Most people who work for a carmaker are engineers, designers, or graduates with a business degree.
Daniela Schmid, however, has something more exciting than the international business degree on her resume. The 28-year-old Austrian, who is Alpina Singapore’s sales manager, is also an endurance racer who regularly competes in the annual 24 Hours Nurburgring.
Interestingly, Daniela has never driven for Alpina. Instead, she drives for LMS Engineering and races an Audi TT RS.
It was through motorsport that she got to know Alpina’s current boss, Andreas Bovensiepen, who once competed in the same event, too.
Alpina, which was founded in 1965, is a manufacturer of high-performance vehicles based on BMW models and only produces around 1500 vehicles annually.
Daniela talks to Torque about her job at one of the world’s most exclusive carmakers, and tells us why racing is her enduring passion.
What responsibilities does your job entail?
I’m in charge of everything for the Singapore market. I determine the model lineup and options.
I also coordinate the ordering and customisation process – we need to ensure that there’s no delay in the production, shipping and delivery of the cars. Apart from these, I also coordinate marketing matters.
Does racing interfere with your job?
I only have 10 race weekends a year, so my work isn’t affected. Besides, as a former racecar driver himself, Andreas understands what this entails.
How did you get into racing?
My father was into go-karting. I was about 13 years old and thought, “That looks interesting! I would like to try that!” At first, I only went to go-kart tracks four or five times a year for fun. Then I progressed to racing go-karts.
Are any of your family members into racing as well?
I have an older brother who tried go-karts, but he doesn’t like racing!.
Is it tough being a woman in motorsports?
Yeah. The guys always give me a hard time. They don’t want to be overtaken by a girl! So, I have to work harder. But the more often you beat them, the more respect you gain. It doesn’t get easier, though! [Laughs]
In a 24-hour race, there are three drivers per car. How do you find the ideal setup?
You have to find a compromise. Setting up the car so that it only works for you could result in your teammate losing 10 seconds per lap. So everyone must feel comfortable with the car.
We have a basic car setup, so we just prepare for inclement weather. It takes maybe two or three hours to finalise it.
Endurance racing is my thing. I enjoy being part of a team and working within one to try and achieve the best result.
What’s your driving style? Is it slow entry, fast exit?
I started with lower-powered cars which require you to carry maximum speed through the corners. If you lose 5km/h in a corner, you’ll be 5km/h slower at the end of a straight. Drivers with higher-powered cars can get away with the slow entry, fast exit technique.
Sometimes I get the chance to go karting with my Alpina colleagues. It’s good training.
But don’t you just end up beating them?
Well, yeah. [Laughs] But my colleagues push very hard because they all want to beat me!
What are your favourite racetracks?
It’s really only the Nurburgring! It’s hard for another racetrack to come close, but maybe Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium does. A normal GP track is quite easy to learn when you’re used to the Nurburgring.
What was the first car you drove?
It was our family car, a Mk 2 Volkswagen Golf. The first car I owned was a Mk 6 Golf GTD, which my mom currently uses. My personal car is an Alpina D3 Touring.
Is there a car you’ve always wanted to drive?
I want to drive models like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Ferrari 488 GTB. I’d also like to try an American sports car – a Chevrolet Corvette or perhaps even a Ford Mustang!
