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Karl Kling | |
|---|---|
 Kling in 1951 | |
| Born | (1910-09-16)16 September 1910 |
| Died | 18 March 2003(2003-03-18) (aged 92) Lake Constance, Germany |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  West German |
| Active years | 1954–1955 |
| Teams | Mercedes |
| Entries | 11 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Careerpoints | 17 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| First entry | 1954 French Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1955 Italian Grand Prix |
Karl Kling (German pronunciation:[kaʁlklɪŋ]ⓘ; 16 September 1910 – 18 March 2003) was a Germanracing driver andmotorsport executive, who competed inFormula One at 11Grands Prix from1954 to1955.
An employee ofDaimler-Benz since the mid-1930s, Kling made his Formula One debut at the1954 French Grand Prix, where he finished second toMercedes teammateJuan Manuel Fangio, becoming thefirst German driver to score a podium finish in Formula One. He participated in ten further World Championship Grands Prix, achieving another podium at the1955 British Grand Prix and scoring a total of 17 championship points.
Upon retiring from motor racing, Kling became the head ofMercedes-Benz in motorsport from 1956 to 1968.
Kling was born on 16 September 1910 inGiessen,Grand Duchy of Hesse,German Empire.
It is said, that Kling was born too late and too early. Too late to be in the successful Mercedes team of the 1930s and too early to have a real chance in1954 and1955. Unusually, Kling found his way into motorsport via his first job as a reception clerk atDaimler-Benz in the mid-1930s, competing in hillclimb and trials events in production machinery in his spare time. During theSecond World War he gained mechanical experience servicingLuftwaffe aircraft, and after the cessation of hostilities he resumed his motorsport involvement in aBMW 328.
Kling was instrumental in developing Mercedes' return to international competition in the early 1950s, and his win in the 1952Carrera Panamericana road race, driving the then-experimentalMercedes-Benz 300SL was a defining point in assuring the Daimler-Benz management that motorsport had a place in Mercedes' future. Besides, together withHans Klenk, he pioneered the use ofpacenotes in racing.
Called up to the revived Mercedes Grand Prix squad in the1954 Formula One season that had to skip the first two rounds, he finished less than one second behind the legendaryJuan Manuel Fangio on hisFormula One debut, taking second place in the1954 French Grand Prix at the fastReims-Gueux circuit. This promising start was not to last.
Along with the1955 Formula One season, Mercedes entered the1955 World Sportscar Championship, were usually two drivers per car were needed. With the arrival ofStirling Moss, Kling was effectively demoted to third driver in a four driver team that in January entered four F1 in Argentine, and in May four 300 SLR in the1955 Mille Miglia where Kling crashed in Rome, broke some ribs, and missed the 1955 Monaco GP.
However, away from the World Championship, Kling took an impressive victory in theBerlin Grand Prix atAVUS, another high-speed circuit.
Having won all world championships they competed for, F1 in 1954 and 1955, plus sports cars in 1955, Mercedes retired from international racing after 1955 to focus on road car development. Kling succeededAlfred Neubauer as head of Mercedes motorsport, with stock models only. He was in this post during their successful rallying campaigns of the 1960s, occasionally taking the wheel himself. On one such occasion he drove aMercedes-Benz 220SE to victory in the mighty 1961 trans-AfricanAlgiers-Bangui-Algiers Rally.
He died in 2003 at the age of 92.[1]
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Daimler-Benz AG | MercedesW196 | Mercedesstraight-8 | ARG | 500 | BEL | FRA 2 | GBR 7 | GER 4 | SUI Ret | ITA Ret | ESP 5 | 5th | 12 |
| 1955 | Daimler-Benz AG | MercedesW196 | Mercedesstraight-8 | ARG 4* | MON | 500 | BEL Ret | NED Ret | GBR 3 | ITA Ret | 11th | 5 |
* Shared drive withStirling Moss andHans Herrmann.
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position)(Races initalics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Daimler-Benz AG | MercedesW196 | Mercedesstraight-8 | SYR | PAU | LAV | BOR | INT | BAR | CUR | ROM | FRO | COR | BRC | CRY | ROU | CAE | AUG | COR | OUL | RED | PES | SAC | JOE | CAD | BER 1 | GOO | DTT |
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Daimler-Benz AG | Hans Klenk | Mercedes-Benz W194 | S 3.0 | DNF | DNF | |
| 1953 |  SpA Alfa Romeo | Fritz Riess | Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 CM | S5.0 | 133 | DNF (Transmission) | |
| 1955 | Daimler Benz AG |  Andre Simon | Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR | S3.0 | 130 | DNF | DNF |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | German Sportsman of the Year 1952 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
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