(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000

Родился: 15.02.1974 Вайдховен Сезонов в Ф1: 6 Лет в Ф1: 11 Гран При: 69 Старты: 69 Победы: - подряд: Подиумы: 3 - подряд: Поул-позиции: - подряд: Первый ряд: - подряд: Быстрые круги: 1 - подряд: Лучший финиш: 3 Лучший старт: 5 Дубли: Хет-трики: Лидирование старт/финиш: Большие шлемы: Круги: 3471 - лидирования: Километры: 16817.55 - лидирования: Очки: 45 - за один сезон: 17 - подряд: 3

Ф1: 1997-2007

Год	Команда	Шасси
1997	Mild Seven Benetton Renault	Benetton B197
1998	Mild Seven Benetton Playlife	Benetton B198
1999	Mild Seven Benetton Playlife	Benetton B199
2000	Mild Seven Benetton Playlife	Benetton B200
2005	West McLaren Mercedes	McLaren MP4-20
2007	AT&T WilliamsF1 Team	Williams FW29

A BMX champion and kart graduate, Alex made a massive impression in the 1994 German F3 championship when he took the runner-up slot behind Jörg Müller and finished ahead of both Ralf Schumacher and Norberto Fontana. Results dipped somewhat the following season but his talent was spotted by Team Joest, who placed him in their Opel Calibra for the 1996 ITC season. This gave the Austrian a chance to gain experience in a high-profile environment, and his career received an unexpected but massive boost when he shared Joest's Porsche WSC95 at Le Mans with Manuel Reuter and Davy Jones to become the youngest-ever winner of the Sarthe classic.

With healthy personal sponsorship, Würz not only gained a foothold on the Grand Prix ladder with a testing contract with Benetton in 1997 but also had a seat in the works Mercedes squad to race their CLK-GTR alongside Bernd Schneider in the FIA GT championship. When the lanky Austrian stepped into the big time, replacing sinusitis victim Gerhard Berger in Montreal, he was still, however, largely an unknown quantity. Benetton's faith in their test driver was not without foundation, though, as he had already proved to be a fast, thoughtful and reliable performer with over 2700 km of track time behind the wheel of an F1 car.

His three-race stint which culminated in a fine third place in the British Grand Prix, naturally sealed a full-time drive for 1998. Teamed with Italian hot-shot Giancarlo Fisichella, the quiet but tough Würz showed he was no soft touch as he banged wheels with Michael Schumacher in Monaco and emerged from a roll into the gravel in Montreal seemingly completely unperturbed. A string of solid drives into the points increased Alex's credibility, but his inexorable rise to the top was about to come to an end in 1999 when the Austrian found the inherent characteristics of the B199 at odds with his particular driving style.

Huge changes in both management and design personnel cannot have helped Benetton in their quest to get back to the top, but Würz stays on board for another season in 2000 hoping to re-establish his front-line credentials.

(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000