This does not cite its [[Opentopia:Citing sources|references or sources]]. You can [[Opentopia:WikiProject Fact and Reference Check|help]] Wikipedia by introducing appropriate citations.
Karl Wendlinger
Formula One Career
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Nationality
| Austrian
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Active years
| 1991 - 1995
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Team(s)
| Leyton House, March, Sauber
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Grands Prix
| 42
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Championships
| 0
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Wins
| 0
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Podium finishes
| 0
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Pole positions
| 0
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Fastest laps
| 0
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! First Grand Prix
| 1991 Japanese Grand Prix
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! First win
| -
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Last win
| -
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
! Last Grand Prix
| 1995 Australian Grand Prix
|}
Karl Wendlinger (born December 20, 1968) is an Austrian sportscar racing and former Formula One driver.
Born in Kufstein, 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 inagural season, Wendlinger won the crown in 1989, which earned him also a drive in the Mercedes-Benz sportscar team for 1990.
In 1991, he continued to race with Mercedes sportscars - alongside a Formula 3000 programme with the Helmut Marko team. Towards the end of the year, Mercedes' team boss Jochen Neerpasch placed two of his protégés in F1. 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 Grand Prix.
Formula One (Leyton House/March)
Karl's F1 debut came at the 1991 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. 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. Eventually, Wendlinger was classified in 16th place, two laps down on eventual winner Ayrton Senna, after aquaplaning on one of the many puddles present that day.
Karl was kept at the re-named March team in 1992, alongside Paul Belmondo. The highlight coming at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, in which a race of attrition allowed Wendlinger to bring the car home in fourth position, albeit a lap down - but none the less 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 and Johnny Herbert.
Formula One (Sauber)
For 1993, Wendlinger was re-united with Peter Sauber who had taken the plunge into Formula One team ownership in 1993. Karl did well enough again to post fourth place at that year's Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Other points finishes in Portugal, Canada and Hungary helped give Karl 12th in the Championship again with seven points, two points, and a place ahead of more experienced team-mate J.J. Lehto.
1994 started well for Wendlinger, he notched up a point in the first race of the year at Interlagos, subsequently picking up fourth place in the San Marino race, a race marred by the deaths of both Wendlinger's countryman Roland Ratzenberger and the Brazilian racing legend Ayrton Senna.
The whole Formula One fraternity was in a state of shock after Imola, and the shockwaves were still rippling as the teams turned up in Monaco for the fourth round of the Championship. It was here that Karl's career in Grand Prix racing came to an abrupt halt - as did his car.
During the first practice session, approaching the famous Nouvelle Chicane in the harbour, Wendlinger lost control coming out of the preceding tunnel. Under braking, the Sauber hit the wall sideways at some force. The FIA doctors were quickly on the scene where they found Karl in serious peril. He had been knocked unconscious, and would be in a coma for weeks to come.
Karl recovered from his injuries - but when Sauber granted him an opportunity to drive in 1995 he had lost his cutting edge. He was relieved of his duties before the Monaco event a year on from the accident.
Wendlinger came back briefly for Sauber in two Grand Prix as the year drew out - but it was now evident that he was not the racer he once had been.
After Formula One
Since then, he has competed successfully in sports cars and touring cars, winning the FIA GT championship (with Olivier Beretta) in 1999. After a spell racing for Abt-Audi in DTM in 2002 and 2003 he currently races for JMB Racing in FIA GT again, driving a Maserati MC12 with Andrea Bertolini.
Complete Formula One results
(Note: Grands Prix in bold denote points scoring races.)
