Died recently, after a brain tumour. His motorsport involvement was through his alloy wheels business, which he ran until the late 1990's, before handing it over to his family. He was also an ex-racer, appearing in rallies and touring cars. Schmid was a tough, uncompromising man who wanted to run his team his own way, but this meant that many drivers or managers who disagreed soon left the team; these included Caldwell, Elford, Ramirez, Opert, Mass, Keke Rosberg and Marc Surer. Having bought the remnants of the Penske team, ATS had a very good start, but Schmid's short temper, his meddling in almost everything and his incredible ambition meant the team's development never really blossomed. Although Schmid was tough to work with, he was, overall, a popular, pleasant and funny man away from the sport.

Biography last updated 27 May 2017