Manfred Winkelhock (6 October 1951 – 12 August 1985) was a German racing driver who competed in Formula One between 1980 and 1985. Born in Waiblingen, he was the eldest of the three racing Winkelhock brothers, with both Joachim and Thomas also enjoying successful motorsport careers.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | German |
| Birthplace | Waiblingen, Germany |
| Born | 6 October 1951 |
| Died | 12 August 1985 |
| First Grand Prix | 1980 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1985 German Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1980, 1982–1985 |
| Current/Last Team | RAM |
Winkelhock began making a name for himself in Formula Two during the late 1970s. His talent was evident from the outset, although his early career also featured one of the most dramatic accidents of the era. While competing at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 1978, the front wing of his March 802 was damaged early in the race, reducing its aerodynamic performance. Despite adapting his driving style, the car became airborne over the crest at Quiddelbacher Höhe before the Flugplatz corner, flipping violently through the air before crashing. Remarkably, Winkelhock survived the spectacular incident.
In 1979, he took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Hervé Poulain and Marcel Mignot in one of the event’s most famous entries—a BMW M1 Group 4 race car transformed into a rolling work of art by pop artist Andy Warhol. The trio finished sixth overall and secured second place in their class, adding another notable achievement to Winkelhock’s growing résumé.
His first opportunity in Formula One came in 1980 when he attempted to qualify for the Italian Grand Prix as a stand-in for the injured Jochen Mass at Arrows. A full-time Formula One seat followed with ATS in 1982, where he earned a reputation as a fast qualifier. When BMW became the team’s engine supplier in 1983, Winkelhock regularly demonstrated impressive pace over a single lap and often outperformed expectations in qualifying. Unfortunately, poor reliability plagued the ATS cars, limiting his results despite his speed. During his Formula One career he started 47 Grands Prix for Arrows, ATS, Brabham and RAM, with his finest championship result coming at the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he finished fifth.
Alongside his Formula One commitments, Winkelhock was a highly respected driver in sports car and touring car racing. One of the highlights of his endurance career came in 1985 when he partnered Marc Surer to victory in the 1000 km of Monza. At the same time, he continued racing in Formula One for the Skoal Bandit-backed RAM Racing team, although the season proved difficult, with a best finish of 12th at the French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard.
Death
Winkelhock’s promising career came to a tragic end during the 1985 Budweiser 1000 km World Endurance Championship race at Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. Driving a Kremer Racing Porsche 962C shared with Marc Surer, he suffered a heavy single-car accident at the notoriously fast Turn 2 after striking a concrete barrier. The crash happened on 11 August 1985, and despite receiving treatment at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Medical Center, he died from his injuries the following day, aged 33.
His death was a significant loss to international motorsport. RAM Racing replaced him with Northern Irish driver Kenny Acheson for the remainder of the Formula One season, although financial difficulties forced the team to withdraw before the championship concluded.
Winkelhock’s racing legacy continued through his son, Markus Winkelhock, who competed in the 2007 European Grand Prix for Spyker. Markus famously led the race for six laps after making the perfect tyre strategy call in changing weather conditions, and later claimed the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2012 with Münnich Motorsport.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 56 |
| Race Starts | 47 |
| Did Not Start | 2 |
| Best Race Start | 5th |
| Best Race Finish | 5th |
| Retirements | 30 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 2 |
| Not Classified | 2 |
| Disqualified | 2 |
| Did Not Qualify | 6 |
Points
| Points Scored | 2 |
| Points Finishes | 1 |
| Most Points in a Single Season | 2 (1982) |
| Seasons with Points | 1 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Arrows | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1982 | ATS | 16 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 24th |
| 1983 | ATS | 15 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1984 | ATS, Brabham | 15 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1985 | RAM | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 0 | NC |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrows | 1980 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| ATS | 1982–1984 | 45 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Brabham | 1984 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| RAM | 1985 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riccardo Patrese | 1980 | 1 | 0-1 |
| Eliseo Salazar | 1982 | 16 | 13-3 |
| Gerhard Berger | 1984 | 2 | 1-1 |
| Nelson Piquet | 1984 | 1 | 0-1 |
| Philippe Alliot | 1985 | 9 | 6-3 |
