Marc Surer

Something of a late starter in motor racing, Surer graduated from karts and Super Vee to the German F3 championship with the KWS team, taking the runner-up slot in 1976. The following year he made the move into Formula 2, gathering valuable experience. He had also been signed by Jochen Neerpasch to race a BMW 320i in the up-to-2-litre division of the German touring car championship for BMW’s ‘Junior Team’, but his season was somewhat overshadowed by a clash with Hans Heyer which saw him suspended for two months.

Despite this unfortunate incident, Marc was promoted to the BMW Team Polifac Formula 2 squad for 1978, as number two to Bruno Giacomelli, who went on to dominate proceedings. However, Surer backed his team-mate superbly, taking a clear second place in the championship with six second-place finishes. In 1979 he was promoted to team leader and duly took the honours, but serious doubts over his pedigree were already being voiced, as he seemed unable to stamp his authority on races in the manner of true champions.

Nevertheless Marc had already been given his Grand Prix baptism by Ensign, and he signed to drive for ATS in 1980, but his season had barely begun when he crashed in practice for the South African GP, sustaining broken ankles, which kept him sidelined until mid-season. For 1981, Surer joined the little Ensign team, and really began to come out of his shell, taking a superb fourth place and fastest lap in Brazil, and sixth at Monaco, before moving to Teddy Yip’s Theodore set-up.

In 1982 his progress was once more halted by injury, when a crash at Kylami left him with leg injuries which delayed his Arrows debut. Fit again, he was somewhat overshadowed by the emerging Boutsen and his chances to shine were restricted by the late development of the turbo car in 1984. When François Hesnault quit the Brabham team early in 1985, Marc finally got the opportunity to show his ability, and he enjoyed his best-ever season as team-mate to Nelson Piquet. In 1986 the tough Swiss was back with Arrows but, taking part in a German rally, he crashed his Ford into a tree; his co-driver was killed and Surer sustained serious injuries and burns which ended his competitive racing career.

Since then he has kept close links with the sport on a number of fronts. Not only has Marc acted as a commentator for Swiss TV and headed up the competitions department at BMW, looking after their drivers, but he was also able to enjoy following the excellent progress of his wife Yolanda as she proved to be a formidable competitor in the German Super Touring series.