Heinz-Harald Frentzen achieved F1 success with Williams in the 1990s, although he did not fulfil the lofty expectations set for him early in his career.
| Nationality | German |
|---|---|
| Born | Heinz-Harald Frentzen 18 May 1967 Mönchengladbach, West German |
Before his Formula 1 debut, Frentzen was a notable part of Mercedes‘ esteemed junior driving team, which included Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger. While Schumacher made his F1 debut in 1991, Frentzen had to wait until 1994 to get his chance.
Frentzen joined Formula 1 with Sauber in 1994 and soon attracted the attention of Frank Williams, who signed him in 1995 to replace Damon Hill at the end of the 1996 season.
Hill’s upcoming exit stirred controversy in 1996, especially as he was en route to winning the world championship. Nonetheless, Frentzen took his place beside Jacques Villeneuve in 1997.
In the 1997 world championship, Frentzen finished second to his teammate, a position he inherited after Schumacher was disqualified for a collision with Villeneuve in the final race. Frentzen secured a lone victory at Imola but was generally slower than Villeneuve.
The team struggled in 1998 due to new technical regulations, leading to a winless season for both drivers, who left at its end.
While Villeneuve, heading to BAR, never won another race, Frentzen revitalised his career with Jordan. He claimed two victories in 1999, nearly winning the championship.
However, in 2000, his new teammate Jarno Trulli challenged him closely, and by mid-2001, Frentzen was dismissed. He finished the season with Prost, impressively qualifying fourth at that year’s 2001 Belgian Grand Prix for the troubled team, which ceased operations at the season’s end.
Frentzen’s next move was to the financially troubled Arrows team in 2002. Despite showing promise, the team exited after the 2002 British Grand Prix.
He returned to Sauber for a final season in 2003, achieving a podium in his second-to-last race before being replaced by Felipe Massa in 2004. Frentzen then competed in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) and later in the GT series.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1994–2003 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Sauber, Williams, Jordan, Prost, Arrows |
| Entries | 160 (156 starts) |
| Championships | 0 (2nd in 1997) |
| Wins | 3 |
| Podiums | 18 |
| Career points | 174 |
| Pole positions | 2 |
| Fastest laps | 6 |
| First entry | 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix |
| First win | 1997 San Marino Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1999 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2003 Japanese Grand Prix |
Sources: Wikipedia.com
