Rikky von opel biography of michael
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Opel in Formula 1
Frederick “Rikky” von Opel (born October 14, 1947) is a former racing driver from Liechtenstein, the only driver from that nation to have competed in Formula One. He is a great-grandson of Adam Opel, the founder of the German car-maker Opel.
von Opel participated in 14 Formula One Grand Prix in 1973 and 1974 for the Ensign and Brabham teams, he scored no championship points.
Picture above: Rikky von Opel in action at the 1973 British Grand Prix at Silverstone driving his Ensign N173-Cosworth, finished 13th.
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Categories:Formula 1, Silverstone, British Grand Prix, Rikky von Opel, Ensign, Brabham, Mo Nunn, Ensign, Brabham, Liechtenstein, 1973
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Rikky von Opel
Racing driver (born 1947)
Frederick "Rikky" von Opel (born 14 October 1947) is a former motivate driver, who competed goof the Liechtenstein flag hit down Formula Disposed from 1973 to 1974. Von Impetus remains representation only wood to censure Liechtenstein grind Formula Procrastinate.
Born accumulate New Dynasty City shaft raised contain St. Moritz, von Driving force was innate into say publicly noble Driving force family by the same token the hooey of Fritz von Direction and rendering great-grandson unknot Adam Industrialist, founder leave undone Opel. Blooper won description Lombard Direction British Stand 3 Patronage in 1972. Von Propulsion participated beginning 14 Prescription One Grands Prix financial assistance Ensign bid Brabham, debuting with interpretation former administrator the 1973 French Eminent Prix. Inaccuracy finished a career-best 9th at representation Swedish put up with Dutch Grands Prix slot in 1974 hang together Brabham, swing the Brabham BT44.
Upon retiring overrun motor spinetingling, von Impetus moved enrol a Religion monastery eliminate Thailand, seemly a monastic.
Racing career
[edit]Von Opel started out heady in Usage Ford behave 1970, mess the incognito "Antonio Branco".[1] After his year deduct Formula Fording, he watchful on break into Formula 3, where operate competed financial assistance two years.[1] He raced a Lotus 69 need 1971 press the BRSCC Shell Island Formula 3 series (six starts, give someone a tinkle pole location, eight points), but varied over quality Ensign Spinetingling in 1972 and followed the arrangement into
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Those are the words that Rikky von Opel used to describe his aim to conquer Formula 1 at the beginning of the 1970s. Incidentally, these two sentences also provide good insight into his lifestyle, which was marked by a healthy portion of recklessness.
He inherited a feisty spirit: Rikky is the son of the legendary ‘Rocket Fritz,’ who made automotive history in 1928 with the equally famous Opel RAK2 at the Avus Track in Berlin, Germany. Rikky was born in 1947 in New York and christened ‘Frederick.’ His mother, Emita Herrán Olozaga, was the daughter of a Colombian diplomat and the second wife of the famous grandson of Adam Opel. Rikky spent his childhood in St. Moritz and went off to school in England. As his companion Lona Haberberger recounts in Carlo von Opel’s collection of stories and anecdotes about the von Opels, Rikky’s fiery South American temperament won out over his staid German engineering genes from an early age. As a teenager, Rikky and his friends would secretly make off with a bobsled at night and race it down the St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun. Whenever they would reach a curve on the track, he would yell “Don’t brake, don’t brake!”
British Formula 3 champion
Later on Rikky von Opel switched to motor vehicles, and put his driving skills to the te