Jochen Rindt

Interesting facts

Both of Rindt's parents died in a bombing raid on Hamburg when he was just fifteen months old; raised by his grandparents in Graz, he raced under an Austrian licence for his whole career despite keeping his German citizenship. He took his first Grand Prix win at the 1969 United States Grand Prix, earning a $50,000 prize, the largest sum ever paid out in Formula One up to that point. The 1969 Italian Grand Prix produced one of the closest finishes in the sport's history, with Rindt crossing the line just eight hundredths of a second behind winner Jackie Stewart in a four-car blanket finish. Alongside Jackie Stewart, he pushed hard for driver safety through the Grand Prix Drivers' Association; the press dubbed the pair the 'Geneva connection' because both lived in Switzerland. He won the Lotus 72's first race at the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix, but his friend Piers Courage died in a fiery crash during the same event, leaving Rindt so shaken he considered quitting racing altogether. He died on 5 September 1970 during practice at Monza, likely after a brake shaft failure sent his car into the barriers; because he wore only four of his harness's five straps for a quicker exit, he slid underneath the belt on impact, which fatally cut his throat. Rindt was leading the championship by a wide margin when he died, and no rival could catch his points total by season's end, making him the only driver ever crowned world champion posthumously; Jackie Stewart presented the trophy to his widow, Nina, in November 1970. Jochen Rindt made his Formula 1 debut in 1964 and raced until 1970, 7 seasons in total as an Austrian driver. He won the World Championship once, in 1970. He scored a total of 107 championship points over his career.