"Gerry" without a cockpit

Co-pilot Winter: “Rallying is a million-dollar grave!”

Lavanttal co-pilot Gerald Winter and Simon Wagner split up.(Bild: GEPA)

Lavanttal co-driver Gerald Winter (46) is without a cockpit following his separation from Simon Wagner. He leaves it open whether he will get back into a car in the future: "The question is whether I want to do that to myself again!"  

Over, over, over! After eight years and four state championship titles in a row, the successful rally duo Simon Wagner/Gerald Winter are parting ways. "Simon's plans have changed. And I'm an atypical co-driver - 20 centimeters too tall and 30 kilos too heavy. It's a miracle that it went so well for so long," says Winter from Lavanttal.

Gerald Winter (left) and Simon Wagner recently won the national championship title four times.(Bild: GEPA)

"It takes years to get to this level"
The 46-year-old has no new project in sight. "Simon only told me two weeks ago that he wants to drive the entire season with Hanna Ostlender." Whether Winter will even take a seat in a racing car again remains open. "The question is whether I still want to do that to myself. The line between a good time and paraplegia is simply extremely thin. It takes time to trust each other in the cockpit. And it takes years to get back to that level. I've achieved a lot, my house is full of trophies," emphasizes Winter.

50 vacation days for a full season
Of course, the time required and the economy is another factor. "For a full season, I would have needed around 50 vacation days last year. You don't have any income. I think Austria is the only country that has no motorsport funding. It's a million-dollar grave - because last year alone cost us around 700,000 euros!" groans Winter, who doesn't get bored even without a rally. In addition to his sewage treatment plant business, he has now also bought a motor vehicle and agricultural company in Eitweg. "My best friend died when I was 41. The family didn't want to take it over, but I don't want to let it go under."