Harald Ertl


Harald Ertl was an Austrian racing driver and motorsport journalist. He was born in Zell am See and attended the same school as Grand Prix drivers Jochen Rindt and Helmut Marko.
Ertl sported an 'Imperial'-style moustache and full beard. He worked his way through the German Formula Vee and Super Vee, and then on to Formula Three, before a successful switch to Touring Cars. During this period, he gained sufficient sponsorship to enter Formula One, where he drove with various outfits between 1975 and 1980. Ertl was one of the four drivers who helped to get Niki Lauda out of his burning Ferrari in the 1976 German Grand Prix.
Ertl was killed in an aeroplane crash in 1982, when the small plane he was travelling in suffered from engine failure.

Early racing career

In 1969, he bought a Formula V car, won six races, but also rolled it at the Nürburgring. He was second in the European Cup with a Kaimann chassis in 1970, and started also in a round of the Championnat de France with a March-Ford 703, at Aéroport Dijon-Longvic circuit. He continued with F3 the following season, undertaking a selection of races in England, best result being ninth at Brands Hatch.
In 1971, he also moved to the European Touring Car Championship, driving an Alfa Romeo, gaining a third place at Monza in the Monza 4 hours. For 1972, he switched to the BMW-Alpina team in the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft. The best result of the season, with a fourth place in the first race, Internationale ADAC-Eifelrennen, held on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
1973 saw Ertl continue to mix Formula Three and Touring Cars, with little success, until the September, when at the side of Derek Bell, they would win the RAC Tourist Trophy, with both drivers each winning their respective heat, to take an aggregate victory.
For 1974, his main target was the Deutsche Formel 3 Polifac Trophy. Once again, his best result came at the Nürburgring, where finished fourth. Meanwhile, he also raced in the Formal Super Vee Gold Pokal, taking 19th in the final standings. During this season, Ertl made his F2 debut, racing at both the European Championship for F2 Drivers events at Hockenheim.
In 1975 Ertl signed for Fred Opert Racing to continue racing in F2. By the third race for the team he was on the podium. A third place in the Internationales ADAC-Eifelrennen, held on the Nürburgring Nordschleife enabled him gather enough money together, including sponsorship from Warsteiner to start racing in F1.

F1 career

In 1975, sponsorship obtained from Warsteiner had allowed him to drive a Hesketh 308 in Formula One, prepared by Hesketh Racing in Warsteiner's golden livery. In his debut at the German Grand Prix, he finished 8th. He went on to retire in his home GP, then finished ninth at Monza.
Encouraged by these results, a full season with Hesketh was planned for 1976. In the South African Grand Prix he qualified in the last row and finished 15th. The next races saw him either not qualify at all, or at the back of the grid, with early retirements due to mechanical failures. Despite not being satisfied with the value the team gave him for the money, he almost scored a point when coming in seventh at the 1976 British Grand Prix, albeit three laps down.
Two weeks later at the 1976 German Grand Prix, Ertl was one of the four drivers who helped pull Niki Lauda from his burning Ferrari after Lauda's infamous crash during the second lap of the race. The rest of the season saw two more eighth places finishes as highlights, at home and at the wet Japanese Grand Prix.
Ertl continued with Hesketh for a third season, taking in some European races, finishing 9th at the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix. He left Hesketh after the 1977 French Grand Prix where he again failed to qualify for the race.
For a few races in 1978, Ertl entered with Ensign, but things were even worse there, with the cars failing to finish or even worst, when he did not survive prequalifying at Monza. At the same event, he got another chance with the spare car of German-language ATS team, as regular driver Jochen Mass injured himself in the pre-Monza test a few days prior. He still failed to make the cut.
Two years later, Ertl tried once again with ATS in the 1980 German Grand Prix with the same result. The last Formula One Grand Prix he took part in was the 1978 Austrian Grand Prix, in his home country.
While not racing F1, Ertl was still racing in F2 albeit with very little success. In these three seasons, he finished just once in the top six.

DRM years

Away from single-seaters, Ertl returned to Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft in 1977, now that the series had switched to Group 5.
Based on experience with their BMW, Schnitzer Motorsport developed a Toyota Celica LB Turbo for Ertl in 1977. Schnitzer switched back to BMW for the 1978 season, retaining the services for Ertl. This move made him one of the main contenders for the title. With the Kremer Racing Porsche of Bob Wollek being bit off the pace, while the Ford entrant, Zakspeed’s Escort being outdated, and their Ford Capri Turbo was unreliable. Ertl would win five of the 11 races during the season, with a second place at the season finale, a Super Sprint event at the Nürburgring, he would win the championship.
Despite taking the title with Schnitzer, Ertl switched to Zakspeed for the next two seasons. 1979 started off promising with a win in the opening round at Zolder, then followed it up with a third in Hockenheim in the next race. Although he would win once more at Mainz-Finthen, the season turned miserable with six non-finishes or non-starts out of 11 races, in Zakspeed’s Ford Capri Turbo. Meanwhile, Zakspeed also developed a mid-engined Lotus Europa for the 1000km Nürburgring. That also did not finish the race. The following season was like the previous one, when Ertl continued to be unlucky: 8 poles, 4 wins and 6 retirements.

Death

Ertl did not race internationally at all in 1981, but planned a return for the 1982 Renault 5 Turbo Cup. However, before these plans came through, he was killed in an aircraft accident at the age of 33. He was travelling in a Beechcraft Bonanza flown by his brother-in-law Jörg Becker-Hohensee from Mannheim to their holiday home in Sylt in Northern Germany for an Easter vacation. Less than a quarter of the way through the intended flight distance engine failure caused the plane to crash at Hohenahr near Giessen. Ertl's wife Vera and son Sebastian were injured but Becker-Hohensee, Ertl and his niece were killed.

Racing record

Career highlights

SeasonSeriesPositionTeamCar
1971European Touring Car Championship31stAlfa Romeo Hähn
Autodelta SpA		Alfa Romeo GTAm
1972Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft27thBMW-AlpinaBMW 2002
1973Formula Super Vee Europe12thMaco-Volkswagen
Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft40thAuto-Fox-Racing TeamAlfa Romeo 2000 GTAm
1974Polifac Formel 3 Trophy13thCaravanbau Günther Hennerici
Hannen Alt Racing Team		Rheinland-Toyota 374
Formal Super Vau Gold Pokal19thHorag-Volkswagen
Formula Super Vee Europe21stHorag-Volkswagen
1975European Championship for Formula 2 Drivers19thFred Opert RacingChevron-BMW B27
Interserie25thRex-Auto-Racing-TeamRex-Cosworth SP1
1976European Championship for Formula 2 Drivers15thMotor Racing Company
Fred Opert Racing		March-BMW 752
Chevron-BMW B35
1977Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft25thOptische Werke Rodenstock
Toyota Deutschland		BMW 2002 Turbo
Toyota Celica LB Turbo
1978Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft1stSachs-SportingBMW 320 Turbo
1979Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft10thSachs-SportingFord Capri Turbo
Interserie – Div. 218thMinolta Camera TeamLotus Europa Turbo
1980Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft7thSachs-SportingFord Capri Turbo

Complete Formula One World Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314151617Pts
1975Warsteiner BreweryHesketh 308Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARGBRARSAESPMONBELSWENEDFRAGBRGER
8		AUT
Ret		ITA
9		USANC0
1976Hesketh RacingHesketh 308DFord Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8BRARSA
15		USW
DNQ		ESP
DNQ		BEL
Ret		MON
DNQ		SWE
Ret		FRA
Ret		GBR
7		GER
Ret		AUT
8		NED
Ret		ITA
16		CAN
DNS		USA
13		JPN
8		NC0
1977Hesketh RacingHesketh 308EFord Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARGBRARSAUSWESP
Ret		MON
DNQ		BEL
9		SWE
16		FRA
DNQ		GBRGERAUTNEDITAUSACANJPNNC0
1978Sachs RacingEnsign N177Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARGBRARSAUSWMONBELESPSWEFRAGBRGER
11		AUT
Ret		NED
DNPQ		NC0
1978ATS EngineeringATS HS1Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ITA
DNQ*		USACANNC0
1980Team ATSATS D4Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARGBRARSAUSWBELMONFRAGBRGER
DNQ		AUTNEDITACANUSANC0

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314Pts
1974Team ObermoserMarch 742BMWBARHOC
Ret		PAUSALHOCMUGKARPERNC0
1974Chevron Racing TeamChevron B27BMWHOC
NC		VALNC0
1975Fred Opert RacingChevron B27BMWESTTHR
NC		HOC
Ret		NÜR
3		PAU
Ret		19th4
1975Fred Opert RacingChevron B29BMWHOC
7		SAL
11		ROU
Ret		MUG
Ret		PER
12		SIL
Ret		ZOLNOGVAL19th4
1976Motor Racing CoMarch 752BMWHOC
15th2
1976Motor Racing CoChevron B35BMWTHR
Ret		15th2
1976Fred Opert RacingChevron B35BMWVAL
12		SAL
17		PAUHOC
Ret		ROUMUG
15		PER
7		HOC
Ret		15th2
1976Chevron Racing TeamChevron B35BMWEST
10		NOG15th2
1977Team Obermoser EuroraceChevron B35BMWSILTHRHOC
Ret		NÜR
Ret		VALPAUMUGROUNOGPERMISESTDONNC0
1978Harald Ertl RacingMarch 782BMWTHRHOC
Ret		NÜRPAUMUGVALROUDONNOGPERMISNC0
1978ICI Chevron CarsChevron B42BMWHOC
DNQ		NC0