Manfred Winkelhock

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Manfred Winkelhock
Winkelhock in 1984
Born	(1951-10-06)6 October 1951 Waiblingen, Württemberg-Baden, West Germany
Died	12 August 1985(1985-08-12) (aged 33) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Cause of death	Injuries sustained at the 1985 1000km of Mosport
Spouse	Martina
Children	2, including Markus
Relatives	Joachim Winkelhock (brother) Thomas Winkelhock (brother)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	West German
Active years	1980, 1982–1985
Teams	Arrows, ATS, Brabham, RAM
Entries	56 (47 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	2
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1980 Italian Grand Prix
Last entry	1985 German Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	1979, 1982
Teams	BMW, Ford
Best finish	6th (1979)
Class wins	0

Manfred Winkelhock (6 October 1951 – 12 August 1985) was a German racing driver, who competed in Formula One between 1980 and 1985.^[a]

Born and raised in Waiblingen, Winkelhock was the older brother of Joachim and Thomas. Winkelhock participated in 56 Formula One Grands Prix for Arrows, ATS, Brabham and RAM, with a best finish of fifth at the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix.

During the 1985 1000 km of Mosport, Winkelhock died following a single-vehicle collision with a concrete barrier, driving the Porsche 962C for Kremer. His son Markus went on to also compete in Formula One at the 2007 European Grand Prix for Spyker, and won the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2012 with Münnich.

Born in Waiblingen on 6 October 1951,^[1] Manfred Winkelhock was the older brother of Joachim and Thomas. He began racing in Formula Two in 1978 and survived a major crash at Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit. The front wing of his March 802, still made of metal at that time, got bent early in the race, suffering some loss of downforce. Despite driving carefully, in the fourth lap, when going over the very steep rise of Quiddelbacher Höhe before Flugplatz corner, the car suddenly lifted its nose, went airborne, somersaulted backwards and then sideways.

Winkelhock along with Hervé Poulain and Marcel Mignot drove a BMW M1 Group 4 racing version that was painted by pop artist Andy Warhol for the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans.^[2] They came in 6th overall and 2nd in their class.^[2]

Winkelhock's first attempt at qualifying for a Formula One Grand Prix race was in Italy, when he stood in for the injured Jochen Mass at Arrows. He was able to land a drive with ATS in 1982. As BMW became the team's engine supplier in 1983, he qualified well on several occasions in 1983 and 1984, but the car was rarely reliable, so there were few results and a lot of accidents.

His son, Markus Winkelhock, is also a racing driver. He participated in only one F1 race, the European GP at the Nürburgring in 2007, and led for six laps due to rain.

At the same time he was a regular sports car and touring car driver, winning the 1000km Monza with Marc Surer in 1985. He was killed in the summer of 1985 when he crashed heavily at the fearsome Turn 2 at Mosport Park of Bowmanville near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, during the Budweiser 1000 km World Endurance Championship event, driving a Porsche 962C for Kremer Racing with co-driver Marc Surer. The crash was Sunday, 11 August and he succumbed to injuries the next day^[3] while at the Sunnybrook Medical Center in Toronto.^[4]

At the time of Winkelhock's death, he was a driver for the Skoal Bandit sponsored RAM Racing team in Formula One, though it had been a frustrating season with a best finish of 12th in the 1985 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard. His death saw him replaced by Northern Irish driver Kenny Acheson, though lack of money saw the team fold before the end of the 1985 season.

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

(key)

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1979	H. Poulain	Hervé Poulain Marcel Mignot	BMW M1	IMSA	288	6th	2nd
1982	Ford-Werke AG Zakspeed	Klaus Niedzwiedz	Ford C100	C	71	DNF	DNF

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