Jochen Rindt

Jochen Rindt (born the April 18th 1942 with Mainz, Germany - deceased the September 5th 1970 with Monza, Italy) was a racing driver Austrian of German origin. Present in Formula 1 of 1964 to 1970, it is crowned world champion in 1970 on a purely posthumous basis, single fact in annals of Formula 1.

Biography

Beginnings

Born in Germany into 1942 from a German father and an Austrian mother, Jochen Rindt loses his/her parents later less than one year in a allied bombardment. It is then collected by his maternal grandparents and grows with Graz, in Austria. With its majority, thanks to a comfortable heritage, it begins the automobile race. Initially of manner wild in surroundings of Graz (in particular with his/her friend of childhood Helmut Marko which will make him also career), then in an official way, in competitions of private cars. In 1963, it reaches the single-seater following the purchase of Cooper Formule Junior, then in 1964, it acquires Brabham F2. Rindt creates sensation quickly by gaining this year London Trophy (on the circuit of Hook De luxe hotel) with the nose and the beard of several stars confirmed of Formula 1. It also makes its beginnings in the championship of the world of the sport scars, with the 1.000 km of Nürburgring on May 31st, 1964 on Ferrari 250 private LM which it divides with Umberto Maglioli; it realizes on this occasion the 9th time with the tests. At the end of the season, it carries out its beginnings in Formule 1 on Brabham deprived at the time of its national Grand Prix.

In 1965, Rindt is recruited to become one of the official pilots of the Cooper stable. For lack of a competitive material, its season transfers with the way of cross. But it is comforted in the sport scars: May 23rd, 1965 it obtains a beautiful third place with the 1 000 km of Nürburgring on Porsche 904-8 machine with Joakim Bonnier then gains in June the 24 Hours of Mans at the wheel of a Ferrari of the American team NART, as a crew with Masten Gregory. Delayed by engine trouble at the beginning of race, the two men obtain from their direction the right to control without reserve, and carry out a spectacular increase until the victory.

The galère Formulates 1 of them, glory Formulates 2 of them

Rindt finally makes speak about him in Formule 1 at the time of the season 1966. Thanks to a partnership with Maserati, the Cooper team is one of those which negotiates best the change of regulation and the passage to the " F1 3 liters". Rindt benefits from it to buckle the season in the third place of the championship of the world, with several places of honor to the key. But its more beautiful blow of glare, it owes it only with its only talent: on the vertiginous toboggan of Spa-Francorchamps, drowned by a terrible downpour, the young Austrian, in spite of a series of pirouettes at the beginning of race, delivers a demonstration of piloting and audacity. But its domination is opposed by driving concern which obliges it to yield the victory to John Surtees. It takes down all the same the first podium of its career Formulates 1 of them.

Promising season 1966 of Rindt and Cooper-Maserati will unfortunately not have a continuation. In 1967, the Anglo-Italian single-seaters are completely lost, and Rindt takes down only some poor wretches points. Its relations with its sport director Roy Salvadori feel some, so much so that after one énième dispute, it is put at foot the day before the ultimate race of the season. But this season of galère does not start of anything the flattering image which Jochen in the bed enjoys, because parallel to its vexations 1 Formulates some, it affirms like the uncontested Master of the Formule 2, discipline in which the variations of material are less than in F1 and where its piloting blazing and generous fact wonder. In 1968, it is recruited by the team Brabham to replace the world champion in title Denny Hulme. But for Rindt, this recruitment occurs with hitch. Dominating in 1966 and 1967 thanks to simple and pragmatic technical solutions, Brabham-Repco are with the sorrow in 1968, in particular vis-a-vis the beachcomber Cosworth taken along by Lotus.

Passage at Lotus

In 1969, Rindt joined Lotus. It replaces Jackie Oliver there, but is especially awaited like the substitute of Jim Clark, deceased one year earlier and with which it is more and more often compared. For the first time of its career, that which passes then to be the fastest pilot of the world (even if Jackie Stewart appears with much as more complete) profits from the most powerful car of the plate. But at Lotus, the speed is often conquered with the detriment of the reliability and the solidity of the machines, the originator of the Lotuses, Colin Chapman, being a follower of the proverb light is right . Victim throughout the season of an impressive series of mechanical breakages, Rindt avoids worst accuracy at the time of the GP of Spain, where it is victim of a rupture of its aileron postpones (technical which in is then with its stammerings) in the passing of a bump. It should only with the presence of a double line of rails of safety have the safe life. Wounded with the face, it owes all the same oberver several weeks of rest and to make the dead end on the GP of Monaco. Finally given up by the bad luck, it gains the first victory of its career in F1 at the end of the season in Watkins Glen, and is classified 4th championship, but far from its large rival and nevertheless friendly Jackie Stewart on the Matra. Little at ease within the Lotus team, where it is in permanent dissension with the philosophy of Chapman, Rindt plans to change air at the time of the off season, but Chapman manages to find the arguments (financial primarily) to retain its pilot.

Crowned on a purely posthumous basis

Announced beginning 1970 like the big favorite of the season following separation between Stewart and Matra, Rindt must await the GP of Monaco to gain its first success of the season. It benefits this day from an error from however tried out Jack Brabham, left with the fault in the last turn the test, by supervise the Lotus of the Austrian who grew bigger in his retros. Then, starting from the GP of the Netherlands, helped well by its revolutionist Lotus 72, it gains four consecutive GP which allow him with leaving the summer to have a comfortable advance with the championship of the world. But that does not prevent its reports/ratios from worsening with Colin Chapman, the director of Lotus. During one particularly dark time for the automobile sport (Rindt is in particular very affected by successive deaths of its former fellow-member Bruce McLaren, then of his/her friend Piers Courage), the Austrian pilot more and more badly saw the little of care that Chapman brings to safety its cars. Its fears are relayed by his wife Nina Rindt, present on all the races, and which disputes regularly with Chapman on the subject. Jochen Rindt then promises with his wife to give up Formula 1 at the evening of its world title, which seems almost so much assured its advance is large on its prosecutors.

It is thus with the ambition to widen a final gap on its adversaries that Rindt approaches the GP of Italy, first of the four handles still to be disputed. But with the free tests, on September 5th, it loses the control of its Lotus 72 in the Parabolica and will be embedded under a rail of safety. Seriously wounded with the neck, its death will be officialized a few hours later. The cause of the accident of Rindt forever which been able to be formally established, but the thesis which was essential with the passing of years is that of a failure of the brake of its Lotus.

In spite of the return in form of the Scuderia Ferrari (victory of Clay Regazzoni in Italy, then of Jacky Ickx in Canada), the first place of Rindt to the championship of the world is definitively ensured at the time of the GP of the United States, penultimate test of the season, gained by its substitute Emerson Fittipaldi. For the first time, a pilot is crowned world champion of Formula 1 on a purely posthumous basis.

Career Formulates 1 of them

60 Grand Prix disputed
6 victories
13 podiums
10 poles
3 better turns in race
World champion of Formula 1 1970

See too

Pilot of Formula 1: classification per year
Pilot of Formula 1: classification by Pilot victories
of Formula 1: classification by better Pilot turns
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot podiums
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot poles position
of Formula 1: classification by hat tricks

Simple: Jochen Rindt

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