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Karl Wendlinger (; born 20 December 1968) is an professional racing and former Formula One driver.
Driving the Sauber-Mercedes C11 – alongside Michael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Mauro Baldi and Jean-Louis Schlesser – the quintet managed to achieve fifth place in the 1990 World Sportscar Championship standings.
In 1991, he continued to race with Mercedes sportscars — alongside a Formula 3000 programme with the Helmut Marko team. Towards the end of the year, Mercedes's team boss Jochen Neerpasch placed two of his protégés in Formula One. Schumacher went to the Jordan team before signing for Benetton Formula, whilst Wendlinger made a low key Formula One debut with the Leyton House outfit for the final two Grands Prix of the season.
Wendlinger was kept at the renamed March team in 1992, alongside Paul Belmondo. The team were struggling financially due to the withdrawal of the Leyton House organisation, the only modifications to the 1991 car being reworking the cockpit to accommodate Wendlinger's tall frame. The results were very encouraging, including starting 7th at the opening South African Grand Prix but results were limited by the team's financial restraints. For example, at the Spanish Grand Prix the drying track at the start saw the Footwork Arrows team make a late change of tyres to their cars on the starting grid, incurring a fine but finishing 5th and 7th. Wendlinger was 8th, March being unable to afford the fine for changing his tyres at the same time. However, at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal a race of attrition allowed Wendlinger to bring the car home in fourth position, albeit a lap down — but nonetheless a huge result considering the financial troubles his team were in. These three points allowed Wendlinger to finish 12th in the Drivers' Championship ahead of respected names such as Ivan Capelli, Thierry Boutsen, Johnny Herbert and former Brabham and Tyrrell driver Stefano Modena.
For 1994, Wendlinger was retained as Mercedes-Benz made their official return to Formula One, buying a stake in Ilmor and becoming the team's engine supplier. Heinz-Harald Frentzen arrived in place of Lehto. The season started well for Wendlinger: He scored a point in the first race of the year at Interlagos and drove to fourth place in the San Marino race, an event marred by the deaths of both Wendlinger's countryman Roland Ratzenberger and the 3-time world champion Ayrton Senna.
The next race was in Monaco for the fourth round of the Championship. During the first practice session, Wendlinger exited the tunnel and lost control of the car under braking for the Nouvelle Chicane. The Sauber, sliding sideways, hit a barrier with considerable force; the barrier was protected by large plastic containers that were supposed to be filled with water but were not. The past figures F1’s returning drivers will hope not to emulate Although his vital signs were quickly stabilized, he remained in a coma for several weeks and did not drive in a race for the rest of the year. Karl Wendlinger in focus He had planned to make his comeback at the Japanese Grand Prix, but pre-race testing revealed his neck was not strong enough.
Wendlinger recovered from his injuries before the start of the 1995 Formula One season, where he would be driving at Sauber (now with Ford engines) alongside Frentzen. However, he performed poorly and was reluctantly replaced in the team before the Monaco Grand Prix, a year on from the accident, by Jean-Christophe Boullion. Peter Sauber then recalled Wendlinger for the final two races of the season in one last attempt to regain his pre-accident form, without success. Wendlinger later recounted that he had admitted to himself that his Monaco crash had left him unable to "withstand the stresses and strains of Formula One".
Since 2006, Wendlinger has been part of the JetAlliance Racing team, competing again in the FIA GT Championship. His teammate in 2006 was Phillip Peter, and in 2007 his teammate was Scottish driver, Ryan Sharp.
2007 Wendlinger competed at the 24 Hours of Daytona with Sigal Sport team in a BMW powered Riley DP. He crashed during the night on his in lap at the end of his second stint and was sent to the hospital as a precaution. The car eventually was retired from the damage.
| European Formula Ford 1600 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 8 | 15th | |
| German Formula Three Championship | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 11th | |
| Macau Grand Prix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF | |
| German Formula Three Championship | Helmut Marko | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 164 | 1st |
| Macau Grand Prix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF | |
| Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft | Mercedes-AMG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| World Sportscar Championship | Team Sauber Mercedes-Benz | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 5th |
| International Formula 3000 Championship | Helmut Marko | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 12th |
| Formula One | Leyton House Racing | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans | Team Sauber Mercedes-Benz | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 5th |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans | Peugeot Sport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF |
| BPR Global GT Series | March One Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGT1 | Porsche | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 3rd |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGT1 | Roock Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGT2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF | |
| American Le Mans Series - GTS | Oreca | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 137 | 2nd |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 1st | |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMGTS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 1st | |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP900 | Oreca | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 3rd |
| American Le Mans Series - GT | Schnitzer Motorsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 33rd |
| 24 Hours of Nürburgring - E1-XP | 1 | 0 | ? | ? | 1 | N/A | 2nd | |
| Rolex Sports Car Series - GT | Red Bull Ebimotors | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 172nd |
| Le Mans Series - GT1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 25th | |
| Rolex Sports Car Series - DP | Sigalsport BMW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 79th |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans - GT1 | Aston Martin Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 4th |
| 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 9th | |
| ADAC GT Masters | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | |
| Blancpain Endurance Series - Pro | KRK Racing | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 16th |
| 24H Series - A6 | ||||||||
| 1988 ! nowrap | Helmut Marko ! nowrap | Alfa Romeo ! A | Circuit Zolder | Hockenheimring | NÜR | Brno Circuit | Hockenheimring | MFA | Norisring | WUN | Salzburgring | NÜR | Hungaroring | Hockenheimring ! 11th ! 69 | ||
| 1989 ! nowrap | Helmut Marko ! nowrap | Alfa Romeo ! A | Hockenheimring | NÜR | AVUS | Brno Circuit | ÖST | Hockenheimring | WUN | Hockenheimring | DIE | NÜR | NÜR | Hockenheimring !style="background:#FFFFBF;" | 1st !style="background:#FFFFBF;" | 164 |
| 1990 ! nowrap | RSM Marko ! nowrap | Lola T90/50 ! Cosworth | Donington Park | SIL | PAU | JER | MNZ | PER | Hockenheimring | Brands Hatch | BIR | Bugatti Circuit | NOG ! 21st ! 2 |
| 1991 ! nowrap | RSM Marko ! nowrap | Reynard 91D ! Cosworth | VAL | PAU | JER | Mugello Circuit | PER | Hockenheimring | Brands Hatch | SPA | Bugatti Circuit | NOG | ! 12th ! 6 |
| 1991 ! nowrap | Leyton House Racing ! nowrap | Leyton House CG911 ! nowrap | Ilmor 2175A 3.5 V10 | USA | BRA | SMR | MON | CAN | MEX | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | ESP | JPN | AUS | ! NC ! 0 |
| 1992 ! nowrap | March F1 ! nowrap | March CG911 ! nowrap | Ilmor 2175A 3.5 V10 | RSA | MEX | BRA | ESP | SMR | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | JPN | AUS | ! 12th ! 3 |
| 1993 ! nowrap | Sauber ! nowrap | Sauber C12 ! nowrap | Sauber 2175A 3.5 V10 | RSA | BRA | EUR | SMR | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | JPN | AUS | ! 12th ! 7 |
| 1994 ! nowrap | Sauber ! nowrap | Sauber C13 ! nowrap | Mercedes-Benz 2175B 3.5 V10 | BRA | PAC | SMR | MON | ESP | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | EUR | JPN | AUS | ! 19th ! 4 |
| 1995 ! nowrap | Sauber ! nowrap | Sauber C14 ! nowrap | Ford ECA Zetec-R 3.0 V8 | BRA | ARG | SMR | ESP | MON | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | EUR | PAC | JPN | AUS ! NC ! 0 |
| 1989 ! nowrap | RSM Marko ! nowrap | Mercedes 190 E 2.3-16 | Circuit Zolder | Circuit Zolder | Hockenheimring | Hockenheimring | NÜR 1 | NÜR 2 | MFA 1 | MFA 2 | AVUS | AVUS | NÜR 1 | NÜR 2 | Norisring | Norisring | Hockenheimring | Hockenheimring | DIE 1 | DIE 2 | NÜR 1 | NÜR 2 | Hockenheimring | Hockenheimring ! 30th ! 20 |
| 1990 !rowspan=2 nowrap | AMG-Mercedes ! nowrap | Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evo | Circuit Zolder | Circuit Zolder | Hockenheimring | Hockenheimring | NÜR 1 | NÜR 2 | AVUS | AVUS | MFA 1 | MFA 2 | WUN 1 | WUN 2 | NÜR 1 | NÜR 2 | Norisring | Norisring | DIE 1 | DIE 2 | NÜR 1 | NÜR 2 | !rowspan=2 NC !rowspan=2 | 0 |
| 2002 ! nowrap | Abt Sportsline ! nowrap | Audi TT | Hockenheimring | Hockenheimring | Zolder | Zolder | Donington Park | Donington Park | Sachsenring | Sachsenring | Norisring | Norisring | LAU QR | LAU CR | NÜR QR | NÜR CR | A1R QR | A1R CR | ZAN QR | ZAN CR | Hockenheimring | Hockenheimring | ! 14th ! 3 | |
| 2003 ! nowrap | Abt Sportsline ! nowrap | Audi TT | Hockenheimring | ADR | NÜR | LAU | Norisring | Donington Park | NÜR | A1R | ZAN | Hockenheimring | ! 16th ! 1 |
| 1996 ! nowrap | Audi Sport/ROC ! nowrap | Audi A4 Quattro | Zolder | Zolder | ASS 1 | ASS 2 | Hockenheimring | Hockenheimring | Sachsenring | Sachsenring | Wunstorf | Wunstorf | ZWE 1 | ZWE 2 | Salzburgring | Salzburgring | AVUS | AVUS | NÜR 1 | NÜR 2 ! 5th ! 366 |
| 1997 ! nowrap | Audi Sport Italia ! nowrap | Audi A4 Quattro | MNZ 1 | MNZ 2 | Mugello Circuit | Mugello Circuit | MAG 1 | MAG 2 | IMO 1 | IMO 2 | IMO 1 | IMO 2 | BIN 1 | BIN 2 | PER 1 | PER 2 | VAR 1 | VAR 2 | MIS 1 | MIS 2 | VAL 1 | VAL 2 ! 5th ! 156 |
| 1998 ! nowrap | Dodge Viper Team Oreca ! nowrap | Chrysler Viper GTS-R ! GT2 | OSC | SIL | HOC | DIJ | HUN | SUZ | DON | A1R | HOM | LAG | !style="background:#FFDF9F;" 3rd !style="background:#FFDF9F;" | 38 |
| 1999 ! nowrap | Chrysler Viper Team Oreca ! nowrap | Chrysler Viper GTS-R ! GT2 | MNZ | SIL | HOC | HUN | ZOL | OSC | DON | HOM | GLN | ZHU | !style="background:#FFFFBF;" 1st !style="background:#FFFFBF;" | 78 |
| 2004 ! nowrap | JMB Racing ! nowrap | Ferrari 575-GTC Maranello ! GT | MNZ | VAL | MAG | HOC | BRN | DON | SPA | IMO | OSC | DUB | ZHU ! 8th ! 50.5 | |
| 2005 ! nowrap | JMB Racing ! nowrap | Maserati MC12 GT1 ! GT1 | MNZ | MAG | SIL | IMO | BRN | SPA | OSC | IST | ZHU | DUB | BHR ! 4th ! 71 | |
| 2006 ! nowrap | Race Alliance ! nowrap | Aston Martin DBR9 ! GT1 | SIL | BRN | OSC | SPA | PRI | DIJ | MUG | HUN | ADR | DUB | ! 14th ! 32.5 | |
| 2007 ! nowrap | Jetalliance Racing ! nowrap | Aston Martin DBR9 ! GT1 | ZHU | SIL | BUC | MNZ | OSC | SPA | ADR | BRN | NOG | ZOL | !style="background:#DFDFDF;" 2nd !style="background:#DFDFDF;" | 57 |
| 2008 ! nowrap | Jetalliance Racing ! nowrap | Aston Martin DBR9 ! GT1 | SIL | MNZ | ADR | OSC | SPA | BUC | BUC | BRN | NOG | ZOL | SAN ! 9th ! 44 | |
| 2009 ! nowrap | K plus K Motorsport ! nowrap | Saleen S7R ! GT1 | SIL | ADR | OSC | SPA | ALG | PRI | ZOL | ! 18th ! 10 |
| 2010 ! nowrap | Swiss Racing Team ! nowrap | Nissan GT-R | ABU QR 9 | ABU CR 14 | SIL QR 15 | SIL CR Ret | BRN QR 12 | BRN CR 10 | PRI QR 21 | PRI CR 15 | SPA QR 16 | SPA CR 12 | NÜR QR 14 | NÜR CR 10 | ALG QR Ret | ALG CR 20 | NAV QR 14 | NAV CR Ret | INT QR 17 | INT CR 18 | SAN QR 7 | SAN CR Ret ! 43rd ! 2 |
| 2011 ! nowrap | Swiss Racing Team ! nowrap | Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670 R-SV | ABU QR 10 | ABU CR 7 | ZOL QR 4 | ZOL CR 4 | ALG QR 10 | ALG CR 5 | SAC QR 12 | SAC CR Ret | SIL QR | SIL CR | NAV QR | NAV CR | PRI QR | PRI CR | ORD QR | ORD CR | BEI QR | BEI CR | SAN QR | SAN CR ! 16th ! 31 |
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