Brun Motorsport
Encyclopedia
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
team founded by driver Walter Brun in 1983. They competed as a Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
privateer team in sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
for their entire existence, running in a multitude of international championships. They notably won the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
in 1986 and later became a full-fledged chassis constructor. Brun was also briefly part of the EuroBrun
EuroBrun
EuroBrun Racing was a Formula One constructor from Senago, Milan, Italy, with an Italo-Swiss ownership. They participated in 46 grands prix, entering a total of 76 cars....
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team from 1988 to 1990. The team was eventually dissolved in 1992.
1983 - 1984
Following several years of competing for Team GS-Sport and their partner SauberSauber
Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....
in the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
(WSC) and Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft
Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft
Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft or simply DRM as it was known, was a touring car and Sportscar racing series...
(DRM), Walter Brun would take over the ailing GS-Sport company and rename it Brun Motorsport for the 1983 season. Brun initially took over GS-Sport's BMW M1
BMW M1
The BMW M1 is a sports car that was produced by German automaker BMW from 1978 to 1981.In the late 1970s, Italian manufacturer Lamborghini entered into an agreement with BMW to build a production racing car in sufficient quantity for homologation. The result was sold to the public, from 1978 to...
s and a Sauber SHS C6
Sauber SHS C6
The Sauber SHS C6 was a Group C prototype racing car built by Swiss manufacturer Sauber and engineering firm Seger & Hoffman , intended for competition in the World Endurance Championship and Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft series...
, modifying the later into what became known as the Sehcar C6. The new team would also keep Hans Joachim Stuck
Hans Joachim Stuck
Hans-Joachim Stuck , nicknamed "Strietzel", is a German racing driver who has competed in Formula One and many other categories. He is the son of the legendary Hans Stuck. As a young boy, his father taught him driving on the Nürburgring. In 1969 he started his first ever motor race at the...
and Harald Grohs
Harald Grohs
Harald Grohs is a race driver and team owner from Essen, Germany.Grohs took part in more than 50 24 Hours endurance racing races, mainly 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours Nürburgring.- Career as driver :...
as their drivers, with Walter Brun himself also doing driving duties.
Following initial problems with the Sehcar, Brun would become one of the early privateer owners of a Porsche 956
Porsche 956
The Porsche 956 was a Group C sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer and built by Porsche in 1982 for the FIA World Sportscar Championship...
, which was used in both the World Sportscar Championship and Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft. The 956 would immediately boost Brun's performance, as the team quickly took their first victory that season at an Interserie
Interserie
Interserie is the name of a European-based motorsport series started in 1970 that allows for a wide variety of racing cars from various eras and series to compete with less limited rules than in other series....
event at Autodrom Most
Autodrom Most
Autodrom Most is a motorsport race track near Most in the northwest of the Czech Republic.- External links :*...
with Walter Brun driving. This would be followed by a fourth place at the 1000 km Spa.
Abandoning the Sehcar project for 1984, a second 956 would be purchased by the team, being used mainly by drivers Massimo Sigala and Oscar Larrauri
Oscar Larrauri
Oscar Rubén Larrauri is a racing driver from Argentina. He participated in 21 Formula One Grands Prix, all with the struggling EuroBrun team, debuting on April 3, 1988...
. The team would also add sponsorship from Jägermeister
Jägermeister
Jägermeister is a German 70-proof digestif made with 56 different herbs and spices. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbüttel, south of Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany.- History :...
and Warsteiner. Running their first full seasons of the WSC and DRM with the 956s, Brun continue to improve their performances as the season progressed. The season opened with a fourth at the 1000 km Monza, followed by fourth and seventh places finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, and third and fourth at the 1000 km Spa. The team would achieve their second victory ever at the 1000 km Imola, which was followed a week later by a victory at a DRM round at the Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
, and then once more a month later at the same circuit for an Interserie event. Brun would secure their first championship by winning the DRM teams title, while Stefan Bellof
Stefan Bellof
Stefan Bellof was a racing driver who is famous for setting the fastest lap ever on the Nordschleife configuration, at the Nürburgring, setting the time in a Porsche 956 in 1983...
won the drivers' championship, having run for both Brun and Joest Racing.
1985 - 1987
For 1985, Brun added a new Porsche 962Porsche 962
The Porsche 962 was a sports-prototype racing car built by Porsche as a replacement for the 956 and designed mainly to comply with IMSA's GTP regulations, although it would later compete in the European Group C formula as the 956 had...
C to his fleet of two 956s. The team began to dominate in the combined Interserie-DRM series, taking five victories and earning Hans Joachim Stuck second in the drivers' championship behind Joest Racing
Joest Racing
Joest Racing is a racing team that was established in 1978 by former Porsche works racer Reinhold Joest...
's Jochen Mass
Jochen Mass
Jochen Richard Mass is a former race car driver from Germany.He participated in 114 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 14, 1973 at the British Grand Prix...
. However, the team would remain winless in the World Championship. Even though the team scored a third at Mugello
Mugello Circuit
Mugello Circuit is a race track in the Mugello region of Italy near Florence. Its length is . It has 15 turns and a long straight.Grand Prix motorcycle racing host an annual event here . Also, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters hold an annual event. The track is property of Scuderia Ferrari which...
and a second at Hockenheimring
Hockenheimring
The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix...
, the team struggled to finish many events, leaving them sixth in the team's championship. The team would suffer a further loss as Stefan Bellof
Stefan Bellof
Stefan Bellof was a racing driver who is famous for setting the fastest lap ever on the Nordschleife configuration, at the Nürburgring, setting the time in a Porsche 956 in 1983...
was killed during the season in an accident while driving for the team at the 1000 km of Spa.
Building on the team's success in 1985, Walter Brun began to expand his team even further for 1986. Two more 962s were purchased, with one being dedicated solely to competing in select rounds of the North American IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
. Although only running five rounds, the team managed to finish second at Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
behind champion Al Holbert
Al Holbert
Alvah Robert "Al" Holbert was an American automobile racing driver who was a five-time champion of the IMSA Camel GT series.- Life and career :...
. Back in Europe, Brun would rebound in the World Championship. After failing to finish Le Mans the previous year, the team would earn a second place result. The first victory of the season would come at Jerez
Circuito Permanente de Jerez
Circuito de Jerez , formerly known as Circuito Permanente de Jerez, is a 4,428 m racing circuit located close to the city of Jerez de la Frontera, deep within the sherry-producing south of Spain...
and would be followed by another at Spa
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...
. Although Brun only scored championship points in four rounds, with only one victory counting for points, the team was still able to win the teams' championship that year, defeating the factory Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
and Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
teams. Brun would close off the successful year with one final victory at the Interserie round at the Österreichring
Österreichring
The Red Bull Ring is an Austrian race circuit in Spielberg, Styria.The race circuit was founded as Österreichring and hosted the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from to . It was later shortened, rebuilt and renamed the A1-Ring, it hosted the Austrian Grand Prix again from...
.
1987 would begin with quick success, as Brun opened the year with a second place finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
. However, the World Championship would see Jaguar ascending to become the dominant team, while the German Supercup
Supercup
The series was initially sponsored by sport auto magazine during its inaugural season, then replaced by Würth the following two years. Television network Sat.1 sponsor the championship's final year.-Format:...
would become a struggle for Brun. This would leave the team with their first winless season ever, even though there were some strong performances over the year. Consistent finishes in the World Championship would not be enough for Brun to defend their title, yet the team would be able to finish in second, ahead of plethora of Porsche teams.
1988 - 1991
Oscar Larrauri
Oscar Rubén Larrauri is a racing driver from Argentina. He participated in 21 Formula One Grands Prix, all with the struggling EuroBrun team, debuting on April 3, 1988...
move into Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, Brun joined with Euroracing to form the EuroBrun
EuroBrun
EuroBrun Racing was a Formula One constructor from Senago, Milan, Italy, with an Italo-Swiss ownership. They participated in 46 grands prix, entering a total of 76 cars....
team. Although Walter Brun provided a large amount of monetary investment, the team was run more by the Euroracing side. The team struggled, and Brun's concentration on the Formula One squad hurt their efforts in sports cars. Even with the aid of new sponsor Repsol
Repsol YPF
Repsol YPF, S.A. is an integrated Spanish oil and gas company with operations in 29 countries...
, the team would manage only a lone victory at an Interserie event. Brun would slip to fourth in the World Championship as Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
would join Jaguar at the top.
The EuroBrun effort downsized for 1989, leaving Walter Brun to attempt to regroup in sports cars. Following a third at the 24 Hours of Daytona, Brun would abandon their small IMSA GT effort and instead moved to the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship
All Japan Sports Prototype Championship
The , abbreviated as JSPC, formed by the Japanese Automobile Federation, was a domestic championship which took place in Japan for Group C and IMSA GTP prototype cars and also featured cars that were eligible for touring car racing in its earlier years...
, where they also scored a third in their debut. In the World Championship, even though Brun struggled to score podium finishes, the team was able to earn consistent points and eventually finish third in the championship, beating out Jaguar as well as newcomers Nissan, Toyota, and Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
.
As the EuroBrun effort continued to drain funds and the Supercup championship was dissolved, the team was downsized in 1990. The Japanese effort was cancelled, and the team was left to concentrate almost solely on the World Championship. Even with a more concentrated effort, the team struggled to even finish in the top ten. A fifth place at Spa would be their best effort all year, as the team now slipped to seventh in the championship standings.
Following the 1990 season, the EuroBrun team would finally be dissolved. At the same time, the World Championship was beginning to phase in new regulations which would leave the 962s that Brun campaigned ineligible starting in 1992, and Porsche planned no replacement for the cars. Instead of opting to purchase a customer car from another manufacturer, Brun decided to use expertise gained from their stint in Formula One to develop their own car. The funding for this project, known as the Brun C91
Brun C91
The Brun C91 was a sports prototype built for Group C racing in the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season. It was built by Walter Brun's Brun Motorsport of Switzerland, and is the only car they have built to date.-Development:...
, would force Brun to run just the World Championship. The team was able to improve on the previous year by gaining top ten finishes in nearly every race, but struggling to get both cars to finish. When the C91 eventually debuted halfway through the season, the car was a disaster which failed to complete any races it entered. The team would finish ninth in the championship.
Brun initially promised that the C91 would be better prepared for the 1992 season. However the financial strain of the EuroBrun team, the C91 project, and a lack of results to attract sponsorship would become too much. Brun Motorsport would close before the 1992 season. Walter Brun would continue racing for many years, as well as assisting RWS Motorsport and Konrad Motorsport
Konrad Motorsport
Konrad Motorsport is an auto racing team initially from Austria but now residing in Germany. Founded by Austrian racer Franz Konrad in 1989, the team has mostly run Porsches, although they have also run Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Saleens over their existence.-History:Initially competing in the...
.
Constructor history
Walter Brun developed cars throughout the entire history of Brun Motorsport, although only one would bear his name. At the time of the formation of Brun Motorsport, the former Team GS-Sport Sauber SHS C6Sauber SHS C6
The Sauber SHS C6 was a Group C prototype racing car built by Swiss manufacturer Sauber and engineering firm Seger & Hoffman , intended for competition in the World Endurance Championship and Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft series...
was retained by the new team. Brun believed that the car had potential in the C2 class and therefore modified his chassis to adapt a Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
V8. Problems with the car eventually led Brun to replace the Ford Cosworth with a turbocharged version of the BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
unit that Sauber
Sauber
Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....
had initially used. The car would however be considered too difficult to continue, and Brun opted instead to purchase a Porsche 956
Porsche 956
The Porsche 956 was a Group C sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer and built by Porsche in 1982 for the FIA World Sportscar Championship...
.
Later, aftear many years of experience and success with the 956 and later 962, Brun was forced to attempt to catch up to major manufacturers like Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz. Attempting to improve on the 962 platform, Brun began development of their own chassis in 1987. Attempting to overcome the flexing problems that had plagued the factory 962s, these new cars would have a monocoque built by Brun and then assembled with standard 962 parts. Eight of these cars would be built in total, with a few sold to other teams while the rest would join Brun's fleet of existing 962s.
Brun's largest project was the development of the Brun C91
Brun C91
The Brun C91 was a sports prototype built for Group C racing in the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season. It was built by Walter Brun's Brun Motorsport of Switzerland, and is the only car they have built to date.-Development:...
in 1991, in preparation for the 1992 regulation changes. The car was a fresh design, using many elements from the Peugeot 905
Peugeot 905
The Peugeot 905 is a Sports-prototype racing car introduced for Sportscar racing.The car was initially unveiled in February 1990 and was developed throughout 1990 before making its race debut in the final two races of the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season .The car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans...
, Mercedes-Benz C291
Mercedes-Benz C291
The Mercedes-Benz C291 was a Sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season.-Introduction:The 1991 season marked the introduction of the FIA’s new, and controversial, 3.5 litre formula which replaced the highly successful Group C category that had been used...
, and Jaguar XJR-14
Jaguar XJR-14
The Jaguar XJR-14 was a sports-prototype racing car introduced for the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season.-Introduction:The 1991 season marked the introduction of the FIA’s new, and controversial, 3.5 Litre Formula which replaced the highly successful Group C category that had been used in...
such as a large double rear wing and low bodywork dominated by a tall cockpit. With the new regulations banning the turbocharged Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
flat six, Brun would require a naturally aspirated engine that was on part with Formula One technology. Using elements of the EuroBrun
EuroBrun
EuroBrun Racing was a Formula One constructor from Senago, Milan, Italy, with an Italo-Swiss ownership. They participated in 46 grands prix, entering a total of 76 cars....
team, Brun would turn to the same team that had supplied engines to the Formula One outfit: Judd
Judd (engine)
Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England...
. EuroBrun had initially used the outdated Judd CV V8, but Brun was able to get funding for the new EV V8. The car would however suffer mechanical woes from its debut halfway through the 1991 season, and the team would never manage to come to terms with the car before funding would eventually run out.