12/3/1890 - 27/6/1962
Record updated 27-Jun-06
Willy Walb occasionally drove one of the Benz Tropfenwagen mid-engined cars. Became the Auto Union Team Manager.
Willy Walb was the Auto Union Team Manager. He started as an engineer in 1914 in the aero engine division of Benz. In the early 20's he moved over to the Experimental and Racing Department. He was involved both in the engineering and occasionally driving of the Benz Tropfenwagen mid-engined car.
He moved to Mercedes when Daimler-Benz was formed and worked under Alfred Neubauer both as a driver and as an assistant Team Manager. When Auto Union was went racing Walb became team manager. At the end of their first season they held driver trials for the next season. Twelve drivers drove the Grand Prix car over Nurburgring's Sudschleife. From these the best six returned the next day and repeated their test, this time on the Nordschleife. Walb selected the two best drivers Paul Pietsch and Bernd Rosemeyer. The latter would turn out to be his last and best decision as team manager because he was replaced by Dr Karl Feuereissen for the 1935 season.