Former World Rally Championship co-driver and Citroën Team Manager Sven Smeets is the new Volkswagen Motorsport Director after replacing Jost Capito.
Smeets, who joined Volkswagen in 2012 as Team Manager, replaces Capito as Volkswagen’s Motorsport Director. The German now heads to the McLaren F1 Team to become their Chairman for the Woking-based team from the 1 September 2016.
Volkswagen have had a huge management restructure to their team as Lukasz Urban is now the Commercial Managing Director, replacing Kirsten Zimmermann.
Whilst Technical Director Francois-Xavier Demaison and Director of Engine Development Dr. Donatus Wichelhaus move into the Management Board of Volkswagen Motorsport.
Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars with responsibility for “Development” Dr. Frank Welsch said “We are delighted to be able to introduce a man with a vast wealth of management experience at the top of Volkswagen Motorsport, in the form of Sven Smeets.
“We are confident that we will be able to continue our success story in the World Rally Championship and the strategic development of our motorsport projects with Sven and the rest of the management team at the helm.
“At the same time, we would like to thank Jost Capito, under whose leadership Volkswagen has won every title on offer in the World Rally Championship for the past three years. We wish him all the best for the future.”
