Born in Germany and raised in the Austrian city of Graz after his parents were killed in WW2, Jochen Rindt was described by friends and peers, including Jackie Stewart, as the fastest driver of his generation. Managed by Bernie Ecclestone, Rindt won the 24 hours Le Mans in 1965 at the age of 24 but was held back during his early races in Formula 1 by sub-par machinery and bad luck. His first win finally came in 1969 at the wheel of a Lotus and the following year, he was unstoppable. Driving Colin Chapman’s beautiful Lotus 72, Rindt recorded five wins in the first eight rounds of the 1970 World Championship.

Rindt died at the wheel of his Lotus during qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 5, 1970. His closest championship rival, Jacky Ickx of Ferrari, was unable to bridge the points gap to Rindt despite two late-season wins, meaning Rindt became the first (and so far, only) driver to be awarded the Formula 1 World Championship title after his death.

In a pub on the Griesgasse in his adopted city of Graz, you still can see the framed front page of the local “Kleine Zeitung” newspaper from September 6, 1970, which simply reads: Jochen Rindt ist tot (Jochen Rind is dead). This is a reminder that Rindt’s untimely death at age 28 was not only a shock to the F1 world. After marrying the Finnish model Nina Lincoln, the pair had become celebrities throughout Europe and beyond.