• Interview with the five times DTM record champion
• A look back at a success story from the Mercedes-AMG perspective
• Bernd Schneider: "Winning a race has probably never been as difficult as it is today."

Motorsport and the victories associated with it are deeply rooted in the DNA of Mercedes-AMG. Bernd Schneider (GER) was responsible for one of the great success stories in international motor racing. Now an AMG brand ambassador, he defined a remarkable era for the cars with the three-pointed star between 1991 and 2008 as record champion in the DTM and as world champion in the FIA GT Championship. On the occasion of his 60th birthday on 20th July, we take a look back at a unique partnership that goes far beyond his active career.

Bernd Schneider spent almost two decades of his professional racing career with Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG.  His reputation as "Mister DTM" remains irrefutable even 16 years after his retirement from the DTM. No other driver has yet managed to equal his record of five titles. The Saarland-born driver laid the foundations for his successful career in karting from the age of eleven. Winning the Junior World Championship in 1980 and the European Championship title in 1982 paved his way into car racing. After starting out in Formula Ford in 1984, he celebrated the championship in the high-calibre German Formula 3 in 1987, followed by stints with Ford in the DTM, for Zakspeed and Footwork Arrows in Formula 1 and for Porsche in the World Sportscar Championship. The DTM became his sporting home for an extensive period after joining Mercedes-Benz in 1991. He fought memorable battles in the renowned touring car series and won the championship for the first time in 1995. He repeated this success in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006. The season finale at the Hockenheimring in October 2008 marked the end of his active career. To this day, he leads numerous historic statistics in the DTM. He has the most race starts (236), victories (43), podiums (104), pole positions (25) and fastest laps (60) and achieved almost all of these milestones with racing cars from Affalterbach. With 224 starts, 43 wins, 24 poles and 103 podiums, it is the most successful partnership between a manufacturer and a driver in the history of the series.

A driver of exceptional qualities, Bernd Schneider also demonstrated his reputation by impressing in other disciplines. He played one of the leading roles in Mercedes-Benz' return to the top of international endurance racing. In the first year of the programme, he won the world championship title in the FIA GT Championship in 1997 with the iconic Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. Together with his teammates Klaus Ludwig (GER), Alessandro Nannini (ITA), Marcel Tiemann (GER) and Alexander Wurz (AUT), he won five of the eleven races. The following year, he celebrated another five victories and finished runner-up in the world championship with future Formula 1 race winner Mark Webber (AUS) at his side. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1998, he also achieved pole position for the endurance classic driving the Mercedes-Benz CLK-LM. Unfortunately, a race victory at Le Mans eluded him.

As part of today’s Mercedes-AMG family, Bernd Schneider became a brand ambassador in 2007. After his temporary retirement from active racing, he was not only involved in the development of AMG's road cars. He also made a significant contribution to the success of the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Programme founded in 2010. Together with test and development driver Thomas Jäger (GER), he contributed his skills and experience to the development of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. In September 2010, he and Jäger completed the race debut of the first model from the Customer Racing programme in the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring. In 2013, he celebrated a historic first victory for Mercedes-AMG at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring as part of the line-up with Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), Sean Edwards (GBR) and Nicki Thiim (DEN) for Black Falcon. In the same year, he also won the 24-hour races of Spa-Francorchamps and of Dubai, as well as the Gulf 12h and the Bathurst 12h. His winning streak continued with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 in 2016. At the Nürburgring 24h, Bernd Schneider was victorious once again at the first attempt with the new car, driving alongside Adam Christodoulou (GBR), Maro Engel and Manuel Metzger (both GER). After the milestones with the GT3 cars, he was also involved in the development of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 and the Mercedes-AMG GT2.

Today, Bernd Schneider, who was born on 20 July 1964 in St. Ingbert and is now the father of two daughters and a son, lives with his partner Svenja in Bottighofen, Switzerland. Nevertheless, he can be found at the racetrack almost every weekend in his role as AMG brand ambassador. In the interview, Bernd Schneider talks about notable moments, unforgettable rivalries and racing through the ages.

You are approaching your 60th birthday and can still be found at the racetrack. What are your responsibilities for Mercedes-AMG today?
Bernd Schneider: "2008 was officially my retirement as a professional racing driver. But soon afterwards, the development of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG began, first as a road car and then as a GT3 version. This was accompanied by the development of our Customer Racing Programme, which is still very successful today. As a result, I drove a lot again and I really enjoyed it. The fact that I still competed in a few races in this context was not actually planned. It just came about as a result of my role. I'm now involved a lot for AMG in driving experiences and press as well as customer events. The majority of the events take place in Immendingen, for example, at the large Mercedes-Benz test and development centre. Not only are these great events, but it's also very practical for me because I have a short journey from my home on Lake Constance. There's always something to do and I never get bored. I also have a lot of connections to motorsport with my own company, and that keeps me on my toes."

How do you rate today's generation of racing drivers compared to your rivals from back then?
Bernd Schneider: "Over the course of my career, the relationship between the brands and drivers of different manufacturers became increasingly distant. At some point, we drivers had almost nothing to do with each other, apart from sitting together in the drivers' briefing. I thought that was a great pity. In the meantime, things have changed for the better. Our Mercedes-AMG drivers are in action in Australia, America, Europe or Asia and often meet drivers from other brands there. These days, they sit together and talk. Of course, there are always characters who don't get along. But there are also those who fight tough battles on the track and have a beer together in the evening or go out partying. That reminds me more of my time. In my opinion, however, the sport has become much tougher. When I see 40 cars from nine brands within one second, like at this year’s 24 Hours of Spa - that didn't happen back then. The pressure on the teams and drivers is enormous. This leads to incredibly great, but also hard racing. Winning a race has probably never been as difficult as it is today. You need the right BoP, a first-class line-up, a professional team and the necessary luck. You can't afford to make a single mistake."

But you didn't have it easy either. Which opponents do you particularly remember from your time?
Bernd Schneider: "I really had a lot of strong competitors, especially in my team. Gerhard Ungar, who was Technical and Sporting Director at Mercedes in the DTM, always made sure of that. With Mika Häkkinen, I had a two-time Formula 1 world champion as my teammate, and then there were the young drivers like Jamie Green, Gary Paffett and Paul Di Resta. They often made me deal with them. Still, I already got my first grey hair in 1995 from Dario Franchitti. He was incredibly fast and none of us really expected that. Everyone was actually looking at Jan Magnussen, but Dario was extremely good. He later won the IndyCar and the Indy 500 in the USA several times. So, the grey hair were not only part of my imagination! At the beginning of my time with AMG, I also had a very fast teammate in Klaus Ludwig. We had a great relationship and always got on well - even today. He became DTM champion twice during our time together and we never clashed, although we always fought to the limit on the track. That was quite special."

The DTM has played an important role in your career with us. What made you so successful in the brand's touring and sports cars at that time?
Bernd Schneider: "Looking back, the DTM was obviously extremely important for me after things didn't go my way in Formula 1. When I returned to the DTM in 1991, it was the beginning of a success story. However, there was sometimes friction behind the scenes. It's not as if I won just like that. The media sometimes wrote that only Bernd Schneider could win with AMG. But there were always other drivers who were successful with the cars. As a contracted driver, I did all the tests back then. That made it all the more difficult for the others, because of course I always developed the car the way I wanted it. It then became much more difficult for me in the new DTM from 2000 onwards because drivers like Paffett or Di Resta had the same input regarding the development. I had to adapt and as a result the level within our teams evened out over time. Tyre development was an important factor at the time though. I had done all the tyre tests in the past, so I knew exactly how the tyres worked, whether in qualifying or in the race. That was an advantage that no longer existed when single-make tyres were introduced. Of course, I also tried to assert my interests, but when the decision was made in favour of a compound that was preferred by other drivers or manufacturers, I naturally had to fight more than them. But that was just something I had to deal with."

Already in the DTM you have won races with five different generations of AMG cars. Which one was your favourite to drive?
Bernd Schneider: "It's like asking about your favourite child - and I have three children! I've driven so many amazing racing cars. We designed and developed the CLK GTR in 125 days and immediately won the world championship with it. That was unbelievable for all of us. We are still very proud of that today. But my last DTM title in 2006 with the C-Class was also important for me. Winning the DTM again with this car at the age of 42 was something special. But when I think back to my time in the Customer Racing Programme - I also celebrated fantastic successes with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. In 2013, I won practically every major endurance race I took part in. Every car has its own appeal."

Were there any moments or races in your career that had a particular impact on you?
Bernd Schneider: "There wasn't just one race that sticks in my mind. I drove so many races, and if only two or three had been a highlight, I probably wouldn't have been particularly successful. There were also difficult times. People today always talk about how everything was better in the past. I think people simply remember the positive moments more. The DTM was a defining time for me. When I signed with AMG, Audi and BMW suddenly pulled out of the series. We all stood there and wondered what would happen next. There were some really strong people at work back then who did everything they could to keep things going. They fought hard for Opel and Alfa Romeo to continue. When it became clear in Suzuka in 1996 that it would be the last race, it was very disappointing. The DTM and ITC were at an extremely high level back then, also in terms of spectator numbers and media attention. It was very disappointing that this was no longer the case from one day to the next."

The DTM came back in 2000 and you picked up where you left off in 1996. Was the comeback of the series something you wished for at the time?
Bernd Schneider: "Absolutely. We always hoped it would happen. I was in America at the time and wanted to drive IndyCar. I also had a test, and then Norbert Haug, then the Head of Motorsport at Mercedes-Benz, called me a few days beforehand and said: 'Come back, you don't need to do the test, we'll definitely do DTM.' So I was looking forward to the DTM and 2000 in particular, the millennium year, was something very special. The fight between Opel and us was cool, and later also against ABT with the Audi TT. That was a very nice time."

You were successful in different eras. How important is motorsport for the AMG brand?
Bernd Schneider: "Of course, this is a unique motorsport history. The company has changed a lot over the years, but the DNA has always remained the same. Motorsport has always been associated with AMG, starting with the 'Red Pig', which won its class at the 1971 Spa 24 Hours and finished second overall. This race made AMG famous and in order to move the company forward, the focus was laid on success in motorsport from then on. Around 2,600 employees now work at Mercedes-AMG. When I'm in Affalterbach these days, I meet one or two faces that were there 30 years ago. We still talk enthusiastically today about what we can bring to the racetrack and the road to excite our customers. Being part of this history is very nice for me."

And how does this story continue? You last raced in the GT2 European Series in 2022. What needs to happen for you to get behind the wheel again?
Bernd Schneider: "Yes, that was in Spielberg, but that was some time ago. A good friend of mine owns a Mercedes-AMG GT3. I hope that we can drive together again soon, if his time allows it. Another test is planned for this year, and I will certainly be at the wheel. Maybe something will come up in the context of filming days. But I'm not putting any pressure on myself and it will just happen when it’s the right time."

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport congratulates Bernd Schneider on his 60th birthday
"Bernd has been an integral part of the Mercedes-AMG family for over 30 years. Entire generations have seen him drive to international success on the racetrack in our cars. As an AMG brand ambassador, he still embodies the attributes that characterised him as a racing driver and have always defined our brand. It fills us with pride to work with an exceptional sportsman and person like Bernd. We congratulate him from the bottom of our hearts on his 60th birthday and wish him all the best for the future and on our continued journey together."
Christoph Sagemüller, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport