Capito to lead Volkswagen Motorsport

Jost Capito will replace Kris Nissen as head of Volkswagen Motorsport, as the German group gears up to its first full season in the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia with its new Polo R WRC next year.

Capito was Ford’s director of global performance vehicles and motorsport business development. Under his guidance, Ford claimed the WRC manufacturers’ title for the first time in more than 25 years in 2006, a feat they repeated in 2007. Most recently, Capito was heading up Ford’s global motorsports strategy from the United States.

The 53-year-old will take up his new role from 1 May, meaning that his first WRC event at the helm of Volkswagen will be the Acropolis Rally in Greece from 25-27 May.

Capito’s early career was spent with BMW and Porsche, before he moved to Formula One with the Sauber team. He joined Ford in 2001. As a driver he also won the truck category on the 1985 Dakar Rally, driving a Mercedes-Benz.

Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand with responsibility for development, paid tribute to Nissen - who signed off Volkswagen’s decision to enter the WRC, which was announced at Rally d’Italia Sardegna last year.

“Mr. Nissen has taken Volkswagen Motorsport a long way forward and led the motorsport team during the most successful phase in its history so far,” said Hackenberg. “He was instrumental in Volkswagen’s double victory at the 2009 Dakar Rally and helped write motorsport history with the one-two-three podium finishes in 2010 and 2011.”

Nissen will assist Capito during a handover period and will be available to Volkswagen in an advisory capacity.