Beat Zehnder, the 601 Grand Prix man: “I don’t think I’m going to get bored”
Thirty-three years in the paddocks, 601 races contested and unshakeable loyalty to Sauber. Beat Zehnder, the tutelary figure of the Swiss pit, is turning the page on F1 to embrace a new role, in the shadows but not in retreat. A life spent racing, without ever really leaving.
An adventure born from a flat tire. Beat Zehnder could have spent his life working on the largest marine engines ever built. But one day, a bicycle puncture forced him to take the train.
In the newspaper: an announcement from PP Sauber AG. He’s only 20 years old, has no experience, but a burning desire to see the world. Peter Sauber initially turns him down. Three weeks later, Zehnder calls back. He’s hired. « There were nine of us in the team. Three weeks after I arrived, I was off to Jerez for my first race. » The adventure begins.
Loyalty as a Guiding Principle
Since 1990, he has witnessed the eras, the crises, the miracles, and resisted all temptations. Even that of Dietrich Mateschitz, owner of Red Bull, who called him five minutes after the announcement of Sauber’s acquisition by BMW. Zehnder stays: « I was grateful to Peter. I would never have left the team during difficult times. » Like that dark year, 1994, marked by the deaths of Senna and Ratzenberger, and Wendlinger’s accident in Monaco. « I wanted to stop after Imola. It was unacceptable to let the cars continue while mechanics were injured. »
The Anecdotes of a Privileged Witness
From this longevity emerges a treasure trove of memories. Like that of Kimi Räikkönen in 2001, nowhere to be found ten minutes before the start. He was under a table, wrapped up in a blanket. “Give me five more minutes,” he whispered.
He will finish sixth and score his first point. “There are still five ahead of me,” he will say, unperturbed.
A new life without farewells
At 59, Beat Zehnder is not disappearing: he is becoming responsible for Audi’s programs for 2026. No more factory, fewer circuits. Maybe. « Either I watch the race with two screens at home with friends, or I go boating on Lake Zurich and turn off my phone. We’ll see. »
What is certain is that retirement is not on the agenda. « I hoped this new position would be quieter, but I’m in charge of the entire Audi infrastructure. There are a lot of projects. I don’t think I will get bored. »
Epilogue of a Rare Fidelity
From Kyalami to Imola, from artisanal beginnings to the Audi project, Zehnder has experienced it all, seen it all. He cried only once: at Le Mans 1991, after leading for 21 hours. That speaks to the endurance of this man behind the scenes. Formula 1 changes, people come and go. But some, like him, leave a mark that neither points nor podiums can measure.
