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Jost Capito Leaves Volkswagen Motorsport for McLaren

Jost Capito, Volkswagen’s Motorsport Director, has decided to take on a new career challenge and work for McLaren Racing.
Jost Capito 1 photo
Photo: Volkswagen
Capito was responsible for Volkswagen’s program in motorsport and the brand’s World Rally Championship performance. Thanks to Capito’s leadership, the German carmaker earned three FIA WRC titles in 2013, 2014, and 2015. For 2016, the Volkswagen team is still considered a favorite in the highest level of rallying.

Volkswagen’s representatives are extremely satisfied with the results Jost Capito has achieved at the helm of the Motorsport department and have said these are the “greatest sporting achievements in the history of the Volkswagen brand.” Back when Capito joined Volkswagen Motorsport in 2012, the German company also hired former Citroen team manager Sven Smeets and Francois-Xavier Demaison, engineer for Peugeot and Subaru.

Until the German brand finds a proper successor, Jost Capito will perform the duties of Motorsport Director for Volkswagen Motorsport GmbH. The 57-year-old engineer took over his former function in May 2012.

His first job with the Volkswagen Group was in 1989, when he joined Porsche’s racing department. Before that, Capito had been involved with BMW Motorsport since 1985, where he focused on high-performance engine development.

The next chapter in Jost Capito’s career is with McLaren Racing. This won’t be Capito’s first endeavor in Formula 1, though, as in 1996, the engineer had an executive post with the Sauber Formula 1 team which he held until 2001 when he moved to Ford. For the Blue Oval, Capito was responsible for motorsport activities and the SVT Performance Vehicles business.

It’s safe to say Jost Capito knows his way around a competitive motorsport team, without much time needed for him to adapt to the new environment. Mr. Capito’s new function will be that of Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Racing. He will be supported by Eric Boullier and will report directly to motorsport legend Ron Dennis.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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