Karl Wendlinger

Mercedes Juniors

Wendlinger was born in Kufstein and began in karting and Formula Ford. He entered the German Formula 3 Championship in 1988, finishing tenth, then won the title in 1989. That victory earned him a drive in the Mercedes-Benz sportscar team for 1990. Driving the Sauber-Mercedes C11 with Michael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mauro Baldi, and Jean-Louis Schlesser, the group placed fifth in the 1990 World Sportscar Championship. In 1991 he raced Mercedes sportscars and a Formula 3000 programme with Helmut Marko. Mercedes team boss Jochen Neerpasch placed two protégés in Formula One: Schumacher went to Jordan then Benetton, while Wendlinger debuted with Leyton House for the final two Grands Prix.

Formula One

Wendlinger's Formula One debut was at the 1991 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, bringing money to the Leyton House team in place of Ivan Capelli. He qualified 22nd but retired after a collision involving himself, JJ Lehto, Andrea de Cesaris, and Emanuele Pirro at turn one. His second race in Adelaide was affected by torrential rain; he was classified 20th, two laps down, after aquaplaning. He stayed with the renamed March team in 1992 alongside Paul Belmondo.

The team struggled financially after Leyton House withdrew, and the 1991 car was only modified for Wendlinger's height. Results were encouraging, including starting seventh at the South African Grand Prix, but financial limits hindered progress. At the Spanish Grand Prix, the drying track saw Footwork change tyres on the grid, incurring a fine but finishing fifth and seventh; Wendlinger was eighth because March could not afford the fine. At the Canadian Grand Prix, attrition allowed him to finish fourth, a lap down, earning three points.

He finished 12th in the Drivers' Championship ahead of Ivan Capelli, Thierry Boutsen, Johnny Herbert, and Stefano Modena.

After Formula One

Wendlinger won the FIA GT Championship with Olivier Beretta in 1999. He raced for Abt-Audi in DTM in 2002 and 2005, then drove a Maserati MC12 with Andrea Bertolini for JMB Racing in FIA GT. From 2006 he competed for JetAlliance Racing in the FIA GT Championship, with Phillip Peter in 2006 and Ryan Sharp in 2007. In 2007 he drove at the 24 Hours of Daytona with Sigal Sport in a BMW-powered Riley DP, crashed during the night on his in lap, and was hospitalized as a precaution; the car retired. In 2008 he and Sharp won the GT1 class and overall race at the RAC Tourist Trophy round from Silverstone, ahead of Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini.