Jochen Rindt

Date of birth: April 18, 1942 - Germany
Date of death: September 5, 1970 - Milan, Italy

Thirty seven years ago today.

Originally posted by WGD706
Date of birth: April 18, 1942 - Germany
Date of death: September 5, 1970 - Milan, Italy

Thirty seven years ago today.

I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news.

I will never forget my cousin's wedding anniversary.

I was attending a friend's 21st birthday party at a hotel when I heard the news.

Saw a newspaper hoarding headline when leaving a football match at Fulham....

Playing football in the back garden. My father knocked on the window and told me that it had just been announced on Grandstand.

I was completely devastated and numb later when they showed some of the final images of Jochen on the news - him signing an autograph before going out to practice and then the crashed car being brought back to the pits.

The walk to school was awful that week, Monza has some really cruel moments in its history, a few months earlier I watched him at Brands.....

I remember walking into our kitchen and my younger brother telling me he had just heard of Jochen's death on the radio. I didn't want to believe him.

September 5 was also Clay Regazzoni's birthday. And, of course, he went on to win his first GP the next day.

It was the day I realised in the deepest sense that - whatever what's been told about the theory of relativity - "time has an arrow" in reality and some things can never be made undone.



Totally shocked. Especially after seeing his so deeply sublime all through that season.

After Piers and Bruce, it was the final kick in the throat ....

If there is any fan of Jochen out here, I would be greatly interested to here your views on him.

How good was he? What were his strengths and weaknesses? Ive heard that he was a great qualifier, even destroyin Hill 18-0, who could run away into the distance when starting from pole, but was a little suspect when it came to battling through the field. Is that true?

And Ive also heard of and watched a few videos of his spectacularly sideways style. How was the experience of watching him live?

Besides, if he took on Jim Clark in the same team, how do you think he would have faired? Could he have matched him?

Would greatly appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks.

Edited by gillesthegenius, 04 October 2011 - 08:09.

If there is any fan of Jochen out here, I would be greatly interested to here your views on him.

How good was he? What were his strengths and weaknesses? Ive heard that he was a great qualifier, even destroyin Hill 18-0, who could run away into the distance when starting from pole, but was a little suspect when it came to battling through the field. Is that true?

And Ive also heard of and watched a few videos of his spectacularly sideways style. How was the experience of watching him live?

Besides, if he took on Jim Clark in the same team, how do you think he would have faired? Could he have matched him?

Would greatly appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks.

I saw Jochen race many times, often being the fastest guy on the track (witness Monaco 1970 in an outdated car) I saw Jim too, but by the time Jochen had an equally competitive car, Jim had sadly perished.....................In F2, Jochen was known as the King of F2, he won so often, as I witnessed in August '67 at Brands Hatch.

To be taken in his WDC year was so tragic, I remember being really upset walking to school the next morning.

Edited by sterling49, 04 October 2011 - 19:47.

Jochen certainly had the raw speed. I can't say how good his race craft was. His death intervened before he had time to demonstrate it.

At age 19, Rindt acquired a VW that had been in his family for years. He drove it in a few saloon car meetings, sold it to acquire a Simca Montlhery, drove it in a few such meetings and then entered the Styrian Mountain Rally (results unknown). At the next meeting, the Flugplatzrennen in Innsbruck, he was 3rd. At this point, that indicates better than average ability. He must've thought so, too, because he sold the Simca and acqured an Alfa Romeo Giuletta TI and had Conrero tune it. He won 8 races with it in 1962. That indicates quite a bit of ability and, again, he must've thought so, too because he sold the Alfa and sold his interest in his family's spice mill and acquired Kurt Bardi-Barry's FJ Cooper-Cosworth. At 21, he took part in the FJ season, winning the second race and finishing 3rd in the last. He must've impressed more than a few people because he then went into F2, on a Brabham. In his second race, at the Nurburgring, he placed ahead of Jim Clark and two races later, beat him and everyone else at Crystal Palace. Before the year was out, he was racing in F1, in Austria. It's been done before, and since, but it's rare that someone with so little experience has raced in F1. Yes, Rindt had the money to acquire the best cars - up to this point - but he had demonstrated rare ability. He wanted to drive for Rob Walker in 1965 but Walker suggested that he go with a team that had guaranteed starts in F1 and Rindt signed a three year contract with Cooper. The car was good but not great in '65 and '66 and a dog in '67. '68 - to Brabham. A more than good car but he retired in 10 of the 12 GPs. Meanwhile, he was cleaning up in F2 - 1 win in '65, 2 wins in '66, 9 wins in '67 and 7 wins in '68. With 4 F2 wins in '69 and 4 in '70, Rindt was, indeed, the King of F2 and he finally won in F1 but he had retired in 6 of 10 F1 races in '69. F1 being the pinnacle of motorsport, Rindt demonstrated his great ability at Monaco in '70. In his pursuit of Brabham, he actually went over the curb - not the curbs we're all familiar with on racecourses but an actual street curb. To take that risk, to be willing to do whatever it took to get up to Brabham, demonstrated that Rindt was determined like very few others. It demonstrated to me that he was one of the great race drivers that ever lived.

Jochen certainly had the raw speed. I can't say how good his race craft was. His death intervened before he had time to demonstrate it.

Saw him 'down-under'. Ragged edge often. Racer racing.

I saw Rindt race only once, in the wet at Warwick Farm in February 1969, where he pulverized the opposition.

In 2008 I interviewed both Sir Jack Brabham and Ron Tauranac and they both had great affection for Rindt.

Tauranac and Rindt used to room together when Rindt drove for Brabham and said he was a good guy who would muck in with everyone.

Sir Jack said he absolutely trusted Rindt in a dice, they could run wheel to wheel or interlock wheels and laugh about it after the race.

Sir Jack partially blames himself for Rindt's death as Rindt was signed to drive for Brabham for 1970, only to stay at Lotus for much more money. Brabham tried to persuade Rindt to stick with his deal, and worried about the fragility of a Lotus compared to a Brabham, but filthy lucre won out, much to Brabham's regret.

I've often wondered how much Bernie as Rindt's manager played a part in Rindt's decision - Bernie has often said Chunkey Chapman was his sort of guy.

It's such a tragedy that Rindt, re-signing for Lotus, winning a string of GPs and with the ultimate goal in site, was killed at the wheel of a Lotus.

Thanks a lot for the response folks. I greatly appreciate it. Its of great value for someone like me who wasnt around to watch those greats from the past, like Jochen.

Please do keep coming with your thoughts. Its very interesting.

Thanks.

Edited by gillesthegenius, 05 October 2011 - 07:26.

Btw, here is a great compliment Bernie made towards Jochen, when asked who Sebastian Vettel reminded him of the most...

"He reminds me of Jochen Rindt. Seb will always stay grounded, no matter how big the success. That is what makes real champions. That was also Jochen's strength."

Edited by gillesthegenius, 05 October 2011 - 07:23.