--- title: Bernd Schneider · HICONIUM description: Bernd Schneider in the HICONIUM register — one file carrying their credit. canonical_url: https://hiconium.dev/people/bernd-schneider image: https://hiconium.dev/og/people/bernd-schneider.png --- > HICONIUM · Index: https://hiconium.dev/llms.txt · Every page: append `.md` or send `Accept: text/markdown`. > Path: [Home](https://hiconium.dev/) › [People](https://hiconium.dev/people) › Bernd Schneider > On this page: [First-day shakedown tester](#first-day-shakedown-tester) · [V12 torque over peak pace](#v12-torque-over-peak-pace) · [One file carries this name](#one-file-carries-this-name) ![Portrait photograph of Bernd Schneider.](https://hiconium.dev/_derived/images/people/bernd-schneider/portrait.jpg.w1920.q75.webp) People # Bernd Schneider Mercedes-AMG works driver, first tester and 1997 champion of the CLK GTR | Label | Value | | --- | --- | | Born | St. Ingbert, 1964 | | Nationality | German | Wikimedia Commons The record Five-time DTM champion who first-tested the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR for AMG and won the 1997 FIA GT title in that car. Mercedes later stated that twenty-five street-legal CLK GTR Straßenversion cars were built as the homologation series. He was born in St. Ingbert, Saarland, on 20 July 1964. He sat in a kart at five, became German karting champion in 1980 and won the Junior World Kart Championship the same year. After Formula Ford in 1984 he entered German Formula 3 in 1986 with Kees van de Grint's Team Sonax in a Reynard-Volkswagen, then won the 1987 title with Schübel Rennsport in a Dallara-Volkswagen. Alongside that he drove a Ford Sierra in selected DTM rounds from 1986 to 1989. In 1988 and 1989 he raced Formula One for Zakspeed. Mercedes-Benz records that he qualified for eight of thirty-two Grands Prix and finished two. In 1990 he started the United States Grand Prix at Phoenix for Arrows and finished twelfth. He then raced Porsche 962s for Kremer and Joest in the Sports Car World Championship and Interserie. From the Nürburgring meeting of 8 September 1991 he took Michael Schumacher's Zakspeed Mercedes DTM seat for four late-season weekends. In 1992 he joined AMG-Mercedes full time. He finished third in the 1992 and 1993 DTM driving an AMG-Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II, then tenth in 1994. In 1995 he won the DTM with five victories in the V6 AMG-Mercedes C-Class and also took the parallel International Touring Car Championship with six wins. In the final ITC season of 1996 he finished second. When the DTM stopped, Mercedes moved him into the FIA GT Championship. AMG was tasked with the CLK GTR on 5 December 1996. The first car was completed on 26 March 1997; two days later he conducted the first tests at Circuito del Jarama. He won six of eleven 1997 FIA GT rounds, mostly sharing with Alexander Wurz or Klaus Ludwig, and took the drivers' title at Laguna Seca on 26 October. Mercedes later stated that twenty-five street-legal CLK GTR Straßenversion cars were built to meet the production-race-car rule. ### First-day shakedown tester AMG finished the first CLK GTR on 26 March 1997. He ran the first laps at Jarama two days later. In 2010 he was present from the start of SLS AMG GT3 development. ### V12 torque over peak pace He said the 1997 CLK GTR V12 suited his driving better than the lighter, quicker 1998 V8 car. The Straßenversion used a 6.9-litre road V12 rather than the race engine. The stations 1. 1986 Kees van de Grint / Team Sonax German Formula 3 driver 2. 1987 Schübel Rennsport German Formula 3 driver 3. 1988–1989 Zakspeed Formula One driver 4. 1990 Arrows Formula One substitute driver 5. 1990–1992 Kremer Racing / Joest Racing Porsche sports-car driver 6. 1991 Zakspeed Mercedes DTM driver 7. 1992–2008 AMG-Mercedes / HWA Works driver 8. 2009– Mercedes-AMG Brand ambassador The house [![Mercedes-Benz](https://hiconium.dev/images/marques/full/mercedesbenz.svg)](https://hiconium.dev/manufacturers/mercedesbenz) Credited through Mercedes-AMG. In the register ## One file carries this name - [Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Straßenversion Development and works driver · Mercedes-AMG 1998–1999 €6.5M 1998–1999 €6.5M Rating 95.0](https://hiconium.dev/vehicles/mercedesbenz/clk-gtr-stra-enversion) The files above are the register's own record of this name. [The people index](https://hiconium.dev/people) holds everyone the register credits. In their words > “The 1997 car when I became World Champion in GT1, I really loved this car, V12 engine, big torque – I just loved it.” Bernd Schneider · DailySportscar, 2012 Sources - [mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com](https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/Bernd-Schneider.xhtml?oid=7269) - [mercedes-benz-archive.com](https://mercedes-benz-archive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/FIA-GT-championship-Bernd-Schneider-in-an-AMG.xhtml?oid=4912876) - [webwire.com](https://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=215737) - [berndschneider.com](https://www.berndschneider.com/) - [berndschneider.com](https://www.berndschneider.com/fia-gt.html) - [emercedesbenz.com](https://emercedesbenz.com/tag/bernd-schneider/) - [grandprix.com](https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-schber.html) - [formula1.com](https://www.formula1.com/en/results/1990/races/64/united-states/starting-grid) - [formula1.com](https://www.formula1.com/en/results/1990/races/64/united-states/race-result) - [dailysportscar.com](https://www.dailysportscar.com/2012/12/09/finally-made-it-bernd-schneider.html) - [dailysportscar.com](https://www.dailysportscar.com/2020/06/07/from-the-archives-highlights-from-bernd-schneiders-career.html) - [driverdb.com](https://www.driverdb.com/drivers/bernd-schneider) - [formel3guide.com](https://www.formel3guide.com/fotos/fotos-1981-1990/fotos-1986.html) - [formel3guide.com](https://www.formel3guide.com/fotos/fotos-1981-1990/fotos-1987.html) - [touringcars.net](https://www.touringcars.net/database/driver.php?name=Bernd+SCHNEIDER) - [touringcars.net](https://www.touringcars.net/database/race.php?id=783) - [touringcars.net](https://www.touringcars.net/database/race.php?id=786) - [touringcars.net](https://www.touringcars.net/database/race.php?id=794) - [motorsport-total.com](https://www.motorsport-total.com/dtm/news/bernd-schneider-mischt-mit-wie-sich-das-landgraf-team-in-der-dtm-aufstellt-25032401) - [motorsport-xl.de](https://www.motorsport-xl.de/news/2024/Sonstiges/AMG-Markenbotschafter-Bernd-Schneider-feiert-60-Geburtstag-53361.html)