In 1989 Sauber‑Mercedes picks three young drivers for its junior team in the World Sportscar Championship: Michael Schumacher, Heinz‑Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger. One would go on to become a seven‑time F1 world champion, another a multiple Grand Prix winner. The third barely survives Formula 1’s pitch‑black year — his dream snapped off at the bud.
Nouvelle Chicane, Monaco. 12 May 1994. At 177 km/h Karl Wendlinger slides sideways into the Armco. His Sauber lies crushed on the asphalt. Less than two weeks earlier Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger had died at Imola. Now Wendlinger lies motionless in the cockpit. The F1 paddock holds its breath: please, not again…
The young Austrian survives the impact but spends nineteen days in a coma. Against the odds he climbs back into the Sauber F1 car before the year is out, but the after‑effects of the crash dog him. After a few determined attempts his chapter in the pinnacle of motorsport closes. “When my F1 career was over, I simply had to accept it. I never thought, ‘what if?’ Because I don’t know what would have happened if I’d been able to stay in F1.”
Although he was often the faster driver in the Sauber junior setup in Group C, he isn’t bothered that his teammates achieved greater success in Formula 1. “Fortunately I never looked at their careers with jealousy. I was genuinely happy for their success and enjoyed watching it. I didn’t expect Michael to become so successful in F1, but you can’t predict that. Even from the start in Group C I knew he was extremely competitive and professional. He thought about everything and was already working on his physical and mental preparation. I was impressed by how he kept developing, step by step.”
