Top 5 Worst Performing ATS Wheels drivers


Top 5 Worst Performing ATS Wheels drivers
By Brian Cotnoir

The Nation of Germany is one of the largest producers of Automobiles in the world.   They have produced some of the most luxurious and fastest cars in human history with companies such as Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz.   In recent years, Mercedes has gone on to dominate the F1 seasons winning 6 consecutive drivers and constructors world championships!  However, the number of German F1 Constructors has been inconsistent over the decades.  Mercedes was absent (as a Constructor) from the F1 grid for over 40 years, Porsche hasn’t competed in F1 since the 1960’s and BMW bought stakes in the Williams and Sauber, but never officially opened their own F1 team.  Other German constructors saw very little success in Formula One, like the team I’m here to tell you about today ATS Wheels.  ATS Wheels ran for several seasons in F1 and had mixed results, often struggling to qualify for Grand Prix’s and multiple times only entering a single-car entry.

5.)  Hans-Joachim Stuck, 1 season (1979), 2 Championship Points Scored.  Best Finish 5th at the United States Grand Prix

German driver Hans-Joachim Stuck ran his final season in Formula 1 with the ATS Wheels team.  It was a pretty lackluster team plagued with race retirements and struggles to qualify.  Stuck also ran a single-car entry for the team that year, but he did manage to score points in his final ever Formula 1 race, when he finished 5th at the United States Grand Prix.


4.)  Eliseo Salazar, 1 Season (1982), 2 Championship Points Scored, Best Finish 5th at the San Marino Grand Prix.

Eliseo Salazar is so far the only Chilean Formula 1 driver to have ever competed in Formula 1.   In his only season with ATS, Salazar failed to qualify for 3 races, and retired from 8-of-the-16 races that season.  He is known most famously for a collision with World Champion Nelson Piquet Sr. that resulted in a brief fisticuffs on track.  He did manage to score points at the legendary 1982 San Marino Grand Prix.




3.)  Manfred Winkelhock, 3 Seasons, 2 Championship Points Scored, 4 DNQ’s and 2 DSQ’s

Manfred Winkelhock was ATS’s longest serving driver.  However, his tenure with the team saw him retire from over 20 Grand Prix’s and failed to qualify for four other Grand Prix’s.  His best finish came in his 2nd ever F1 Start when he finished 5th place at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1982.  Winkelhock would unfortunately lose his life in an WEC race in Canada during the 1985 season.


2.)  Jean-Pierre Jarier, 1 Season (1977-78), 1 Championship Point Scored.  Best Finish 6th at the United States Grand Prix West

Jean-Pierre Jarier scored ATS’s first championship points in 1977 when he finished 6th at the United States Grand Prix West.  He would run races part-time for ATS Wheel in 1977-1978, but was never able to do better than his 1st race with the team.


1.)  Jochen Mass, 1 Season (1978), 0 Championship Points Scored, Best Finish 7th at the Brazilian Grand Prix

Jochen Mass spent 1 season at ATS Wheels in 1978, and had some pretty awful results.   He had 3 DNQ’s and missed the last 3 races of the 1978 season.  Mass would, have very limited success in Formula 1 after ATS, but would go on to win the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans.



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