“We warmly congratulate our former works driver on his milestone birthday and at the same time thank him for all his development driving and exciting racing in the 70s and 80s,” says Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport.
Start of the motorsport career on two wheels
Schurti was born on 24 December 1941 in Lustenau, Austria. After the Second World War, his family moved to the Principality of Liechtenstein and he acquired citizenship of the world’s sixth smallest country. He began his motorsport career while training as a car mechanic and a motorbike instructor. As a 21-year-old, he became the Swiss 250 cc motocross champion. “My passion has always been motorcycling. When I drove a car for the first time one day at the Hockenheimring, I quickly realised that I knew nothing about it. To get my license, I had to attend a course, and the teacher spotted my talent,” Schurti recounts. “But it was success that really gave me a taste for it,” he adds.
Impressions of the motorsport career of Manfred Schurti
In 1966, he entered Formula Vee and continued his career on four wheels. Schurti competed against Harald Ertl, Niki Lauda and Helmut Marko, among others. In 1972 he won the European Cup in Formula Super Vee and the Castrol Formula Super Vee Trophy. A year later, he signed his works driver contract with Porsche and, with the exception of 1979, raced for the Zuffenhausen-based sports car manufacturer until 1981. He raced many times alongside Jacky Ickx, Jochen Mass and Rolf Stommelen. From 1980, the modest car mechanic focused on the management of the Liechtenstein Motor Vehicle Agency and ended his active racing career.
Racing results of Manfred Schurti with Porsche
1975
3rd place 6 Hours of Monza, 911 Carrera RSR
1976
1st place 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, Porsche 935
3rd place 6 Hours of Dijon, Porsche 935
1977
1st place DRM Zolder, Porsche 935
1st place 6 Hours of Mugello, Porsche 935
2nd place DRM 300km Nürburgring, Porsche 935
2nd place Nürburgring, Porsche 935
1st place Norisring Trophy, Porsche 935
2nd place DRM Norisring, Porsche 935
2nd place 6 Hours of Brands Hatch, Porsche 935
3rd place DRM Nürburgring, Porsche 935
1st place 6 Hours of Hockenheim, Porsche 935
1978
2nd place 24 Hours of Daytona, Porsche 935
2nd place DRM Avus-Berlin, Porsche 935
2nd place 1,000km Nürburgring, Porsche 935
2nd place 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, Porsche 935
2nd place DRM Hockenheim, Porsche 935
1st place DRM Zolder, Porsche 935
1st place DRM Norisring, Porsche 935
1979
1st place 6 Hours of Mugello, Porsche 935
3rd place DRM Hockenheim, Porsche 935
2nd place 6 Hours of Dijon, Porsche 935
3rd place DRM Salzburgring, Porsche 935
1st place 1,000km Nürburgring, Porsche 935
3rd place DRM Norisring, Porsche 935
