Karl Wendlinger

35
Karl Wendlinger bigraphy, stories - Austrian racing driver

Karl Wendlinger : biography

20 December 1968 –

}} –

Team(s) = Leyton House, March, Sauber Races = 42 (41 starts) Championships = 0 Wins = 0 Podiums = 0 Points = 14 Poles = 0 Fastest laps = 0 First race = 1991 Japanese Grand Prix First win = Last win = Last race = 1995 Australian Grand Prix

}}

Karl Wendlinger (born 20 December 1968 in Kufstein at grandprix.com) is an Austrian sportscar racing and former Formula One driver.

Formula One

1991–1992: Leyton House/March

Wendlinger’s Formula One debut came at the 1991 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, bringing some money to the beleagured Leyton House team in place of long-serving Ivan Capelli. He qualified in 22nd place in a field of 26, but was unable to convert that into anything more, after he retired due to a big collision at turn one, between himself, J.J. Lehto, Andrea de Cesaris and Emanuele Pirro. His second race didn’t fare much better as the Adelaide circuit was a wash-out, torrential rain leading to a curtailed event. Wendlinger was classified in 20th place, two laps down on eventual winner Ayrton Senna, after aquaplaning on some of the huge puddles of water present that day.

Wendlinger was kept at the renamed March team in 1992, alongside Paul Belmondo. The team were struggling financially due to the withdrawal of the Leyton House organisation, the only modifications to the 1991 car being reworking the cockpit to accommodate Wendlinger’s tall frame. The results were very encouraging, including starting 7th at the opening South African Grand Prix but results were limited by the team’s financial restraints. For example, at the Spanish Grand Prix the drying track at the start saw the Footwork team make a late change of tyres to their cars on the starting grid, incurring a fine but finishing 5th and 7th. Wendlinger was 8th, March being unable to afford the fine for changing his tyres at the same time. However, at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal a race of attrition allowed Wendlinger to bring the car home in fourth position, albeit a lap down – but nonetheless a huge result considering the financial troubles his team were in. These three points allowed Wendlinger to finish 12th in the drivers championship ahead of respected names such as Ivan Capelli, Thierry Boutsen, Johnny Herbert and former Brabham and Tyrrell driver Stefano Modena.

1993–1995: Sauber

For 1993, Wendlinger was re-united with Peter Sauber, who that year had become a Formula One team owner. Much was expected of the team and early on Wendlinger and team-mate JJ Lehto mixed with the front runners. Initially he was out-paced by the Finn, who scores points in two of the first four races though some of this was down to bad luck; Wendlinger had qualified 5th at Donington for example only to be eliminated by Michael Andretti on the first lap. At the Monaco Grand Prix Wendlinger and Lehto collided, the team blaming the Finn. After that Wendlinger’s results improved. He scored his first point of the season in the next round and added three more points scores – the best being 4th at the Italian Grand Prix after a long battle with Andretti. Other points finishes in Portugal and Hungary helped give Wendlinger 12th in the Championship again with seven points – two points and a place ahead of more experienced team-mate J.J. Lehto.

For 1994 he was retained as Mercedes made their official return to Formula 1, taking over Ilmor and becoming the team’s engine suppliers. Heinz-Harald Frentzen arrived in place of Lehto. The season started well for Wendlinger, he scored a point in the first race of the year at Interlagos and drove to fourth place in the San Marino race, an event marred by the deaths of both Wendlinger’s countryman Roland Ratzenberger and the multiple world champion Ayrton Senna.

The next race was in Monaco for the fourth round of the Championship. During the first practice session, Wendlinger exited the tunnel and lost control of the car under braking for the Nouvelle Chicane. The Sauber hit the wall sideways with considerable force. Wendlinger’s head struck a water-filled barrier within the metal crash barrier. FIA doctors found Wendlinger unconscious, and although his vital signs were quickly stabilized, he remained in a coma for several weeks and did not drive in a race for the rest of the year. He had planned to make his comeback at the Japanese Grand Prix but testing revealed his neck was not strong enough.