“He was one of my childhood heroes,” said FIA President Todt and continued: “Jochen would be happy to see that here.” Nina Rindt, on the other hand, was a bit taciturn. She said it was nice to be here and was impressed with what was done. Eisleben recounted his memories of Rindt, how they would have made the city dangerous when they were boys with their wheels: “I never thought he would ever be honored like that.”

Austria can be proud of him

Jackie Stewart said Austria can be proud of Rindt, who made such an impact on motorsport: “I have so many fond memories of him.” Marko, now a motorsport advisor at Red Bull Racing in Formula 1, had been friends with Rindt since childhood: “We weren’t welcome at friends’ homes because we didn’t play by the rules,” he said. man from Graz. Rindt then went out into the world and “made motorsport socially acceptable here”. He paved the way for today’s Red Bull Ring at Spielberg as well as Niki Lauda and Gerhard Berger. It is right that a square bears his name more than 50 years after his death, “because it was so important”. Bernie Ecclestone remembers Rindt as a “good friend” and doesn’t want to say more about him, it’s a thing of the past. But he’s happy with what Graz is doing for him: “He deserves a lot more.”

Even before the opening of the Jochen-Rindt-Platz in the new Reininghaus district of Graz, an “Automotive and Safety” business symposium took place at the old university. In addition to Todt, there was also former German racing driver Ellen Lohr, who is now in charge of racing at the Graz AVL tech group. She underlined the importance of the technical achievements of motorsport: “We can be a platform for future technologies. It also showed a video of a remotely controlled racing car from Graz, that of Spielberg on the kten racing car, which in Spielberg during the DTM race in early September made a lap before the start – unmanned in the cockpit .

With all the technologies that have been developed since Jochen Rindt died in an accident, motorsport is still dangerous, Todt stressed at the symposium. “It’s a lot to do.” Rindt’s one-time helmets compared to today’s would show “what has been done over the decades.” By the way, Rindt’s special driving style – with lots of slipping and oversteering – thinks Todt is impossible today. The FIA ​​president also spoke of the progress made outside the car, for example on track safety or emergency chains: “Many lost their lives earlier because no suitable medical treatment was available in the car. right moment.” For Todt, the 50 plus one is a “very moving anniversary”: “We are celebrating a champion.

Far from being safe

At the symposium, Marko, a friend from Rindt’s school, said with a mischievous smile: “Everything we did in Graz at the time was the exact opposite of security: it was forbidden and dangerous. Marko compared Rindt’s fatal crash with Max Verstappen’s crash at Silverstone: “Jochen was killed, Max got out and had next to nothing. Times were different then: “In the 60s and 70s you had no idea at all if you would end the season.” As is known, Rindt did not complete the 1970 season.