Jörg Müller

3.1. Early Career and Formula Series

Müller's racing career began in formula series. He secured titles in the 1989 German Formula Opel Lotus Challenge and the 1989 European Formula Ford 1600. His talent was further demonstrated with a victory at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in 1993. The following year, in 1994, he became the German Formula Three Champion. In 1996, Müller achieved another significant milestone by winning the International Formula 3000 Championship while driving for the RSM Helmut Marko team, utilizing a Lola-Zytek chassis.

3.2. Formula One Test Driver

From 1997 to 1998, Jörg Müller served as a Formula One test driver for the Arrows and Sauber-Petronas teams. Following this, from 1999 to 2001, he joined the BMW-WilliamsF1 project, primarily conducting tests for BMW engines and Michelin tires in preparation for BMW's return to Formula One. Despite his roles as a test driver for multiple seasons, Müller never had the opportunity to compete in a Formula One Grand Prix. He became the first International Formula 3000 champion since the series' inception who did not advance to race in Formula One.

3.3. Sportscar and Endurance Racing

Müller had a highly active and successful period in sportscar and endurance racing from 1997 to 2000, participating in various high-profile events. He drove for teams such as Nissan and Porsche, notably competing in the FIA GT Championship in 1998 with Porsche. In the same year, he was part of the winning team at the 24 Hours of Daytona with a Porsche 911 GT1. He also secured a notable second-place overall finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998.

In 1999, driving for BMW Motorsport, Müller led the 24 Hours of Le Mans for an impressive 18 hours in a BMW V12 LMR before the team retired from the race; the race was eventually won by his BMW works teammates Pierluigi Martini, Yannick Dalmas, and Joachim Winkelhock. That same year, he won the 12 Hours of Sebring with the BMW V12 LMR, sharing the victory with Tom Kristensen and JJ Lehto. From 2000 to 2001, Müller found further success in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with BMW and Schnitzer Motorsport, where he secured the 2001 ALMS GT title driving a BMW M3 GTR V8.

Following his departure from the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in 2010, Müller transitioned to BMW's Le Mans Series team. This move immediately brought another significant victory: an overall win at the 24 Hours Nürburgring in a BMW M3 GT2, shared with Augusto Farfus, Pedro Lamy, and Uwe Alzen. In November of the same year, he teamed up with Dirk Werner to win the 2010 1000 km of Zhuhai in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) for BMW Team Schnitzer. He repeated this success in Zhuhai during the 2011 ILMC season, finishing first in class at the 6 Hours of Zhuhai with Augusto Farfus. Müller also competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race in 2011 as the defending champion, finishing second overall with the same lineup from 2010.

In 2012, with BMW shifting its factory focus to the DTM, Müller returned to the American Le Mans Series, sharing a BMW with Bill Auberlen. He achieved one win and three podium finishes, ending the season 6th overall. He continued to make appearances in endurance races, including the 24 Hours Nürburgring and the Spa 24 Hours with BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS in 2014 and 2015. His 2015 season began with the Dubai 24 Hour, where a braking problem hindered their chances, though his BMW M235i Racing still set the fastest lap in class.

3.4. Touring Car Championships

Jörg Müller's career saw extensive involvement and success in various touring car championships. In 1995, he participated in the German Super Tourenwagen Cup (STW) for BMW, securing a race win and finishing 12th in the overall standings.

From 2002 to 2005, Müller drove BMW 3 Series (E46) touring cars for the Schnitzer-operated works squad, known as BMW Team Deutschland (or BMW Team Germany), in the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC). He continued with BMW 3 Series (E90) touring cars in the subsequent seasons of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), which succeeded the ETCC. He raced alongside Dirk Müller in both the ETCC and WTCC until the latter moved to the ALMS after 2006.

In the WTCC, Müller was a consistent front-runner. He finished second in the championship in 2006. From 2007 to 2009, Augusto Farfus became his new teammate. Müller concluded the 2007 and 2008 championships in seventh place, and sixth in 2009.

Beyond WTCC, Müller continued to participate in endurance events within the touring car scope. In 2004, he won the 24 Hours Nürburgring with Dirk Müller and Hans-Joachim Stuck in a BMW M3 GTR V8. The following year, in 2005, the Müllers finished second behind their sister car.

After leaving WTCC in 2010, Müller joined Schubert Motorsport for the 2013 season of the ADAC GT Masters, finishing 17th overall with a podium finish at the Nürburgring. However, an accident at Spa-Francorchamps prevented him from participating in that year's Nürburgring 24 Hours. Additionally, in 2013, Müller made a guest appearance at the Suzuka 1000 km, where he initially helped GSR & Studie achieve a second-place finish, though the team was later disqualified during post-race inspection.

In 2014, Müller joined BMW Sports Trophy Team Studie for a full season in the Super GT Series, driving a BMW Z4 GT3. Despite not securing a victory, he and teammate Seiji Ara achieved third place in the overall standings, with Augusto Farfus assisting them to a podium finish at the 1000 km Suzuka race. He continued his Super GT involvement in 2015, finishing 7th, and in 2016 and 2017 with BMW Team Studie, driving the BMW M6 GT3.

In 2016, Müller, alongside DTM champion Marco Wittmann and BMW Motorsport Junior Jesse Krohn, achieved the BMW M6 GT3's first-ever overall victory in a VLN 4-hour race. During the 24-hour race with Wittmann, Krohn, and Augusto Farfus, Müller was leading the field until his M6 GT3 suffered from a broken powertrain, leading to extensive repairs lasting over twelve hours and a final classification of 120th overall. He continued to participate in VLN races for the remainder of 2016, securing three podium finishes and a fifth place with Walkenhorst Motorsport and a second place with BMW Team RBM. The 2017 season saw Müller competing in the Dubai 24 Hour with Schubert Motorsport in a developing BMW M4 GT4, serving as a test and development session with fellow works driver Jens Klingmann and BMW Motorsport Junior Ricky Collard. The team completed a flawless race, finishing 25th overall (5th in SPX class) after starting 49th on the grid. The following month, Müller was also slated to mentor BMW Motorsport Juniors Ricky Collard, Nico Menzel, and Joel Eriksson at the Bathurst 12 Hour with Walkenhorst Motorsport; however, he was unable to participate in the race itself after the car crashed during qualifying. He also continued his presence at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, driving both of Schubert's M6 GT3s and finishing 11th and 12th. Furthermore, he secured a VLN win for Falken Motorsports in an M6 GT3.

3.5. Later Career Highlights

In 2013, after initial reports that BMW Motorsport had not retained his factory contract, Müller secured a new contract, ensuring his continuation as a works driver.

On February 5, 2015, Müller was honored with driving the BMW M6 GT3 during its first roll-out at the BMW factory in Dingolfing. He also provided crucial support during the car's development stage, as the M6 GT3 was the successor to the Z4 GT3.

His later career involved continuous participation in major GT and endurance events, demonstrating his long-standing commitment to BMW Motorsport. He continued to be a key figure in the development and racing of BMW's GT cars well into the late 2010s, participating in events like the Nürburgring 24 Hours and Super GT.

4.1. Formula Racing Record

4.2. Sportscar Racing Record

4.3. Grand Touring Racing Record

4.4. Touring Car Racing Record