Jochen Rindt

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Racing career

Rindt rode his first race at the Flugplatz in 1961 in his grandmother's Simca Montlhéry. He only entered after a friendly high-ranking motorsport functionary from Graz intervened on his behalf after missing the formal application deadline. During the race, he was black flagged for his reckless driving style and therefore disqualified; he did not immediately return to the pit lane because he was unaware of the rules. Rindt participated in many rallies with his Simca but did not achieve encouraging results. He was only when he was offered a race-prepared Alfa Romeo GT 1300 at a lower price and free servicing by a local dealership that became more popular. He won eight titles in the Alfa Romeo.

Rindt, a wealthy operator of a travel business and one of Austria's top competitors at the time, joined Formula Junior in 1963, and the two men became a team, racing together. Rindt was fastest in qualifying for his first run in Vallelunga, a race won by Barry, and he was victor in his second at Cesenatico. Rindt had profited from an accident in the beginning of the game. Although most drivers slowed for the forthcoming ambulance, he raced between the straw barriers and the parked medical vehicle to take the lead. He was known for his inspiritious style at the time, nearly crashing into the audience at a marathon in Budapest's streets.

Rindt was very successful in Formula Two racing, winning a total of 29 times. He began working with Barry and began to work together in a Brabham car. Cosworth's engines were slower and ineffective; Rindt responded to his reduced tempo by saying, "Then I just brake two meters later." In April 1964, he began his first F2 race at Aspern, and he retired from both heats. Rindt won the London Trophy race at the Crystal Palace circuit in a Brabham BT10 before Graham Hill in May 1964.

Rindt, like many other Formula One racers, continued to compete in Formula Two alongside his Formula One duties; his last F2 appearance was the Festspielpreis der Salzburg in August 1970. He dominated Formula Two in 1967, winning nine races in his Brabham BT23. Jacky Ickx was given the award as a veteran Formula One racer, meaning his contributions did not count towards the championship. Nevertheless, his appearances led him to be dubbed "king of Formula 2" by the racing press. He had a long-term relationship with Roy Winkelmann and drove with his team until it closed at the end of 1969.

Rindt took up sports car racing in the mid-1960s, alongside single-seater racing. Rindt completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a total of four times. At his debut in 1964, he was sharing a Ferrari 250LM with David Piper. Rindt was too late to drive it.

Rindt's best result came at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans the following year. Rindt won the event after sharing the driving of a Ferrari 250LM with American Masten Gregory for the North American Racing Team. Neither driver was keen to race in a seemingly uncompetitive vehicle. According to a 1998 Motor Sport story, neither seemed to be involved in the sport, but rather "more a case of 'hope it breaks soon' so they could draw their money and split." The drivers had to get to their cars right off the track, but Rindt took the lead early after his foot touched the throttle and took the lead. In the early stages of the race, the pair had a lot of trouble; the car did not restart after Gregory's first pit stop. The engine failed partially, and Gregory brought the vehicle into the pits on only six of twelve cylinders. Rindt had already changed into civilian clothes at this point, presumably waiting for their race to be over. The car was restored, Rindt and Gregory decided to continue the investigation "flat out" after thirty minutes of repairs, despite the attendant danger. Rindt ruled the night, rising from 18th to third position by dawn, moving from 18th to third position by dawn. Gregory begged Rindt to let him drive the closing portion of the race, fearing that his young teammate would not drive enough to support the car to the end. Jacky Ickx later told the two that they had been "like maniacs." Nonetheless, the car remained, delivering the pair what Ickx described as a "unexpected victory."

Rindt rode, again in a Ferrari 250LM, at the 500 kilometer run at Zeltweg later this year. Due to a special lever that could be used by a computerized brake light, he was able to win ahead of the more powerful Ferrari of Mike Parkes. Rindt was able to compel Parkes to stop earlier than he did, allowing him to stay ahead.

He never finished the Le Mans run in 1965 other than his 1965 triumph. In 1966, his Ford GT40 (shared with Innes Ireland) suffered an engine failure. Gerhard Mitter and his Porsche 907 were driving together until the camshaft failed a year later.

Rindt made his Formula One debut at home, the 1964 Austrian Grand Prix, in a loaned Brabham BT11 provided by the Rob Walker Racing Team. In his first Grand Prix of the season, he sprangled on the 58th lap with a broken steering column.

Rindt joined Cooper as a permanent driver for 1965 Formula One, teaming Bruce McLaren. At the time, Cooper, formerly a top team, was having trouble, but he wasn't immediately happy. He suffered with transistor malfunctions in his first race, the 1965 South African Grand Prix; however, the injury was not limited and Rindt had to withdraw from the sport; His best result at the German Grand Prix in Nürburgring came in fourth place. He finished the season with four points, 13th in the championship.

Cooper introduced the T81 chassis in 1966 and used nine-year old Maserati V12 engines, which were both fast but heavy. For the season, a new engine style was introduced, with the capacity doubled to three litres. Many teams struggled with the new rules, leaving Cooper in second place with their old Maserati V12s. Rindt became the team captain until 1964 world champion John Surtees joined Ferrari after McLaren left McLaren. Rindt qualified second in second race of the year, following Surtees in second place on the front row. He overtook Surtees for the lead on lap four in a race marred by heavy rain. He spun several times on the wet track and suffered from a limited-slip difference, but he retained the lead until Surtees repasted him and won. It was Rindt's first podium finish in Formula One, after what Motor Sport magazine called a "very brave" drive. He earned three podium positions, giving him his third position in the championship at the end of the year.

Rindt's 1967 debut was less successful, as Rindt only ran two races, the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix, placing both in fourth place. He finished the season in 13th place in the championship after six points.

Rindt had offers from every team other than Lotus and Honda before 1968, and the team that had won the world champions in the two previous seasons was Brabham. That year, he was restricted by technical difficulties. In third place, Brabham's Repco V8 engine was not competitive against the newly-used Cosworth DFV and Rindt finished just two races, both in third place. Rindt came third in the season opener in South Africa on New Year's Day, being boosted by Jackie Stewart's late retirement and closing on second-placed Graham Hill. Jim Clark, a close friend of Rindt's, was the winner of the competition. Clark's last Formula One race was held in Hockenheim; he died three months later at a Formula Two race. Rindt was deeply affected by his death, according to Austrian journalist Heinz Prüller, "If Jim Clark is not safe, what will happen to us?" says Austrian journalist Heinz Prüller. Stewart finished second in heavy rain and fog at the Nürburgring at the German Grand Prix, his second podium finish, a step ahead of Hill in second place. Rindt had closed down on Hill in the later stages of the race after the Englishman spun and ended just four seconds behind after a close contest in the last lap. His eight points made him the twelfth in the championship at the end of the season.

He participated in the Indianapolis 500 in 1967 and 1968, but finished fifth and 32nd in 1968, just shy of the top five laps in the 1967 race. In an interview with Heinz Prüller in 2014, Rindt recalled that he talked to him about Indianapolis in 1967: "I always feel like I am on my way to my own funeral." "It is tragic, I only drive there for the money," he said at another time about the track.

Rindt joined the 1968 World Constructors' Champion Lotus, where he joined the defending Drivers' Champion Graham Hill. Rindt was dissatisfied with the change due to the Lotus's notorious unreliability; the Lotus team was involved in 31 accidents between 1967 and 1969. Hill alone had nine accidents between 1968 and 1970, which culminated in him laughing: "I know I am in a Lotus every time I am being overtaken by my own wheel." When Rindt joined Lotus, he and de facto boss Bernie Ecclestone, who had negotiated the contract, said they were aware that Brabham may have been a better option of team, but the Lotus's speed gave Rindt a chance to win the championship. "I can either be the world champion or die at Lotus," Rindt said. Rindt did not sign the Lotus contract until shortly before the 1969 Spanish Grand Prix, owing to his insecurity about the benefits of joining the team.

Rindt's hesitance appeared justified after both he and Hill suffered at high speeds at the Spanish Grand Prix in Montjuc. In both cases, the suspension mounted wings on the cars broke off, causing accidents that may have killed either driver. Rindt's car was knocked off the track and into the barriers, where it collided with the stationary car of Hill, which was also on the scene. Though Rindt only had a broken nose, one marshal lost an eye and another had his foot broken, and another had his foot broken. Rindt was furious with Lotus's team manager, Colin Chapman, after the crash: "I place the blame on him [Chapman] and rightfully so, because he should have predicted that the wings would break," Rindt told a reporter after the accident. In an interview with a day later, he said: "These wings are insanity [ein Wahnsinn] in my eyes, and should not be allowed on racing cars. But getting any wisdom into Colin Chapman's head is impractical." When asked if he'd lost confidence in Lotus after the crash, he replied, "I never had any faith in Lotus," going on to say that his relationship with the team was "purely business." He was disqualified from the Monaco Grand Prix, a series that Hill also won due to his injury.

Rindt's 1969 season was the year he "came of age," Jackie Stewart later described it. Despite placing fourth in the championship, Motor Sport magazine said "he was the only driver to threaten Stewart consistently throughout the season." The Lotus 49B's poor performance harmed him; he had withdrawn from seven sports after retiring from seven races. Rindt fought Stewart for the lead at the British Grand Prix, a 90 seconds ahead of third-placed Jacky Ickx. The race was decided in Stewart's favour, but Rindt had to walk into the pits after a piece of his car's bodywork scribbled on the tyre; he finished fourth. He was involved in a memorable finish at the Italian Grand Prix. He began his career from pole position and has traded the lead with Stewart and Piers Courage several times. Rindt, Stewart, McLaren, and Jean-Pierre Beltoise were running close together as they approached the finish line during the last lap. Stewart won by eight hundredths of a second ahead of Rindt, only eight hundredths of a second behind Rindt, who came in second second, while fourth placed McLaren was just within two tenths of a second. It was the closest 1–2–3–4 finish in the sport's history. Rindt won $100,000—the highest monetary reward in Formula One history at the time. Hill's victory was overshadowed by a major leg injury following him.

John Miles, Rindt's partner at Lotus in 1970, had left the team to drive for Rob Walker's customer brand, which was later revealed by him. Rindt was the undisputed team leader. He qualified fourth in South Africa's first Grand Prix of the season, but he eventually pulled an engine out after a first lap crash with Chris Amon and Jack Brabham, the former champion of the latter of whom went on to win for the final time in his career. Lotus unveiled their revolutionary new car model in the Spanish Grand Prix following the series. The Lotus 72 featured two on each side of the cockpit rather than a single conventional front radiator. To reduce unsprung weight, the four brakes were mounted inboard, in place of the widely used coil springs. The left semi-axle of the vehicle burst during its first practice session, throwing Rindt into a spin. Rindt withdrew the car in the event, and the car was also ineffective in the event; after nine laps, Rindt was released.

As the Lotus 72 was not as popular as the team had hoped, it was returned to the factory to be rebuilt, and Rindt used the old Lotus 49 for the next race in Monaco. The older vehicle was unbalanced by the necessity of using tyres that were not supposed for the new style. Rindt created what his race engineer Herbie Blash referred to as "the run of his life." He began his career on a path that was not well-known for lacking overtaking opportunities. He came in second place in the closing stages, steadily closing the gap on leader Jack Brabham. Brabham slowed too late, touched the kerbstone, stepped forward into the straw bales on the final lap, giving Rindt his first victory of the season. Rindt used the Lotus 49 for the final time at the Belgian Grand Prix, a series in which he chastised the organisers for constructing guardrails with gaps of several meters between them. He had started training in the refurbished 72, but the car came to a halt early in the session due to a cracked lower wishbone, forcing Rindt to switch cars once more. Despite engine problems during the rest of practice, he was able to qualify on the front row but then had to start with another engine failure.

Rindt used the latest Lotus 72, which was more sorted after changes had been made at the Dutch Grand Prix. In the final practice session, he took pole position, nearly a quarter of a second ahead of his closest rival, Stewart. Rindt won his maiden victory in the Lotus 72, but it wasn't an enjoyable occasion for him; on lap 23, his close friend Piers Courage, with whom he had eaten dinner just the night before, died in a fiery fire. Rindt was greatly shaken by the death of yet another fellow driver and considered retirement.

Rindt, who achieved success at Zandvoort, regained a lot of faith in the new Lotus 72, describing it as "the best racing vehicle available at the moment." However, he continued to have problems. Rindt decided not to wear his new all-enveloping Bell-Star crash helmet during practice for the French Grand Prix because it was too hot. He returned to his open-front helmet, only to be struck in the chest by a brick from another vehicle, resulting in a deep scar on his right cheek. On his car, he had also suffered from a steering failure. He stormed into the Lotus garage and yelled at Colin Chapman: "I will kill both of you if this happens again and I live." Rindt was still able to win the race, gaining the lead in the championship. The British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch was the next event. Jacky Ickx led the way early in the game ahead of Brabham and Rindt, but Rindt saw the opportunity to pass Brabham for the lead. Brabham was able to regain control on lap 69 as Rindt missed a gear and seemed the definite winner, only to repeat his humiliation of Monaco: on the last lap, Rindt won his third straight victory. His victory was put into question shortly after the race was called into question by Chief Scrutineer Cecil Mitchell, who discovered the rear aerofoil not at the permitted height. Rindt was provisionally disqualified, but only after three hours of deliberation, did she become the winner.

The German Grand Prix was originally scheduled to take place at the Nürburgring, which would have been held at its new location. The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), which is represented by Rindt and Graham Hill, has requested that the circuit be updated to improve security, including Armco barriers along the entire 22.8 kilometers (14.2 miles) of the Nordschleife. There was no agreement reached, and the Grand Prix took place in Hockenheim, where Rindt won his fourth title in succession. This time between Rindt and Ickx, who swapped the lead several times. He may have fought for the drivers' title at his home event at the Austrian Grand Prix, which was an impressive feat. He positioned the Lotus 72 on pole position, much to the awe of the crowd, but he was forced to withdraw from the competition due to an engine failure. The title decision was therefore postponed to the next race in Monza.

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