Jochen Rindt | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Rindt at the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix | |
| Born | Karl Jochen Rindt 18 April 1942 |
| Died | 5 September 1970 (aged 28) Monza Circuit, Lombardy, Italy |
| Cause of death | Injuries sustained at the 1970 Italian Grand Prix |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Austrian[b] |
| Active years | 1964–1970 |
| Teams | Walker, Cooper, Brabham, Lotus |
| Entries | 62 (60 starts) |
| Championships | 1 (1970) |
| Wins | 6 |
| Podiums | 13 |
| Career points | 107 (109)[a] |
| Pole positions | 10 |
| Fastest laps | 3 |
| First entry | 1964 Austrian Grand Prix |
| First win | 1969 United States Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1970 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1970 Italian Grand Prix |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1964–1967 |
| Teams | NART, Ford, Porsche |
| Best finish | 1st (1965) |
| Class wins | 1 (1965) |
Karl Jochen Rindt (German: [ˈjɔxn̩ ˈʁɪnt]; 18 April 1942 – 5 September 1970) was a racing driver, who competed under the Austrian flag in Formula One from 1964 to 1970. Rindt won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1970 with Lotus, and remains the only driver to have won the World Drivers' Championship posthumously, following his death at the Italian Grand Prix; he won six Grands Prix across seven seasons. In endurance racing, Rindt won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965 with NART.
Born in Germany and raised in Austria, Rindt started motor racing in 1961. Switching to single-seaters in 1963, he was successful in both Formula Junior and Formula Two. In 1964, Rindt made his debut in Formula One at the Austrian Grand Prix, before securing a full drive with Cooper for 1965. After mixed results with the team, he moved to Brabham for 1968 and then Lotus in 1969. It was at Lotus that Rindt found a competitive car, although he was often concerned about the safety of the notoriously unreliable Lotus vehicles. He won his first Formula One race at the 1969 United States Grand Prix. He had a very successful 1970 season, mainly racing the revolutionary Lotus 72, and won five of the first nine races. In practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, he spun into the guardrails after a failure on his car's brake shaft, and a poorly installed crash barrier gave way. Rindt was pronounced dead while on the way to hospital. As his closest competitor Jacky Ickx was unable to score sufficient points in the remaining races of the season, Rindt was awarded the World Championship posthumously. Rindt left behind his wife, Nina, and a daughter, Natasha.
Overall, he competed in 62 Grands Prix, winning six and achieving 13 podium finishes. He was also successful in sports car racing, winning the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans paired with Masten Gregory in a Ferrari 250LM. Rindt was a popular figure in Austria and his success resulted in increased interest in motorsport and Formula One in particular. He hosted a monthly television show titled Motorama and set up a successful exhibition of racing cars in Vienna. During his time in Formula One, he was involved alongside Jackie Stewart in a campaign to improve safety in Formula One.
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- ^ Mappes-Niediek 2008, p. 35.