The unforgotten ricochet driver and drifter Jochen Rindt
04/19/2012
Yesterday, the German Jochen Rindt, who competed under an Austrian license, would have celebrated his 70th birthday.
Unfortunately, he had a fatal accident when braking for the Parabolica corner at Monza on September 5 , 1970. Bernie Ecclestone, a great friend of Jochen Rindt, said to him in 1968: "If you want to become world champion, you absolutely have to drive a Lotus, but if you want to survive, then please stay with Brabham!" True words from a man who is now 82 years old.
Jochen Rindt's points lead in the ill-fated year of 1970 was just enough for him to become world champion posthumously. Only the Belgian Jacky Ickx in a Ferrari could have snatched the title from him in the end, but a faulty fuel line stopped him in the last race at Watkins Glen. Ickx has no regrets about the title. When we spoke at Spa last year, he said that the championship at that time belonged solely to the combination of Rindt and Lotus.
The chain-smoking Jochen Rindt was married to the pretty Finn Nina Lincoln, who gave him daughter Natascha on August 7, 1968. Natascha worked for many years in Formula 1 for the "Paddock Club".
Together with Jackie Stewart, Jochen Rindt was very committed to safety in motor racing - but only outside the car, because when Jochen was in the car, he forgot everything around him. He was an absolute daredevil and an extreme drifter and ricochet driver, which made him hugely popular. Even today, people still fondly remember the gigantic duels against the "old" man Jack Brabham - the "Austrian" in the absolutely revolutionary Lotus 72 and the Australian in his old-looking own car.
Races of thrilling drama almost swept spectators off their seats. In Monaco, for example, Brabham overbraked while lapping Piers Courage in the very last corner and slid into the straw bales. Rindt took the win! Later, at Brands-Hatch, the Australian ran out of fuel on the very last lap and Jochen Rindt won again in the Lotus. Yes, that's how it was back then!
