Lamborghini SpA has signed Max Welti as new Head of Motorsport. The 60 year old Swiss national will report directly to Lamborghini's Board Member for Research and Development, Maurizio Reggiani. He will be active in his new role for Squadra Corse for the firsttime this weekend at the Lamborghini Super Trofeo night race in Misano, ltaly.

''l'm delighted that in Max Welti we've been able to gain such a seasoned and recognised manager for our newly initiated motorsport programme," said Maurizio Reggiani. "We launched the Squadra Corse in the 50th anniversary year of Lamborghini and we have ambitious plans in motorsport. Max Welti's experience as a manager and engineer will help us to successfully position Lamborghini on the race track in the lang run," he added.

There are very few practitioners with such deep industry expertise as Welti; he studied mechanical enginering in Lausanneandin his home city of Zurich and competed as a race driver hirnself in his early career. ln the heyday of the World Sportscar Championship, Max Welti was Team Managerat Sauber-Mercedes. Under his tenure, two World Championship titles and  victory at the 1989 Le Mans 24 Hours were won. As Head of Motorsportat Porsche, he was responsible for the Le Mans victory in 1994, among other achievements. Thereafter, Welti was Team Director at Sauber in Formula 1, subsequently Manager of the V8STAR tauring car racing seriesandas Team Director, A1 Team Switzerland became the most successful national team of the A1 Grand Prix Series. As a manager of drivers and a consultant to sponsors as weil as the media, he has developed many different perspectives on the motorsport industry over the years.

"l've experienced a Iot in motorsport, but I particularly Iook forward to this new challenge," Max Welti said. "Lamborghini is an extremely fascinating brand with a lang and great tradition, fantastic sports cars and an exciting vision for the future. l'm proud to have the opportunity to contribute my part to the success of the brand as Head of Squadra Corse."

Motorsport plays a central role for Lamborghini. With driving experiences at the wheel of production sports cars, the 'Super Trofeo' one-make cups in America, Asia and Europe plus professional GT spart in co-operation with Reiter Engineering, Squadra Corse is already affering amateur racers and professionals an attractive, stepped programme that will be progressively extended.