18/9/1951
Record updated 18-Sep-06
Formula One driver from Switzerland. He participated in 87 grands prix, debuting on September 9, 1979. He scored a total of 17 championship points.
Surer started racing in karts in 1972 before graduating first to Super Vee, where he came second in the 1974 Championship, and then to the German F3 championship with the KWS team. finnishing runner-up in 1976.
In 1977 he moved into Formula 2 and was also signed by Jochen Neerpasch to race in BMW's Junior Team in the German touring car championship for BMW's 'Junior Team'. However his season was marred by a two month suspension after a clash with Hans Heyer.
Marc joined the BMW Team Polifac Formula 2 squad in 1978 along with with Bruno Giacomelli. Surer finished second in the championship, behing Giacomelli, with six second-place finishes. In 1979 he became team leader and won the series.
After a F1 debut driving for Ensign at the end of the 1979, he signed for ATS in 1980, but crashed in practice for the South African GP, sustaining broken ankles, which kept him out until mid-season.
For 1981, Surer joined Ensign and took a superb fourth place and fastest lap in Brazil and a sixth at Monaco, before joining Teddy Yip's Theodore team.
In 1982, a crash at Kyalami left him with leg injuries which delayed his Arrows debut and when he returned he was overshadowed by Boutsen.
He was hired to drive for the Brabham-BMW squad in 1985. That year he also won the Spa 24 Hours, sharing a Schnitzer BMW 635CSi with Gerhard Berger and Roberto Ravaglia.
In 1985 he joined the Brabham-BMW team and he enjoyed his best season as team-mate to Nelson Piquet. He also won the Spa 24 Hours, sharing a Schnitzer BMW 635CSi with Gerhard Berger and Roberto Ravaglia.
In 1986 he was back with Arrows however while taking part in the Hessen Rally in Germany, he crashed his Ford RS200 into a tree. His co-driver was killed and Surer sustained serious injuries and burns which ended his competitive racing career.
In 1988 he joined BWM as an instructor for their driver training programme. He also started his career as a TV commentator with the DRS channel in Switzerland.
In 1991 he was appointed head of BMW Motorsport. In 1996 he began commentating for the German TV station DF1 and in 1997 became the host of his own programme on Swiss TV. He remains a TV presenter and racing school instructor.