Wolfgang von Trips is a racing driver from Germany who last raced in Formula 1 for Ferrari. von Trips has recorded 2 wins and 6 podiums from 28 starts.[1]
A Racer Rating of 5,289 ranks von Trips 225th of 15,348 indexed drivers, on an Elo scale where the strongest reach the low five figures. It is built from every indexed race in the driver's file, decayed for time since their last race.
| 1961-09-10 | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | DNF | −97 |
| 1961-08-06 | Nürburgring | P2 | +110 |
| 1961-07-15 | Aintree | P1 | +124 |
| 1961-07-02 | Reims-Gueux | DNF | −70 |
| 1961-06-18 | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | P2 | +115 |
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Podiums | DNFs | Poles | Points | Pos | Gain/Loss | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | ▸Formula 1 | Ferrari | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 33 | P2 | +398 | 5,779 |
| 1960 | ▸Formula 1 | Cooper-Maserati | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | P6 | +414 | 5,381 |
| 1959 | ▸Formula 1 | Ferrari | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | P20 | −45 | 4,966 |
| 1958 | ▸Formula 1 | Ferrari | 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 | P10 | +218 | 5,011 |
| 1957 | ▸Formula 1 | Ferrari | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | P14 | +138 | 4,794 |
| 1956 | ▸Formula 1 | Ferrari | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | P28 | −144 | 4,656 |
| Rival | Rating | Raced | Ahead | Behind | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 Phil Hill | 4,199 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% |
| 🇬🇧 Stirling Moss | 5,388 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 25% |
| 🇳🇿 Bruce McLaren | 5,136 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% |
| 🇦🇺 Jack Brabham | 5,211 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40% |
| 🇬🇧 Tony Brooks | 4,920 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 60% |
| 🇬🇧 Innes Ireland | 4,610 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 44% |
| 🇸🇪 Jo Bonnier | 4,402 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 78% |
| 🇬🇧 Jim Clark | 5,692 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% |
| 🇺🇸 Richie Ginther | 5,503 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 63% |
| 🇫🇷 Maurice Trintignant | 4,839 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 57% |
Wolfgang von Trips was a German racing driver who competed in Formula 1 from 1956 to 1961, securing 28 starts across six seasons with Ferrari. He won two Grand Prix races and finished on the podium six times, recording an average finishing position of fourth across his classified starts. His Racer Rating of 5,289 places him among capable drivers of the professional single-seater era, competitive with peers but not at the level of the era's dominant figures.[1]
Von Trips faced exceptionally strong competition throughout his career. He raced regularly against Jim Clark and Richie Ginther, finishing ahead of both multiple times despite their higher ratings. Against Stirling Moss, a near-contemporary peer rated above him, von Trips won three of twelve head-to-head finishes but trailed nine times, establishing Moss as the stronger driver. His record against Phil Hill, an FIA Silver graded champion, was more favourable; he finished ahead of Hill in eight of thirteen shared races. He also encountered Juan Fangio, the five-time champion, once and beat him, though this was an isolated result late in Fangio's career rather than a consistent pattern.[2]
Von Trips' breakthrough came during the 1961 season, when he won both his career Grand Prix races and took four podiums across seven rounds, finishing second in the championship. This represented the peak of his career and a competitive level among the era's leading drivers. He remained with Ferrari throughout his Formula 1 career, a tenure that spanned the team's competitive peak in the late 1950s and early 1960s.