Jochen Rindt: Uncrowned King of Formula 1

by David Tremayne

David Tremayne's acclaimed biography of Jochen Rindt was first published in 2010 and now, to honor the 50th anniversary of the Austrian's death, Evro is reviving the book in paperback form. Rindt was widely acknowledged as the fastest man in Formula 1 by the time he reached his peak in 1970, when he tragically lost his life at Monza in Italy, four races before the end of the season. Such was his pre-eminence that year that no rival could overcome his points total and he became the sport's only posthumous World Champion. As his close friend Sir Jackie Stewart observed in this book's foreword, "David Tremayne is a wonderful writer who has done Jochen great justice in the words that he has chosen to depict a remarkable man and a remarkable career."

496 pages, Paperback

Published October 13, 2020

Reviews

[Jake Dube · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rindt's story is one that every motorsports fan should know by heart. David Tremayne beautifully captures the essence of what made Rindt special: his aggressive driving style, will to win, and thirst for speed. Some of the book falls into the trap of merely recounting the many races Rindt participated in, but it really shines with exclusive interviews Tremayne conducted with the likes of Jackie Stewart and Nina Rindt. You cannot truly understand the full history of F1 and motorsports in general without reading this book.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insight into a much more daring era of racing where cars were becoming significantly more sophisticated and safety was somewhat behind. Jochen’s life started with tragedy when his parents were killed in a WW2 RAF bombing raid, and ended in tragedy with his own premature death. The lengths people went to to get the absolute most out of their cars without any real stress testing of the on the fly modifications they would make to wring out an extra couple of mph.

[Jack Hammerland · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting person whose life isn’t done justice by this book. A very small portion of this book actually details his life and a large portion could be replaced by a chart showing the results of races that Jochen participated in. If you like reading race synopsis than you’ll probably love this book but if you’re looking for a dive into his personal life look elsewhere.