Manfred Winkelhock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Manfred Winkelhock
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| Born | 6 October 1951 Waiblingen, Württemberg-Baden, West Germany
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| Died | 12 August 1985 (aged 33) |
| Nationality |  German |
| Relatives | Joachim Winkelhock (brother) Thomas Winkelhock (brother) Markus Winkelhock (son) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| 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 |
Manfred Winkelhock (born October 6, 1951 – died August 12, 1985) was a German racing driver. He competed in 56 Formula One races between 1980 and 1985. He drove for teams like Arrows, ATS, Brabham, and RAM Racing. His best finish was fifth place at the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix. Manfred came from a family of racers. His brothers, Joachim and Thomas Winkelhock, and his son, Markus Winkelhock, are also race car drivers.
Manfred's Racing Journey
Manfred Winkelhock was born in Waiblingen, Germany. He started his racing career in a series called Formula Two in 1978. During one race at the Nürburgring track, he had a big crash. His car's front wing bent, which made it harder to control. The car suddenly lifted into the air and flipped over. Luckily, Manfred was okay.
In 1979, Manfred took part in the famous 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He drove a special BMW M1 race car. This car was painted by the famous pop artist Andy Warhol. Manfred and his teammates finished 6th overall in the race. They also came in 2nd place in their specific car class.
Formula One Adventures
Manfred first tried to race in a Formula One Grand Prix in Italy. He filled in for another driver at the Arrows team. In 1982, he joined the ATS team.
When BMW started supplying engines to ATS in 1983, Manfred often qualified well for races. This means he showed good speed in practice. However, his car often broke down during the races. This meant he didn't finish many races and didn't get many good results.
A Family of Racers
Manfred's son, Markus Winkelhock, also became a racing driver. Markus even raced in one Formula One Grand Prix in 2007. He famously led that race for six laps because of heavy rain.
A Sad Day
Manfred also raced in other types of car races, like sports car and touring car events. In 1985, he won a big sports car race called the 1000km Monza.
Sadly, Manfred Winkelhock died in the summer of 1985. He was racing a Porsche 962C at Mosport Park in Canada. He crashed heavily at a difficult corner called Turn 2. The accident happened on August 11, and he passed away from his injuries the next day.
At the time of his death, Manfred was racing for the RAM Racing team in Formula One. It had been a challenging season for him. After his death, another driver took his place. However, the team soon had to stop racing due to a lack of money.
See also
In Spanish: Manfred Winkelhock para niños
