Of far greater importance to Marc Surer than the results he achieved in his on-and-off partnership with Manfred Winkelhock between 1977 and 1985 is his friendship with the exciting German driver. The late elder brother of the no less flamboyant ‘Smokin’ Jo’ Winkelhock shared BMW, Ford and Porsche machinery with Surer in endurance racing, most notably beating the factory teams with their privateer Kremer-run Porsche 956 at the shortened Monza World Endurance Championship round in 1985.
They were also team-mates in European Formula Two, and rivals in Formula 1, but that fact made no difference to their congenial relationship. The choice of Winkelhock, who died in 1985, as Surer’s favourite team-mate was therefore never in doubt for the Swiss.
