Karl Kling facts for kids
Karl Kling in 1951.
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| Born | 16 September 1910 Giessen, German Empire |
|---|---|
| Died | 18 March 2003 (aged 92) Lake Constance, Germany |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  German |
| Active years | 1954–1955 |
| Teams | Mercedes |
| Entries | 11 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Career points | 17 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First entry | 1954 French Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1955 Italian Grand Prix |
Karl Kling (1910–2003) was a famous German motor racing driver and manager. He raced in 11 Formula One Grand Prix races. He was the first German driver to finish on the podium in Formula One, achieving two podium finishes. He scored a total of 17 championship points during his career.
Contents
Karl Kling's Early Life and Racing Start
Karl Kling's journey into motorsport was quite unique. He started his career not as a driver, but as a reception clerk at Daimler-Benz in the mid-1930s. In his free time, he loved to race. He competed in hillclimb events and trials using regular cars.
During World War II, he worked on Luftwaffe aircraft. This job helped him gain valuable mechanical experience. After the war ended, he returned to racing. He drove a BMW 328 in competitions.
Becoming a Racing Star with Mercedes
Karl Kling played a big part in bringing Mercedes back to international racing in the early 1950s. One of his most important wins was in the 1952 Carrera Panamericana road race. He drove an experimental Mercedes-Benz 300SL. This victory showed the Daimler-Benz company that racing was important for Mercedes' future.
In 1954, Mercedes brought back its Grand Prix racing team. Karl Kling joined the team. In his very first Formula One race, the 1954 French Grand Prix, he finished second. He was less than one second behind the legendary driver Juan Manuel Fangio. This was a very promising start!
However, his luck didn't last. When Stirling Moss joined Mercedes in 1955, Kling became the third driver. Even so, he won an impressive race outside the World Championship. He took victory in the Berlin Grand Prix at the fast AVUS circuit.
Life After Formula One Racing
Mercedes decided to stop international racing after 1955. They had won all the world championships they entered, including Formula One in 1954 and 1955. They wanted to focus on making road cars.
Karl Kling then took over from Alfred Neubauer as the head of Mercedes motorsport. He was in charge during their successful rallying years in the 1960s. Sometimes, he even drove in these rallies himself. One famous win was in 1961. He drove a Mercedes-Benz 220SE to victory in the tough Algiers-Cape Town Rally across Africa.
Karl Kling passed away in 2003 when he was 92 years old.
Images for kids
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Karl Kling in 1951.
See also
In Spanish: Karl Kling para niños
