Ex-F1 driver Wurz: Benetton proposed surgically shortening his legs
Former F1 driver Alexander Wurz told Motor Sport magazine that in 1999 Benetton proposed surgically shortening his legs to reduce his weight, while also revealing hidden injuries and career setbacks.
Former Austrian F1 driver Alexander Wurz has revealed one of the strangest episodes of his career in an interview with Motor Sport magazine — in 1999, Benetton technical director Nick Wirth prepared calculations and a proposal to surgically shorten Wurz's legs in order to reduce his weight and make the car faster.
Wurz recalled reacting sharply and dismissively to the idea, saying he was committed to building a racing career but that there were limits, and he was not willing to let the team break his legs to make him shorter.
Weight disadvantage and hidden injuries
Standing 1.88 metres tall, Wurz competed against teammate Giancarlo Fisichella, who was 14 centimetres shorter, a difference that cost him roughly half a second per lap due to weight. The team never publicly acknowledged this deficit, which negatively affected Wurz's reputation at the time.
He also disclosed several injuries and surgeries he had kept secret. Wurz raced five rounds with a broken rib after a jet-ski accident, and broke his knee in a motocross crash, which he hid from team management knowing they would not approve of the hobby.
A missed seat and conflict with Dennis
Discussing his time at McLaren as test and reserve driver, Wurz said he had been promised a race seat alongside David Coulthard for 2002, but team boss Ron Dennis chose Kimi Raikkonen instead at the last moment. According to Wurz, Dennis later blocked his move to Jaguar in 2004, calling him too valuable an asset for McLaren — a decision that led to a situation in 2005 where, due to a poorly designed cockpit, Wurz could not even properly fit into the car for the season's opening race.
Despite the setbacks during a career that included Benetton, McLaren and Williams, Wurz said he is not bitter about the past, noting that he raced against the world's best drivers at three legendary F1 teams.
Wurz also found success in endurance racing, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1996 at age 22, and repeating the triumph with Peugeot in 2009.
