Armin Kremer

Armin Kremer is a German rally driver, born in 1968, who has several championship titles on his account. He's the three-time German rally champion (1996, 1998, 1999), European rally champion (2001) and Asia-Pacific rally champion (2003).

In recent years, he mostly competed with BRR Baumschlager Rallye & Racing Team. Kremer recorded 37 WRC starts between 1995 and 2018, managing to score championship points three times.

German rally veteran Armin Kremer

WRC debut in 1995 with Ford Escort RS Cosworth

Born in December 1968 in Crivitz, East Germany, Kremer started rallying in 1992. His first rally car was a Peugeot 205 GTI and his navigator was Sven Behling. In 1993, he switched to Ford Escort RS Cosworth, scoring few podiums and wins in national events.

He was driving Ford Escort RS Cosworth for two more seasons, making a WRC debut in 1995 at Rallye de Portugal. His co-driver in the #81 Ford was Sven Behling and they finished 23rd overall and ninth in the N4 class.

German rally champion in 1996 with Mitsubishi

In 1996, Kremer switched to Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III, driving for Paulaner Team and taking his first national rally championship title. He scored no wins but he had enough podiums to beat Hermann Gassner in a championship fight.

Kremer was using a Lancer Evo III in some ERC events but also in his second WRC attempt at 1997 Rallye Monte-Carlo. He finished 10th overall and second in the PWRC/N4 category.

Armin Kremer in 1997

Kremer's navigator was killed at 1997 ADAC Rallye Deutschland

The 1997 Rallye Monte-Carlo was his last event in a Lancer Evo III, after that he switched to Subaru Impreza 555, winning the ERC Rallye Šumava in his first race with Subaru. Sven Behling was still his navigator.

They raced together in few more national events and then a tragedy happened at 1997 ADAC Rallye Deutschland. Kremer had a big accident in the #4 Subaru during the first day of the rally. Unfortunately, the injuries were fatal for Sven Behling. Kremer ended a season with new co-driver Bernd Seiter.

Armin Kremer's Subaru Impreza S3 WRC in 1999

Two more German titles with Subaru

In 1998, Kremer started a season at Rallye Monte-Carlo, driving a Subaru Impreza  S3 WRC 97 with Klaus Wicha as a navigator. They finished in the 8th place. Kremer continued to drive Impreza WRC for Subaru Rallye Team Deutschland in 1998, with Fred Berssen as a navigator, capturing his second German Rally Championship title. They were also the winners of three ERC events to finish 11th in the ERC classification.

Kremer and Berssen stayed in a Subaru Impreza  S3 WRC 97 in 1999, defending a championship title in Germany with seven victories. In 1999, Kremer also recorded two WRC starts. In Greece, he was driving Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evo V, not finishing the race. At Rally GB, he finished 14th in a Subaru Impreza S4 WRC 98.

Kremer's Toyota Corolla WRC in 2001

European rally champion in 2001 with Toyota Corolla WRC

Kremer was driving Subaru Impreza S4 WRC in the 2000 German Rally Championship, scoring four wins and finishing second in the points, behind Mathias Kahle.

In 2001, Kremer switched his focus on the European Rally Championship, driving a Toyota Corolla WRC with Fred Berssen as a navigator. They were winners two times, in Turkey and Bulgaria, winning the championship title.

Armin Kremer was driving Ford Focus in 2002

2002 – WRC season in a Ford Focus WRC

In 2002, Kremer had a part-time schedule in the WRC, driving his own Ford Focus RS WRC 01. Klaus Wicha was his co-driver in Monte-Carlo, Dieter Schneppenheim joined him for the rest of the season.

Kremer participated in six WRC events in 2002, finishing best in 14th place at Rally GB. He was 15th at Rallye Monte-Carlo and Rallye Catalunya, recording DNFs in three other rallies (Greece, Finland, Germany).

Asia-Pacific rally champion in 2003 with Mitsubishi

In 2003, Kremer again refocused his interest, participating full season in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. He was driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII for MRF Tyres team with Fred Berssen as his navigator. Scoring one victory and three more podiums, Kremer had won the championship with the just one-point advantage over Karamjit Singh.

In 2004, Singh won the APRC title and Kremer was second. That year, he was driving Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII with Timo Gottschalk as his navigator. In October 2004, Kremer and Fred Berssen participated in the German WRC round in a Toyota Corolla WRC, not finishing the event.

Kremer's Toyota Corolla WRC in 2004

Occasional rallying between 2005 and 2012

In 2005, Kremer significantly slowed down his rallying activities, participating in just few rally events in the next eight seasons. After a couple of national events, he returned to WRC in 2011, participating at Rally Argentina together with Klaus Wicha in the #52 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. They didn't reach the finish.

In 2012, Kremer returned to Rally Argentina with Daniela Ertl-Weissengruber as a navigator in a Subaru Impreza STi. They were 21st. Later that year, Kremer and Wicha finished seventh in an Impreza at Cyprus Rally, a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Armin Kremer reactivated himself in 2013 and scored great results since then

2013 – full-time return with Stohl Racing

In 2013, Kremer returned to full-time rallying with Austrian team Stohl Racing, owned by Austrian rally legend Manfred Stohl. Kremer was driving a Subaru Impreza STi in the WRC2 class of the World Rally Championship. His navigator was Klaus Wicha.

They started a season with a WRC2 podium at Rallye Monte-Carlo. Until the end of the season, they participated in five WRC events, finishing 13th in the WRC2 classification. At ADAC Rallye Deutschland, Kremer was driving a Ford Fiesta RRC.

In 2014, Kremer participated in two WRC events, driving a Ford Fiesta R5 in Monte-Carlo and Škoda Fabia S2000 at ADAC Rallye Deutschland. He was fourth in the WRC2 class in Monte-Carlo and third in Germany.

Armin Kremer in a Škoda Fabia R5

Driving for Raimund Baumschlager's team since 2015

In 2015, Kremer joined another Austrian rally legend Raimund Baumschlager to drive a Škoda Fabia in the WRC2 Championship. Kremer and Klaus Wicha opened a season with a podium at Rally Monte-Carlo in a Škoda Fabia S2000.

After that, Kremer switched to new Škoda Fabia R5, with Pirmin Winklhofer as his navigator. They participated in six WRC events and Kremer ended a season 11th in the WRC2 standings.

In recent years, Kremer competed mostly with BRR Škoda Fabia

Scoring maiden WRC points in 2016

In 2016, Kremer and Winklhofer stayed with BRR Baumschlager Rallye & Racing Team, participating in six WRC events in a Škoda Fabia R5.

Kremer scored two WRC2 podiums but also collected his first points in the overall WRC standings. He was tenth overall at Rallye Monte-Carlo and then tenth again at ADAC Rallye Deutschland. He finished 23rd in the overall WRC classification and 8th in the WRC2 standings.

Armin Kremer (left) next to 2017-spec Ford Fiesta WRC

Two WRC events in 2017, just one start in 2018

In 2017, Kremer recorded just two WRC appearances. In January, he retired after an accident at Rallye Monte-Carlo, driving a BRR Škoda Fabia R5. In August, he jumped into a cockpit of 2017-spec M-Sport's Ford Fiesta WRC, finishing in the ninth place at ADAC Rally Deutschland and adding more championship points on his account.

In 2018, Kremer participated in just one rally event. He was driving Motorsport Italia's Škoda Fabia R5 at Rally Australia, not finishing the rally.

Photos: Armin Kremer Rallying, Karel Nemeček, Petr Fitz, Petr Lusk, Henk van Mourik/ewrc-results.com,