Weidler, a building cleaning company owned by his family, based in Weinheim. Racing record Complete International Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.) Complete Japanese Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Complete Formula One results (key) Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans Results Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of the winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC). References Footnotes Sources Profile at F1 Rejects Driver Database Profile 1962 births Living people German racing drivers German Formula One drivers Rial Formula One drivers 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers 24 Hours of Le Mans winning drivers German Formula Three Championship drivers Japanese Formula 3000 Championship drivers International Formula 3000 drivers Sportspeople from Heidelberg Racing drivers from Baden-Württemberg World Sportscar Championship drivers Oreca drivers RSM Marko drivers Walter Lechner Racing drivers Josef Kaufmann Racing drivers Team Joest drivers