Joachim Winkelhock (born 24 October 1960) is a German racing driver whose unsuccessful Formula One adventure gave little indication of the hugely successful touring-car career that followed. Known throughout the paddock as “Smokin’ Jo,” he won major championships in Britain and Germany before claiming the greatest victory of his career at the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | German |
| Birthplace | Waiblingen, Germany |
| Born | 24 October 1960 |
| First Grand Prix | 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1989 French Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1989 |
| Current/Last Team | AGS |
Motorsport runs throughout the Winkelhock family. Joachim’s late elder brother, Manfred Winkelhock, raced in Formula One, while his younger brother Thomas Winkelhock also became a professional driver. Manfred’s son, Markus Winkelhock, continued the tradition into a third generation in F1.
Career
The road to Formula One
Winkelhock began racing in the Renault 5 Cup in 1979. His early career developed gradually rather than overnight, with victory in the 1986 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany providing an important breakthrough.
Two years later, at the relatively late age of 28, everything clicked. Winkelhock won both the 1988 German Formula Three Championship and the European F3 Cup, earning a place in Formula One for the following season.
The opportunity came with AGS, a small French team struggling to compete against vastly better-funded rivals. Winkelhock was paired with Gabriele Tarquini, who would later become one of his great touring-car opponents.
Formula One’s pre-qualifying system proved merciless. Winkelhock failed to advance on all seven attempts and never started a Grand Prix. AGS replaced him midway through the 1989 season with Yannick Dalmas.
It was an unflattering record, but BMW Motorsport recognised that the circumstances said more about the car than the driver. The manufacturer hired Winkelhock for Germany’s premier touring-car championship, setting his career on a very different course.
BMW and the original DTM
Winkelhock joined the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft with BMW, initially racing for Bigazzi before moving to Schnitzer. Across three seasons, he finished sixth, seventh and eighth in the championship and collected three race victories.
Endurance racing added even more impressive silverware. Driving for BMW and Schnitzer, Winkelhock won the Nürburgring 24 Hours in both 1990 and 1991.
When BMW withdrew from the DTM after the 1992 season, Winkelhock remained with the manufacturer and followed Schnitzer into the British Touring Car Championship. The move produced one of the most memorable campaigns of the Super Touring era.
British champion
Winkelhock and teammate Steve Soper overwhelmed the opposition during the first half of the 1993 BTCC season. Between them, the BMW d
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 7 |
| Race Starts | 0 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | – |
| Best Race Finish | – |
| Retirements | 0 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 0 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | AGS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | N/A | 0 | 0 | Not Classified |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGS | 1989 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | N/A | 0 | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriele Tarquini | 1989 | 6 | – |
