Helmuth Koinigg facts for kids
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| Born | 3 November 1948 Vienna, Austria |
|---|---|
| Died | 6 October 1974 (aged 25) Watkins Glen, New York, U.S. |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Austrian |
| Active years | 1974 |
| Teams | Surtees, non-works Brabham |
| Entries | 3 (2 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1974 Austrian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1974 United States Grand Prix |
Helmuth Koinigg (born November 3, 1948 – died October 6, 1974) was an Austrian racing driver. He competed in Formula One, which is the highest class of international auto racing. Sadly, he passed away in a crash during the 1974 United States Grand Prix, which was only his second Formula One race.
Helmuth Koinigg's Racing Journey
Helmuth Koinigg was born in Vienna, Austria. Like many other Formula One drivers, his first race car was a Mini Cooper. He even bought it from another famous driver, Niki Lauda!
Helmuth started his racing career in different types of races. He drove in touring car races, Formula Vee, and Formula Ford. Later, he also competed in sports car racing.
Joining Formula One
In 1974, Helmuth found a way to join Formula One. He got a chance to drive for a team called Scuderia Finotto at his home race, the 1974 Austrian Grand Prix. Even though he did not qualify for that race, it helped him get a contract with the Surtees team. This contract was for the last two races of the 1974 season.
Final Races
Helmuth showed good skill at the 1974 Canadian Grand Prix. People in the racing world started to see him as a promising driver for the 1975 season.
However, during the 1974 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen International, something went wrong. Helmuth's car had a problem with its suspension. This caused his car to crash head-on into the safety barrier.
The speed of the crash was not very high. Helmuth should have been able to walk away without serious injuries. But the safety barrier, called an Armco barrier, was not installed securely. The bottom part of the barrier bent when his car hit it. This accident was similar to another sad event from the year before, when Formula One driver François Cevert also died at the same track.
