Zakspeed (German pronunciation: [ˈtsakspiːt]) is a motor racing team from Germany, founded in 1968 by Erich Zakowski and then run by his son Peter Zakowski. It is based in Niederzissen, Rhineland-Palatinate, around 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the Nürburgring circuit.

The team was, together with the Rial Racing, one of the two last German Formula One teams based in Germany (with the Zakspeed's base in Niederzissen).

Zakowski founded Zakspeed in 1973 with the ambition of competing in sports car racing. In the late 1970s, the team became the official Ford team in the German Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM) series, a predecessor of the current DTM. Zakspeed constructed and entered an FIA Group 2 Escort and the Group 5 Capri, based on the MKIII production model. During this period, the team achieved a number of victories including the overall championship in 1981 with driver Klaus Ludwig.

In the early 1980s, Zakspeed also prepared a Mustang for Ford USA's Special Vehicle Operations to race in the domestic IMSA Camel GT series. The Mustang chassis was based on the Group 5 Capri.

In 1982, Zakspeed ran the works Ford C100 Group C effort in conjunction with the factory. The Zakspeed-prepared machine was run by the works Ford Germany team with Klaus Ludwig, Manfred Winkelhock and Marc Surer at the wheel. The car was a midfielder at best, although Jonathan Palmer and Desiré Wilson scored a 4th place overall the 1000 km of Brands Hatch in 1982. Ford Germany retracted their support and one car was sold to privateers, while the other chassis was evolved by Zakspeed into the C1/4 and the C1/8, making few appearances in international racing, but becoming a front-runner in the German Interserie, where it won the championship in 1984 with Klaus Niedzwiedz.

The engine was the basis for their Formula One entry from 1985 to 1988. Zakspeed became notable for building their own chassis and engine, something only Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Renault did at that time. After a maiden season with Jonathan Palmer, the team hired the first Formula 3000 champion Christian Danner and ex-Tyrrell driver Martin Brundle. The team's best result (and only points finish) was Brundle's 5th place in the 1987 San Marino Grand Prix.

For their final season, in 1989, Zakspeed switched to Yamaha engines as turbos were banned. The Japanese engine was unreliable and drivers Bernd Schneider (former German Formula 3 champion), Piercarlo Ghinzani and the rookie Aguri Suzuki struggled to pre-qualify the car. Schneider only qualified the car twice and retired both times, while Suzuki never got past pre-qualifying. Despite announcements in late November about an exclusive engine supply deal with Yamaha for the 1990 season, the team retired from the sport at the end of the year.

In 1987 while still doing Formula 1 Zakspeed also returned to their touring car roots with a works programme with BMW using the M3 in both the DTM and the European Championship the latter while the 2 main BMW works teams Schnitzer and Bigazzi focused on the World Championship while also running the revived BMW Junior Team in the DTM, in 1988 after the World Championship was cancelled Schnitzer and Bigazzi returned to being BMW's works teams in the European Championship in its final season with Zakspeed running the works DTM BMWs along with Linder, in 1989 in the DTM they and Linder were joined by Schnitzer after the European Championship was axed at the end of 1988 and in 1990 for Zakspeed's final season as a BMW works team Zakspeed focused on the DTM full time after quitting Formula 1 and Bigazzi joining the DTM full time after focusing on the Italian series in 1989 after which Zakspeed would switch to Mercedes for 1991.