The legacy that will be left by a tin-top great

Charly Lamm and the Schnitzer Motorsport name are almost interchangeable. When he steps down at the end of 2018, the absence of a driving force behind the touring car world's greatest empire will undeniably leave a huge void.

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Motor racing is not going to be quite the same without Charly Lamm. Not for me and, I'm sure, not for many others. It somehow won't feel right when the German is no longer at the helm of a team he turned into a byword for success with BMW over a period spanning five decades. That team, of course, is Schnitzer Motorsport.

Lamm's decision to hang up the headphones at the age of 63 is particularly pertinent to me. Our paths have crossed in so many different paddocks over the years, paddocks all around the world.

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Author Gary Watkins

Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 32nd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 75 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.

Gary, who also writes for Autoweek, Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.