Beat Zehnder
{{short description|Swiss mechanic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Beat Zehnder
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| caption = Beat Zehnder in 2019
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1966|1|9|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Zürich, Switzerland
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| nationality = {{flagicon|SUI}} Swiss
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| citizenship = Swiss
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| occupation = Engineer
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| employer = Sauber
| known_for = Formula One mechanic and team manager
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| title = Director of Signature Programs and Operations
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Beat Zehnder (born 9 January 1966){{Cite web |title=Beat Zehnder |url=http://www.sauberf1team.com/teammembers/beat-zehnder |access-date=10 December 2021 |website=SauberF1Team.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816055139/http://www.sauberf1team.com/teammembers/beat-zehnder |archive-date=16 August 2016 |url-status=dead}} is a Swiss Formula One engineer. He is now the Director of Signature Programs and Operations at the Sauber Formula One team. He has been with the Swiss team since its inception in 1993, and has attended every single race.{{cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.get-to-know-beat-zehnder-the-f1-ironman-who-has-been-with-sauber-for-all-500.5Cxa7Dj4F8MkCn9xFauwTI.html|title=Get to know Beat Zehnder – the F1 ironman who has been with Sauber for all 500 Grands Prix|publisher=F1.com}}
Career
Beat Zehnder has been a part of the Sauber family since the 1980s. He started with the Swiss outfit as a mechanic in the early days of the team's partnership with Mercedes Benz, moving from the number two mechanic to the number one in the space of a year. When the team began to concentrate their efforts on launching their own F1 team, he moved across from the mechanics side to work on logistics.{{cite web|url=https://sidepodcast.com/f1-employee/beat-zehnder|publisher=Sidepodcast.com|title=Beat Zehnder}} However, Zehnder was swiftly returned to his mechanics duties, becoming the team manager and chief mechanic in 1994.{{cite web|title=Celebrating a legend of the sport – Beat Zehnder|url=https://www.sauber-group.com/motorsport/f1-news/hocgp-celebrating-a-legend-of-the-sport-beat-zehnder/|publisher=Sauber motorsport}} In 1995, Peter Sauber asked Zehnder to concentrate exclusively on logistics and team management and thus he became the team manager, which is a role he still holds today, albeit in an evolved form as Sporting Director at the renamed Alfa Romeo Racing.{{cite web|title=Alfa team manager on Covid F1's logistical headaches|date=26 April 2021|url=https://www.planetf1.com/news/alfa-romeo-f1-logistics-covid/|publisher=planetf1}} In his current role Zehnder represents the team in discussions with the FIA and sporting working group as well as managing logistics and garage operations. Throughout his time at the Swiss team, Zehnder has mentored many drivers such as Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel, Robert Kubica and Charles Leclerc.{{cite web|title= "There's still five in front of me": How Raikkonen reacted to sixth on his debut|date=16 September 2021|url=https://www.racefans.net/2021/09/16/theres-still-five-in-front-of-me-how-raikkonen-reacted-to-finishing-sixth-on-his-debut/|publisher=racefans.net}}
Personal life
Zehnder is married to {{ill|Nadine Imboden|de|Nadine Imboden}}. The couple were married on 31 December 2006.{{Cite web|title=Beat Zehnder 25 Jahre Teammanager bei Sauber – Weltrekord|url=https://www.blick.ch/sport/formel1/beat-zehnder-25-jahre-teammanager-bei-sauber-weltrekord-wir-mussten-vieles-schoenreden-id15435845.html|access-date=3 April 2023|website=Blick|date=25 July 2019 |language=de}}{{Cite web|title=Gefunkt hat es im Stau Schweizer Illustrierte Homestory 2003|url=https://nadine-imboden.ch/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Gefunkt-hat-es-im-Stau-Schweizer-Illustrierte-Homestory-2003.pdf|access-date=25 August 2024|website=Nadine-Imboden.ch|language=de}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Alfa Romeo F1}}
{{Sauber}}
{{BMW F1}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zehnder, Beat}}
Category:Formula One engineers