Norbert Friedrich Haug (born 24 November 1952) is a German journalist and the former vice president of Mercedes-Benz motorsport activity, including Formula One,

Formula 3 Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One driv ...

and

DTM DTM may refer to: Sport * Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, a motor-racing series staged annually in Germany since 2000 * Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, a motor-racing championship staged in Germany from 1984 to 1995 Computing * Deterministic T ...

. Under his direction, Mercedes-Benz enjoyed considerable success in all categories, winning multiple races and championships.

Journalist

Haug worked for the Pforzheimer Zeitung newspaper in his home town of Pforzheim as a volunteer, before joining them as a trainee journalist. He then moved on to the publishing house

Motor-Presse-Verlag Gruner + Jahr is a publishing house headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company was founded in 1965 by , , and Gerd Bucerius. From 1969 to 1973, Bertelsmann acquired a majority share in the company and gradually increased it over time. Af ...

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

, which was part of the Gruner + Jahr group, where he became head of motorsports for '' Auto, Motor und Sport'' magazine before becoming its deputy chief editor in 1988. While busy pursuing a career in journalism, Haug also raced cars, including the

24 Hours Nürburgring 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

where he finished second in 1985. He also took part, like many people involved with Formula One, in the Porsche Carrera Cup. In 1986, was given the opportunity to privately test a Williams F1 car.

Mercedes-Benz

Bernd Schneider Norbert Haug Dieter Zetsche 2008 amk

Haug joined Mercedes-Benz in 1990, with a brief to revive their motor sport credentials. Haug maintained Mercedes presence in Group C and later in the DTM and International Touring Car Championship. Early successes included Klaus Ludwig winning the DTM drivers title in 1992 and 1994, and Bernd Schneider winning both the DTM and ITC drivers titles in 1995. In 2000 Haug and Mercedes were instrumental in the relaunch of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.

Formula One

Under Haug's direction, Mercedes-Benz re-entered Formula One after almost 40 years. In 1993 Haug negotiated a partnership with Peter Sauber, with engineering assistance which resulted in Sauber team cars having the words ''Concept by Mercedes-Benz'' on their engine bay flanks. In 1994 Haug negotiated Mercedes-Benz entry to the

CART A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people. It is different from the flatbed tr ...

championship, and the Sauber-Mercedes cars were now officially powered by Mercedes-Benz badged engines, developed by the company's development arrangement with United Kingdom based manufacturer Ilmor. After the serious accident at the

Monaco Grand Prix The Monaco Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigiou ...

which resulted in injury to Karl Wendlinger, and with Team McLaren looking for a new engine supplier, Haug negotiated Mercedes-Benz partnership with McLaren from the 1995 season. In 2009, it was officially announced that Daimler AG in partnership with Aabar Investments had purchased a 75.1% stake in Brawn GP (Daimler AG: 45.1%; Aabar: 30%). Under Haug's leadership, the team was rebranded as

Mercedes GP Mercedes-Benz, a brand of the Mercedes-Benz Group, has been involved in Formula One as both team owner and engine manufacturer for various periods since 1954. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, which is based in Brackley, England, and possesses ...

for . The team used the Brawn GP base in Brackley for its operations and Brawn stayed on as team principal until the end of the season. On 13 December 2012, it was announced that Haug would leave his role and the company at the end of 2012.

Personal life

Haug is married, with one daughter.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haug, Norbert 1952 births Living people People from Pforzheim German journalists German male journalists 20th-century German journalists 21st-century German journalists German motorsport people Formula One people World Sportscar Championship drivers German male writers Mercedes-Benz in Formula One