The 1970 F1 season is the only one in which the Drivers' Championship was awarded posthumously, going to Jochen Rindt after his fatal crash.
Key Facts
- Championship races
- 13 races, 7 March – 25 October 1970
- Drivers' Champion
- Jochen Rindt (Lotus), posthumously awarded
- Manufacturers' Cup winner
- Lotus, by 7 points over Ferrari
- Season number
- 24th FIA Formula One season
- Notable deaths
- Jochen Rindt, Bruce McLaren, Piers Courage
- Jack Brabham
- Three-time champion retired at season end
By the Numbers
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1970 Formula One season opened as the sport's premier series entered its 24th year, with Jochen Rindt driving competitively for Lotus and accumulating a points lead over rivals including Jacky Ickx of Ferrari across the first nine races of the thirteen-race championship.
Rindt died in a qualifying accident at the Italian Grand Prix before the season concluded, yet his accumulated points total proved insurmountable. Meanwhile Bruce McLaren was killed testing at Goodwood in June, and Piers Courage died during the Dutch Grand Prix, making 1970 one of the most tragic seasons in the sport's history.
Jochen Rindt became the only Formula One World Drivers' Champion to receive the title posthumously. Lotus also claimed the Manufacturers' Cup. Jack Brabham retired, ending a major chapter in the sport, while the series confronted the persistent danger of racing at speed without adequate safety measures.