“Jochen Rindt – der erste Popstar der Formel 1” by Ferdi Kräling brings a sensitive portrait of Jochen Rindt. He was one of the most enigmatic figures in the Formula 1 racing circus of the 1960s. When Jochen Rindt was killed in an accident during practice on September 5, 1970, he was leading the world championship standings by an unassailable margin. It was Rindt’s wife Nina who took the world championship trophy.
To this day, Jochen Rindt remains unforgotten. His achievements, his courage, and his driving skills are role models for many up-and-coming drivers. In the foreword of “Jochen Rindt – der Erste Popstar der Formel 1”, Jacky Stewart says : “Jochen Rindt was one of my best friends. We had been racing together since 1964. Back then, the camaraderie that existed between us drivers (…) was certainly something different than the relationship between drivers today.”
In the rest of the book, the career of Jochen Rindt is told in pictures, accompanied by a short text, written by Herbert Völker. The vast majority of the pictures is black-and-white, every once and a while a color picture shows up. The complete story of Rindt, his maturation, to a man who “could imagine a life without madness”. Rindt even worked to set up a joint venture with Bernie Ecclestone. 
Rindt even had a 10.000 British Pound bet with Nina, his wife since their marriage in 1967 on a race-free weekend. Rindt would have to stop racing after the 1970 season. The amount of the bet made clear that Rindt meant what he was telling. His goal was to become active as a manager in racing and earn his money by doing so. Unfortunately, he did’t make it.
“Jochen Rindt – der Erste Popstar der Formel 1” gives us a good view of the career of Jochen Rindt, without too many words. I’d rather consider the book a coffee-table book, as there is not that much text. But the pictures definitely make up for that.
You can buy the book at Amazon.
Pictures courtesy Delius Klasing
Jochen Rindt - der erste Popstar der Formel 1
Delius Klasing
2020
Hardcover
176 pages and 126 pictures
German
978-3-667-11866-0
