Jochen Rindt

German racing driver (1942–1970)

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Momentum10.1
Germany rank#196

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Fame60.1
Momentum10.1
Germany rank#196
Athletes rank#226
Wikipedia26.5K

Lived 1942–1970, aged 28Germany

Germany

AthletesAthlete

Wikipedia
48 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in Germany
#196
Athletes
Era
1942–1970
Aged 28
Known for
Grand Prix
1966

Summary

Updated 2026-06-21

The only driver to win a Formula One World Championship after death. Jochen Rindt clinched the 1970 title weeks after a brake failure sent him into the barriers at Monza — and no one behind him could close the points gap he'd built.

Biography

About

Born in Germany, raised in Austria, Rindt moved from Formula Junior to Formula One in 1964, spending uneven years at Cooper before landing at Brabham in 1968 and Lotus in 1969. The Lotus cars were fast and fragile, and Rindt often voiced concerns about their safety, but it was there he found speed: his first win came at the 1969 United States Grand Prix. In 1970, racing the new Lotus 72, he won five of the first nine rounds. During practice at Monza on 5 September, a brake shaft failed, he spun into the guardrails, and a poorly installed crash barrier gave way. He was pronounced dead en route…

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