Werner d’Ansembourg

Werner d’Ansembourg proved to be an immediate hit in Masters Racing Legends when he joined the series for 1966-’85 Formula One cars in 2023. The young Belgian soon netted a glorious debut victory at his home track of Spa- Francorchamps before also lifting his first pole position in the next round at Portimão. The younger son of seasoned historic Formula One campaigner Christophe d’Ansembourg, Werner now races a Brabham BT49C against his father’s Williams FW07C while he teamed up with his father to race their Pescarolo 01 in Masters Endurance Legends. They were occasionally joined by Werner’s older brother Antoine, who would occupy the family’s ex-Didier Theys Dallara-ORECA DO05. Antoine, meanwhile, had handled the Brabham before Werner took it over. We spoke to Werner during the 2025 Oldtimer Grand Prix meeting at the Nürburgring.

You obviously inherited your motor racing pedigree from your father, but you could have decided to do something else with your life. What was the first time on track that made you think, I love this, I need to be a racing driver?

WA: That’s actually a very good question, as it used to be the case that this wasn’t my hobby. I’ve always followed my father on the tracks, he’s been a racer for many, many years, but it was mostly my older brother, Antoine, that did the driving and was passionate about it. We tried a bit of VW Fun Cup before but it wasn’t for me. I came because I enjoyed the family moment, but after a couple of races I said, this is not my cup of tea, I prefer being social with my friends. And then, three years ago, I came back from a trip in Latin America with my girlfriend, who is now my wife. When I came back, my father had a track day at Donington planned and invited me along so we could catch up. That’s where I sat in the Williams for the first time, I did one lap and I was hooked. I decided right on the day that that’s what I wanted to do. This was my new passion. Since then, it’s all I can think about! I’ve been training at the gym quite a lot, got myself a sim, and watch all the races vigorously, even when I’m not at a Masters event and there’s no livestream. I just get out the live timing and watch from a distance what my fellow competitors are doing. So it’s become a passion, but it’s only come up later!

So you actually moved up from VW Fun Cup to Formula 1! What was the transition like?

WA: Well, it wasn’t much of a transition because when I started Fun Cup, I wasn’t putting my fullest into it. I was driving because I wanted to drive, but I wasn’t racing. So it was just a straight start from day one with an F1!

You soon found out you were pretty good at it. That must have helped.

WA: Yeah, something kind of clicked, so it’s probably a bit in my blood, and then when you’re young you’re less scared. And ultimately, when you’re not paying the bills you just go pedal to the metal a bit easier than the others! But yes, it’s clicked quite well, I’m quite happy with the progress I’ve made and I’m glad to be fighting at the top with the others.

What was your first Masters event?

WA: That was Zandvoort in 2023 – a special one. It was a new race format with three races and one qualifying session. If I remember correctly, there was no practice session and it was straight into quali, and into my first race, having only driven the car a couple of months before at Donington. So it was quite scary. I kept it on the track and actually thanks to the reverse grid for the third race I managed to get a podium in my first weekend! Fighting at the front obviously makes it more fun. If it wasn’t for the fighting, I don’t think it would be as pleasant to be racing in these cars. There’s fighting in the races but also during qualifying. Once you’re competing at the top, it makes everything more interesting. You want to study harder, you want to talk to the other drivers, see what they are doing and in what gear they took that corner. This is the beauty of Masters – you can be competitive but you can also do this entirely as a gentleman driver. That’s special because I want to do this my entire life.

So you’re obviously in it to win it now, but you also see yourself doing this for many more decades.

WA: I hope in 50 years when I won’t be at the front anymore, I will still have fun at the back! I don’t want to put this behind me as long as my body is able to. Not just that, I want to try other races as well. It’s weird because I’ve basically only done Formula One! I’ve tried our Pescarolo LMP1 and raced that at Silverstone, which was amazing, and then also did Spa, which was harder in the rain. So I’m starting to get a bit of experience in that car. Which is also super fun – it’s completely different, much less analogue and so much more comfortable. I don’t know which one I prefer but I’d be glad to branch out and try the other disciplines that this sport has to offer.

So apart from Formula One and LMP1, maybe a pre-66 car?

WA: We don’t have any in stock, but it could be fun to go that way. I’d love to try Group C – that’s on the bucket list. But everything in its own time, or else there’s not much more to do later on, and it’s a bigger step up.

Your best day in motor racing up until now?

WA: Definitely by far, without hesitation, it would be our first race at Spa in 2023. My brother Antoine won the Masters Endurance Legends race in the Dallara-ORECA, and then right after that I won the Formula One race – so on home turf, two brothers winning two races in a row! Unfortunately, my dad had an accident during quali so he had to watch, but he got to see his two sons winning a race each. It’s just a whole 360 of memories that I’ll never forget.

And your worst day?

WA: Today is a bad day – my gearbox is cracked! I’ve been pretty unlucky in most of my races this year actually. It’s a culmination of things, but the atmosphere is still there. I’d say the worst day was probably Hockenheim, where in practice I was super good, and the track was so much better than I had anticipated. Unfortunately, the LMP1 caught fire, no danger whatsoever, but it reminds you that you have to be careful. But when the lows are low, the highs are much higher.

You started the year well with pole at Paul Ricard.

WA: Yeah, I’d say that’s my second best souvenir, at one of my favorite events. The turn up was insane, and I really like that track. People find it like an open parking space, but I actually like it. It’s quite fast and quite safe. And I managed to put it on pole on a full grid with some very good drivers behind me. Unfortunately, towards the end of the race, I couldn’t avoid contact.

The best car you’ve ever driven?

WA: The Brabham, by far, but I haven’t driven many cars! I’ve driven the Williams, the Brabham, the Pescarolo and the Fun Cup. I started out in the Williams, which is an awesome car, but it’s more dialled into understeering, the Brabham is very oversteery. Straight from when I was 18, I was lucky enough to get some powerful rear-wheel drive BMWs, so I got quite comfortable and confident very quickly with the oversteer. And that Brabham, if you treat it right and you manage that oversteer right, it really puts you exactly where you want to be. And visually, it looks super sexy!

So you weren’t surprised that Lukas [Halusa] was so good in it right from the start, winning twice at Zandvoort?

WA: Yes, I saw the result at Zandvoort, that was crazy! I’m looking forward to having the two cars racing as a team together.

And the worst car?

WA: None. Maybe in ten years I’ll be able to have some anecdotes on bad cars, but it’s not been the case for me yet. I’m lucky enough to have raced in cars run by Front Row Racing. They are true wizards, so the cars are super well taken care of.

And your favourite circuit?

WA: There’s Belgian bias here, so Spa! But I think if you ask most people, they’ll all say Spa. Because it really is brilliant. The scenery alone is quite notable, and the up and downs are amazing. It feels so good to be able to go flat out on that racetrack, no matter the car. It’s just as much fun with the Fun Cup car. Silverstone is great too, I really like it, and actually, Portimão is quite fun. You have that up and down that Spa also has.

Why doesn’t Masters go to…?

WA: My father has a list of all the tracks he wants to do. His bucket list is all of them! But if there’s one that stands out, then Barcelona would be nice.

Who is that rival that you fear or respect the most?

WA: It’s obviously my father. He is my rival and my mentor at the same time, so I’m quite happy with that arrangement. We’re often on track side by side. Also, Front Row Racing has a list of very good drivers that I always try to come close to. Matt Wrigley is very fast, Mike Cantillon is super fast. It changes from one race to another, but I’m always super happy if I manage to get next to those guys.

And who’s your best mate in the paddock?

WA: Whenever he’s there, it has to be my brother, Antoine. And all the mechanics are super fun, we have a good laugh all the time. It’s a friendly atmosphere at Masters, and it’s super cool to be part of these events.

Will Antoine go back to racing?

WA: Yes, in time, we would like that. We need one more car, so as long as he stays out, I stay in. But at one point I’m going to have to give him the seat back, because he is pretty quick! His one-lap pace is amazing and his race pace is just as good. So yeah, it would be just perfect to have my father, my brother and me on the same track at the same time.