Karl Wendlinger (; born 20 December 1968) is an Austrian professional racing and former Formula One driver.
Mercedes Juniors Born in Kufstein,DRIVERS: KARL WENDLINGER at grandprix.com Wendlinger started his career in karting and in Formula Ford before entering the German Formula 3 Championship in 1988. After managing tenth place in that inaugural season, Wendlinger won the crown in 1989, which earned him also a drive in the Mercedes-Benz sportscar team for 1990.
Driving the Sauber-Mercedes C11 – alongside Michael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mauro Baldi and Jean-Louis Schlesser – the quintet managed to achieve fifth place in the 1990 World Sportscar Championship standings.
In 1991, Wendlinger continued to race with Mercedes sportscars — alongside a Formula 3000 programme with the Helmut Marko team. Towards the end of the year, Mercedes's team boss Jochen Neerpasch placed two of his protégés in Formula One. Schumacher went to the Jordan team before signing for Benetton, whilst Wendlinger made a low key Formula One debut with the Leyton House outfit for the final two Grands Prix of the season.
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 beleaguered 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, JJ 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 seventh 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 fifth and seventh. Wendlinger was eighth, 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 teammate JJ Lehto mixed with the front runners. Initially, he was out-paced by Lehto, who scored points in two of the first four races, though some of this was down to bad luck; Wendlinger had qualified fifth 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 Lehto. 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 fourth at the Italian Grand Prix after a long battle with Andretti. Other points finishes in Portugal and Hungary helped give Wendlinger 12th in the Drivers' Championship again with seven points — two points and a place ahead of the more experienced Lehto.
For 1994, Wendlinger was retained as Mercedes made their official return to Formula One, buying a stake in Ilmor and becoming the team's engine supplier. 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 three-time 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, sliding sideways, hit a barrier with considerable force; the barrier was protected by large plastic containers that were supposed to be filled with water but were not.The past figures F1’s returning drivers will hope not to emulate 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.Karl Wendlinger in focus He had planned to make his comeback at the Japanese Grand Prix, but pre-race testing revealed his neck was not strong enough.
Wendlinger recovered from his injuries before the start of the 1995 Formula One season, where he would be driving at Sauber (now with Ford engines) alongside Frentzen. However, he performed poorly and was reluctantly replaced in the team before the Monaco Grand Prix, a year on from the accident, by Jean-Christophe Boullion. Peter Sauber then recalled Wendlinger for the final two races of the season in one last attempt to regain his pre-accident form, without success. Wendlinger later recounted that he had admitted to himself that his Monaco crash had left him unable to "withstand the stresses and strains of Formula One".
After Formula One Since then, Wendlinger has competed successfully in sports cars and touring cars,Where are they now? – Karl Wendlinger winning the FIA GT Championship (with Olivier Beretta) in 1999. After a spell racing for Abt-Audi in DTM in 2002 and 2005, he raced for JMB Racing in FIA GT again, driving a Maserati MC12 with Andrea Bertolini.
Since 2006, Wendlinger has been part of the JetAlliance Racing team, competing again in the FIA GT Championship. His teammate in 2006 was Phillip Peter, and in 2007 his teammate was Scottish driver, Ryan Sharp.
In 2007, Wendlinger competed at the 24 Hours of Daytona with Sigal Sport team in a BMW powered Riley DP. He crashed during the night on his in lap at the end of his second stint and was sent to the hospital as a precaution. The car eventually was retired from the damage.
2008 Wendlinger competed for JetAlliance Racing in 2008 alongside Ryan Sharp. They started well at the RAC Tourist Trophy round from Silverstone. Wendlinger and Sharp won the GT1 class and overall race ahead of Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini's Maserati MC12.
Personal life Wendlinger is married and has two children. His son is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dutch side Almere City FC."Son of former F1 ace moves to Holland as goalkeeper" [in German] Racing record Career summary SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition1987German Formula Ford 1600?????2087thEuropean Formula Ford 1600?????815th1988Austrian Formula Three ChampionshipKrafft Walzen Team??????1stGerman Formula Three Championship1100006911thMacau Grand Prix10000N/ADNF1989Deutsche Tourenwagen MeisterschaftStar-Marko RSM1600002030thGerman Formula Three ChampionshipKrafft Walzen Team Marko RSM1121251641stMacau Grand Prix10000N/ADNF1990International Formula 3000RSM Marko60000219thDeutsche Tourenwagen MeisterschaftAMG Motorenbau GmbH500000NCWorld Sportscar ChampionshipTeam Sauber Mercedes41003215th1991World Sportscar ChampionshipTeam Sauber Mercedes51102439thInternational Formula 3000 ChampionshipRSM Marko50001612thFormula OneLeyton House Racing200000NC24 Hours of Le MansTeam Sauber Mercedes10100N/A5th1992Formula OneMarch F1140000312th24 Hours of Le MansPeugeot Talbot Sport10000N/ADNF1993Formula OneTeam Sauber Formula 1160000712th1994Formula OneBroker Sauber Mercedes30000419th1995Formula OneRed Bull Sauber Ford600000NCBPR Global GT SeriesMarch One Racing100000NC1996Super Tourenwagen CupA.Z.K./ROC Competition1800033665th24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGT1Porsche AG10001N/A3rd1997Italian Superturismo ChampionshipAudi Sport Italia2000071565th24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGT1Roock Racing10000N/ADNF1998FIA GT Championship - GT2Viper Team Oreca91006383rd24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGT210000N/ADNF1999FIA GT ChampionshipChrysler Viper Team Oreca96449781stAmerican Le Mans Series - GTSViper Team Oreca630161372nd24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTS11001N/A1st2000American Le Mans Series - GTSViper Team Oreca12923112642nd24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTS11101N/A1st2001V8Star SeriesZakspeed Motorsport9010214211th24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP900Team PlayStation10001N/A3rdAmerican Le Mans Series - GTSchnitzer Motorsport100002233rd2002Deutsche Tourenwagen MastersAbt Sportsline90000314th2003Deutsche Tourenwagen MastersAbt Sportsline100000116th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - E1-XP10??1N/A2nd2004FIA GT Championship - GT1JMB Racing11101350.58th2005FIA GT Championship - GT1JMB Racing111005714thRolex Sports Car Series - GTRed Bull Ebimotors110007172nd2006FIA GT Championship - GT1Race Alliance10100232.514th2007FIA GT Championship - GT1Jetalliance Racing103304572nd Le Mans Series - GT110000425thRolex Sports Car Series - DPSigalsport BMW10000679th2008FIA GT Championship - GT1 Jetalliance Racing83304446th24 Hours of Le Mans - GT1Aston Martin Racing10000N/A4th 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP810000N/A9th2009FIA GT Championship - GT1K plus K Motorsport411011018th2010GT1 World ChampionshipSwiss Racing Team200000243rd2011GT1 World ChampionshipSwiss Racing Team800003116th2012International GT OpenSeyffarth Motorsport200000NCADAC GT Masters200000NCBlancpain Endurance Series - ProKRK Racing200012116th2013Blancpain Endurance Series - ProFortec Motorsport100000NC2015Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro-AmCar Collection Motorsport100000NC 24H Series - A62016 ADAC GT Masters Car Collection Motorsport400000NC
Complete German Formula Three results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Entrant Engine Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 DC Pts 1988 Krafft Walzen Team Alfa Romeo A ZOL HOC NÜR BRN HOC MFA NOR WUN SAL NÜR HUN HOC 11th 69 1989 Krafft Walzen Team Alfa Romeo A HOC NÜR AVU BRN ÖST HOC WUN HOC DIE NÜR NÜR HOC 1st 164
Complete International Formula 3000 results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pts 1990 RSM Marko Lola T90/50 Cosworth DON SIL PAU JER MNZ PER HOC BRH BIR BUG NOG 21st 2 1991 RSM Marko Reynard 91D Cosworth VAL PAU JER MUG PER HOC BRH SPA BUG NOG 12th 6
Complete Formula One results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Pts 1991 Leyton House Racing Leyton House CG911 Ilmor 2175A 3.5 V10 USA BRA SMR MON CAN MEX FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR ESP JPN AUS NC 0 1992 March F1 March CG911 Ilmor 2175A 3.5 V10 RSA MEX BRA ESP SMR MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR JPN AUS 12th 3 1993 Team Sauber Formula 1 Sauber C12 Sauber 2175A 3.5 V10 RSA BRA EUR SMR ESP MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR JPN AUS 12th 7 1994 Broker Sauber Mercedes Sauber C13 Mercedes-Benz 2175B 3.5 V10 BRA PAC SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR EUR JPN AUS 19th 4 1995 Red Bull Sauber Ford Sauber C14 Ford ECA Zetec-R 3.0 V8 BRA ARG SMR ESP MON CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA POR EUR PAC JPN AUS NC 0
24 Hours of Le Mans results