Taesch Wahlen to Depart Asian Le Mans Series Director Role

Asian Le Mans Endurance Management CEO Cyrille Taesch Wahlen will leave his role as head of the Asian Le Mans Series in May and be succeeded by new Le Mans Endurance Management CEO Frederic Lequien.

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest announced on Tuesday that Taesch Wahlen will step down from his position as the head of the French organization’s regional ALMEM arm which has been responsible for running the Asian Le Mans Series since 2015.

Taesch Wahlen will officially leave his post on May 28, after which Lequien will take over the supervision of Asian Le Mans Series teams.

Lequien became the head of the ACO’s LMEM organization, which runs the FIA World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series, at the start of this year as the successor to Gerard Neveu.

This latest leadership change brings the Asian Le Mans Series closer to the LMEM organization.

Taesch Wahlen was appointed operations manager of the Asian Le Mans Series in March 2015 and went on to direct the championship through its next six seasons.

The series experienced significant growth during Taesch Wahlen’s time at the helm, with a record grid of more than 30 cars contesting the most recent campaign in February.

Its expansion developed from single-figure grids in 2014, after which the ACO set up ALMEM and took the series in-house from a previous licensing agreement.

“These years at ALMEM, organizing and promoting the Asian Le Mans Series and the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup, have been rich and intense,” said Taesch Wahlen.

“The championship has developed both on a competitive level and in terms of recognition and media interest as a result of our accomplishments since 2015.

“I shall miss all the people who have worked relentlessly to make the Asian Le Mans Series a prominent feature of the racing calendar, and particularly my fantastic team.

“I would also like to thank our partners for their unwavering support during these years.

“I am proud to have played a part in the emergence of this championship, its standing in the motorsport landscape, and the growth in its popularity and reputation year after year.”

Taesch Wahlen’s next role following his departure from ALMEM has not been communicated.

ACO President Pierre Fillon expressed his gratitude to Taesch Wahlen for spearheading the Asian Le Mans Series’ growth over the last six seasons.

“Thanks to Cyrille, the Asian Le Mans Series is now an integral part of the endurance pyramid,” he said.

“The growing appeal of the championship is illustrated by the fact that a record number of 36 cars lined up on track for the 2021 season, with 12 new teams competing in the four races.

“The Asian Le Mans Series has made a place for itself in the endurance landscape and, for that, my sincere thanks go to Cyrille who has worked hard at the head of the championship for over six years.

“I would also like to salute here his skills. I wish him all the best for the next step in his career.”