Wolfgang von Trips

Interesting facts

Born into an old Rhineland noble family under the full name Wolfgang Alexander Albert Eduard Maximilian Reichsgraf Berghe von Trips, he grew up in a moated castle at Horrem. He inherited agricultural and fruit-growing estates but had little enthusiasm for farming, his real passion lying entirely in motor racing. Fellow drivers called him 'Taffy,' a nickname whose origin was never firmly established. Living with diabetes throughout his career, he ate sugary snacks during races to keep his blood glucose stable behind the wheel. His Ferrari debut at the 1956 Italian Grand Prix ended without even qualifying; his first podium came on the same circuit a year later. Wins at the Dutch and British Grands Prix in 1961 put him at the top of the championship table that season. Attempting an overtake on the approach to Parabolica during the 1961 Italian Grand Prix, he collided with Jim Clark's Lotus on the second lap; his Ferrari launched into a spectator-lined embankment and fence, killing him and fifteen spectators in what remains Formula One's deadliest single accident, he died leading the championship, and the crash led the FIA to ban steeply banked corners from Grand Prix circuits. Wolfgang von Trips raced in Formula 1 from 1956 to 1961, across 6 seasons as a German driver. He scored a total of 56 championship points over his career.