Mario Illien
Mario Illien | |
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Automotive engineer |
Mario Illien (born 2 August 1949) is a Swiss engineer specialising in motorsport engine design and comes from Chur in the
Education
Prior to embarking on his motorsport engineering career, Illien trained as a technical draughtsman. He later returned to education to study for a degree in mechanical engineering at Biel University’s School of Engineering . He graduated in 1976[1] and resumed his engineering career.
Early career
Illien took his first motorsport-related job with his idol Bonnier in 1971, assisting with the preparation of an old customer
After his graduation, his career moved away from motorsport and into military engineering. He joined
During his time at Mowag, Illien maintained his interest in motorsport. In 1979, at the age of 30, he gave up his job and moved to the UK to work in the design department of Cosworth Engineering in Northampton. He spent five years at Cosworth, contributing to the design and development of the company's racing engines, including the DFY V8. It was at Cosworth that Illien met Paul Morgan and the next stage of his career began.
Ilmor Engineering
In 1983, Illien and Morgan were working on the Cosworth DFX for the
In 1989, it was decided that Ilmor should enter
Ilmor continued as Mercedes' engine builder when it joined
Shortly after Morgan's death in 2001, Mercedes increased its managerial involvement, purchased a 55% share and renamed the company
In early 2015, Illien assisted Red Bull Racing and Renault in improving their power unit.[2]
References
- ^ McLaren 2004 Press Pack
- ^ Nimmervoll, Christian (20 December 2014). "Red Bull glücklich über Mario Illiens Kooperation mit Renault". motorsport-total.com (in German). Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.