In his deeply personal introduction to this book, Sir John Young Stewart expresses his belief that had he lived to savor his crown, Stewart’s close friend Jochen Rindt would have retired on the spot after winning it. Instead, as this intimate examination of his life makes clear, Rindt is the only Formula 1 world champion to have been awarded the driving title posthumously. On the monied killing field that was F1 in the 1960s and 1970s, Rindt’s life stands alone as a dazzling meteor: He scored his first f1 podium in 1966, swept 10 poles in 1969 and won his first Grand Prix in 1969. When he died at Monza the following year, newly aboard the revolutionary Lotus 72, he was so far ahead in the points that he clinched the title mathematically over Ferrari lead Jacky Ickx with the final race still remaining. Rindt, supernaturally gifted and blindingly quick, deserved a full, respectful biography and a decade ago, he got it. It’s being reprinted in paperback to mark 50 years since his championship, and has a place in any serious motorsport library.
Rindt’s story is told by the British journalist David Tremayne, whose past works include The Lost Generation, about the fallen British F1 heroes Tom Pryce, Roger Williamson and Tony Brise. This is Tremayne’s 50th book on racing history, and is rich in fact, the narrative running to 496 highly crafted pages. Close to Stewart, the driver closest to Rindt, Tremayne was the ideal author for this retrospective. It’s a title of Evro Publishing, and retails for $19.99.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 