Motorsport visionary Lechner honoured by BIC

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) mourned the loss of a visionary of Motorsport in the region; a close friend and partner of the circuit whose impact on racing in Bahrain, the Middle East and Europe are both immeasurable and enduring. Walter Lechner first came to Bahrain in 2005, bringing his eponymous racing team to compete in the Porsche Supercup, a support series for the Formula 1 race that year. He would go on to win the championship that year, together with a further two season victories in 2008 and 2009.

On his arrival to Bahrain, he floated the idea of setting up a Porsche Cup for the Middle East, a region which had only just begun its journey into global motorsport. It was a challenge that required incredible effort, perseverance and personal ambition. Walter was single-handedly responsible for achieving that aim. It swiftly became the platform for the most promising drivers in the region to develop their skills in what is now known as The Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East, which has had its home at the BIC ever since its first race in 2009.

As the most prominent one-make series for up-and-coming drivers in the Gulf, it is also the longest-running regional racing championship in the Gulf and his legacy in Bahrain will always be remembered for his incredible efforts in building this series to what it is today. In the early days of his work in Bahrain, Walter was also instrumental in establishing the Bahrain team in the 24 Hours of Bahrain back in 2006. In fact, Walter was so well prepared for this event; the Bahrain team was the only one to have brought rain tyres with them. It rained for over half of the entire race… Walter was always passionate about motorsport, dedicating well over forty years of his career to the sport.

In 1975, inspired by the Jim Russell Racing School in the UK, he sold his highly successful nightclub business and established the Walter Lechner Racing School, which quickly became a breeding ground for the highest level of motorsport in the world. As a racing school owner and team principal, he developed the skills of Alex Wurtz in Formula Ford, similarly for Rowland Razenburger, both of which went on to become successful F1 drivers. Other notable individuals whose careers were influenced by him were Franz Tost, currently team boss at AlphaTauri, who was one of his instructors and perhaps most notably Toto Wolff, who went on to become the most successful team principal F1 has ever seen. Whilst best known for his success as a team principal, Walter was a formidable driver in his own right.