- Born
- Died
- Birth nameKarl Jochen Rindt
- Height6′ (1.83 m)
- Born in Germany, Rindt's family moved to Austria when he was a boy. He started his racing career in Austria, and honed his skills throughout the European community, working through the lesser Formula ranks before entering Formula 1 in 1964. Rindt was always a promising racer and proved his worth by winning against established stars in the Formula 2 ranks, but could never break through to victory lane in Formula 1 until his fifth full season when he won his first race at Watkins Glen, N.Y. (1969 U.S. Grand Prix). He was one of the favorites for the 1970 championship and he didn't disappoint, winning five races, four straight at one point. He was in the lead for the world title and had promised his Finnish wife Nina that he would retire if he won the championship, however he was killed during practice for the Italian Grand Prix. Ironically, he had built up such a huge lead in the championship that nobody could accumulate enough points to pass him and Rindt was declared the world's first (and so far) posthumous World Champion.
- IMDb mini biography by: Ken Severson
- SpouseNina Rindt(March 5, 1967 - September 5, 1970) (his death, 1 child)
- ChildrenNatascha Rindt
- ParentsKarl RindtIlse Rindt
- Only driver to win the Formula 1 World Championship posthumously (1970).
- First Austrian World Champion (1970).
- Won six World Championship grand prix races, 10 pole positions and had three fastest race laps.
- Raised by his maternal grandparents after his parents were killed in the July 1943 Allied bombing of Hamburg.
- Racing idol was Wolfgang von Trips. Ironically, Rindt and von Trips were killed at Monza.
- In the end I got thrown out [of school] and went to England to learn English. I learned to drive while I was in England but I was too young to get a licence. When I went back home I broke my leg skiing but I decided I was more than capable of driving myself - even though I had one leg in plaster. I actually drove without a licence for 18 months and then got caught the day before I was eligible to collect it.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
