A Brief History
On September 5, 1970, German race car driver Karl Jochen Rindt was killed in a practice lap accident for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix event at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy. Despite succumbing to his injuries, he became the first driver to be posthumously awarded the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship after piling up enough wins to secure the championship.
Digging Deeper
Despite being born in Germany, Rindt competed as an Austrian. The 1970 win was his only Formula One World Drivers’ Championship season, though he also won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965.
Only 28 years old when he died, his habit of only using four of the five point harness attachments and to not wear the crotch straps, allowed him to slide under his safety belts which cut his throat, causing his death. The crash was blamed on brake shaft failure and improper crash barriers.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: What is your favorite form of auto racing?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Glavitza, Erich. Jochen Rindt: A man of hidden depths. McKlein Distribution, 2021.
Tremayne, David. Jochen Rindt: Uncrowned King of Formula 1. Evro Publishing Limited, 2020.
