Klaus Ludwig

1.1. Early Life and Personal Background

Klaus Karl Ludwig was born on October 5, 1949, in Bonn, West Germany. His family also has ties to motorsport, as his son, Luca Ludwig, also pursued a career as a racing driver.

1.2. Nicknames and Reputation

Ludwig's exceptional success in both touring car racing and sports car racing led to him being widely known as `König Ludwig` (König Ludwig_{King Ludwig}^German). This nickname, referencing a German monarch, underscored his regal dominance on the racetrack. His particular prowess on the challenging Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit earned him another distinguished moniker, `King of the Nordschleife` (König der Nordschleife_{King of the Nordschleife}^German). This reflected his legendary performance on that track, where he even owned hunting grounds in the surrounding area. He was also occasionally referred to as `Kaiser` (Kaiser_Emperor^German). Unlike many of his contemporaries like Hans-Joachim Stuck, Rolf Stommelen, Harald Ertl, Hans Heyer, and Jochen Mass, Ludwig never competed in Formula One races.

2.1. Early Career and DRM Success (1970s-1981)

Ludwig began his professional racing career in the 1970s, driving for Ford in the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM). He quickly established himself as a formidable competitor, finishing second in the annual DRM standings in both 1975 and 1976.

His first major championship victory came in 1979 when he became the DRM champion, driving a Kremer Racing-Porsche 935. That same year, he achieved his first overall win at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. This victory was particularly remarkable as it occurred in wet conditions, with his Porsche 935 K3, based on the then 15-year-old Porsche 911 road car design, triumphing against faster, purpose-built sports prototypes. This unprecedented win was later matched in 1995 when a McLaren F1 GTR won the race on its debut. Ludwig secured his second DRM title in 1981, this time driving the Zakspeed-developed Ford Capri Turbo.

2.2. Le Mans and Transition to Touring Cars (1982-1987)

Ludwig continued his success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, securing two more overall victories for Joest Racing in their #7 Porsche 956 in 1984 and 1985.

Following the tragic deaths of fellow drivers Manfred Winkelhock and Stefan Bellof, Ludwig voiced concerns about the dangers associated with Le Mans and sports car racing, particularly the long and fast straights. This led him to shift his focus primarily to touring car racing. In 1986, he represented IMSA in the International Race of Champions, where he finished eighth.
He was recruited by Ford for the 1987 World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). In a highly competitive season, he finished runner-up by a single point to BMW driver Roberto Ravaglia. A notable incident occurred at the 1987 Bathurst 1000 in Australia, where he and fellow West German Klaus Niedzwiedz finished second behind their teammates Steve Soper and Pierre Dieudonné. However, both factory-supported Ford Sierra RS500 cars were subsequently disqualified due to illegal wheel arch dimensions. Despite this, Ludwig, along with Klaus Niedzwiedz, won the InterTEC race at Fuji Speedway in 1987, a significant event within the WTCC.

2.3. DTM and FIA GT Dominance (1988-1998)

After his WTCC campaign, Ludwig transitioned to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM), where he would establish himself as one of the championship's most successful drivers. He clinched his first DTM title in 1988, driving a Ford Sierra RS500.

In 1989, Ludwig switched to Mercedes-Benz with AMG-Mercedes. This year was marked by a serious accident at the Nürburgring, where he collided head-on with Armin Hahne, resulting in a fractured arm. This incident was considered the most severe injury of his career and one of the worst accidents in DTM history at that time. Despite this setback, he continued his DTM success with Mercedes-Benz, winning the championship again in 1992 and 1994.
Following his highly successful period in DTM and International Touring Car Championship (ITC), Ludwig returned to sports car racing in 1997, competing for Mercedes-AMG in the FIA GT Championship. His dominance continued, culminating in him becoming the FIA GT Champion in 1998. After 29 years in racing, he announced his retirement from professional motorsport when the FIA GT series did not continue in the 1999 season.

2.4. Retirement and Comebacks (1999-2012)

Despite his initial retirement, Ludwig's passion for racing, particularly on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, remained strong. In June 1999, he made a comeback to win the 24 Hours Nürburgring for the third time, driving a Zakspeed Viper.

When the DTM series was revived as the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) in 2000, Ludwig, at 50 years old, returned as a professional driver. He impressively won two races at the Sachsenring circuit, becoming the oldest DTM race winner. He concluded the 2000 season by finishing third overall in the championship. Even after this, he maintained his involvement with DTM and Mercedes, sometimes acting as a "taxi driver" for demonstration laps.
Ludwig continued to participate in the Nürburgring Nordschleife as a "hobby pilot" whenever he had the opportunity to drive a high-performance vehicle. He competed in the 24 Hours Nürburgring in 2004 and 2005 with Uwe Alzen on the Jürgen Alzen Porsche 996 GT2 Bi-Turbo. In 2006, driving a naturally aspirated Porsche 997 GT3 with the Alzen brothers and Christian Abt, they managed to break the old distance record for the 24-hour race, though they ultimately finished second, one lap behind the winners. He also raced an Aston Martin DBRS9 in the 2007 edition of the event.
Beyond racing, Ludwig also worked as a television commentator for DTM races, serving as a commentator for ARD from 2001 to 2006.
Although he had formally announced his retirement from racing at the age of 60, he returned to the 24 Hours Nürburgring in 2011 with a Porsche 997. He registered again in 2012, driving a Gemballa-McLaren with Nick Heidfeld. During this race, Ludwig was involved in a significant accident when attempting to lap a slower car just before the "Schwedenkreuz" section. While he was uninjured, the incident, which occurred due to Ludwig trying to overtake in a "non-existent gap," sparked discussions about safety and mutual respect in mixed-class endurance racing. The German Motorsport Federation (DMSB) launched a "sporting legal investigation" into the matter, and Klaus Weigner, who was the `seat pilot` (co-driver) in Ludwig's car, was fined 10.00 K EUR. This 2012 incident marked Ludwig's final retirement from active competitive racing.

3.1. Championships and Major Wins

Klaus Ludwig's distinguished career is highlighted by numerous championship titles and significant endurance race victories:

• Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans: 1979, 1984, 1985
• Winner of the 24 Hours Nürburgring: 1982, 1987, 1999
• Winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring: 1988
• Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft champion: 1979, 1981
• Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft champion: 1988, 1992, 1994
• FIA GT World Champion: 1998

3.2. Individual Awards

Ludwig's contributions to motorsport were recognized with individual accolades, including:

• 1988 ADAC Motorsport Athlete of the Year

4.1. European Formula Two Championship

(Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

4.2. 24 Hours of Le Mans

4.3. World Touring Car Championship

(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

• Overall positions shown. WTCC points paying positions may be different

4.4. Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft/Masters

(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

4.5. International Touring Car Championship

(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

• † - Retired, but was classified as he completed 90% of the winner's race distance.

4.6. 12 Hours of Sebring