“What happened to them?” » – Markus Winkelhock, from GP leader to GT specialist

Markus Winkelhock is one of only two drivers in history to have topped the only F1 Grand Prix he has competed in. Before the 2007 European Grand Prix, where the German led the event for six laps at the wheel of his modest Spyker F8-VII, George Amick was the only driver in the history of the sport to have led his only race in Formula 1 during the 500 Indianapolis 1958, at the time when the legendary American race was part of the Formula 1 world championship.

Born on June 13, 1980 in Stuttgart (Germany), Markus Winkelhock was born into a family already very fond of motorsport since he is the son of Manfred Winkelhock, former Formula 1 driver (47 Grand Prix starts between 1980 and 1985 with the ATS, MRD International and Skoal Bandit teams), as well as the nephew of Joachim Winkelhock who shone more at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (winner in 1999 in a BMW V12 LMR with Pierluigi Martini and Yannick Dalmas) than in Formula 1 where he never passed the pre-qualifying stage in seven attempts during the 1989 season.

Unlike his uncle, it was in Formula 1 that Markus Winkelhock had his moment of glory. Test and reserve driver for the small Midland F1 team in 2006, that year he took part in four Free Practice 1 sessions in Bahrain, Australia, Germany and Hungary. Rehired in the same role in 2007 when the team became Spyker F1, he was promoted to start for the European Grand Prix after the departure of Dutchman Christijan Albers, released from his contract due to a lack of budget.

The strategic move of the European Grand Prix

The native of Stuttgart thus found himself propelled onto the starting grid of a home race, the European Grand Prix taking place that year on the Nürburgring circuit. Last on the starting grid, far from his teammate Adrian Sutil himself penultimate (1,5 seconds difference between the two compatriots), Winkelhock dives into the pit lane at the end of the formation lap while the rain threatens departure. An idea that came from Mike Gascoyne, technical director of Spyker.

« I made a few strategy calls on the pit wall, and this was a good one, remembers the British engineer on his social networks. Making a decision, good or bad, is always better than doing nothing. » While he came out with rain tires, the deluge fell during the first lap and the German inherited the lead of the Grand Prix when the other drivers were forced to change tires. “ “That’s something that will never be taken from me,” he smiled after the race. It's mine for life! » He was in the lead with a 33-second lead when the red flag was waved. Leader for six laps, the hero of the day finally retired on the 13th lap with a hydraulic problem.

Markus Winkelhock led the 2007 European Grand Prix with Skyper – Photo: GILLES LEVENT / DPPI

Despite this almost unprecedented performance in the history of Formula 1, Markus Winkelhock was not retained in a starting role at Skyper, replaced for the remainder of the 2007 season by Sakon Yamamoto. Since this short-lived adventure in F1, the Stuttgart has turned towards DTM, a championship in which he had already had experience in 2004. He distinguished himself especially in the GT1 World Championship which he won in 2012 in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 from the All-Inky Münnich Motorsport team with Marc Basseng, ahead of Stef Dusseldorp and Frédéric Makowiecki (McLaren MP4-12C GT3 n°1 Hexis Racing).

Several victories at the Nürburgring and Spa in GT

Winkelhock was then seen in GT World Challenge Europe, a championship in which he won the Sprint Cup in the Pro-Am category in 2018 with Saintéloc Racing. He also reached the podium at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2014 in the GTD category with the Flying Lizard Motorsports team, where he shared the wheel of the No. 8 Audi R45 LMS with Spencer Pumpelly, Tim Pappas and Nelson Canache Jr. A quartet only beaten by Scott Tucker, Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell, Jeff Segal and Alessandro Pier Guidi on the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 No. 555 from Level 5 Motorsports.

He especially distinguished himself in two other famous 24-hour races, at Spa-Francorchamps and at… the Nürburgring, where he led his only Formula 1 race. He won the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring in 2012 at the wheel of 'an Audi R8 LMS being associated with Marc Basseng, Christopher Haas and Franck Stippler for Team Phoenix. He did it again in 2014, again with a Team Phoenix Audi, but scored a double by also winning the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. The two races are available to him again in 2017, with Land Motorsport in the Green Hell and Saintéloc Racing on the Toboggan des Ardennes.

Now aged 44, Markus Winkelhock has not yet hung up his gloves. In 2024, he will notably participate in the GT World Challenge Asia in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II from the Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute team. He will therefore be at the start of the Okayama round on the weekends of August 23 to 25.

ALSO READ > “What happened to them?” » – Rio Haryanto, the short-lived pilot converted into a businessman