Christian Kautz's Fatal Crash @ Bremgarten 1948 (Aftermath)
- 7 months ago
Christian Kautz was born in Bruxelles, Belgium, his father was a Swiss multi-millionaire. He started his racing career in the mid-1930s, driving a private Maserati 4CM in which he finished 4th in the 1936 Coupe de Prince Ranier voiturette race, held at Monaco. He also shared a BMW 328 with Fritz Roth of Germany, in the Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France sportscar race held at Linas-Montlhéry. In 1937 he joined the Mercedes-Benz factory team as a junior driver, scoring a remarkable 3rd place at the Grand Prix de Monaco and 4th in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Then he moved to Auto Union in 1938, making three Grands Prix starts. He founded his own team and in July of 1939 the four works 8C Tipo-308 Alfa Romeos were entered in the French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux by team Christian Kautz, being the French races still boycotted by the Italian drivers and teamsin consequence of the Spanish Civil War. Kautz, who was in the entry list as one of the four drivers, alongside Raymond Sommer, Luigi Chinetti and the youngster French Yves Matra, did not start the race.
During the the World War II, Kautz moved to the United States, working as a test-pilot for Lockheed. Back to Switzerland, he joined the team of his country-fellow Enrico Platé, driving a Maserati 4CL in which he took part in several post-war racing event in Europe, as the Gran Premio del Valentino at Turin, Italy, in 1946 and the Grand Prix de Belgique at Spa-Francorchamps. That same year he won the Reims Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux. The Swiss Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday, 04 July 1948, was his first start of the season. It was held at Bremgarten circuit, an ultra-fast blast through the forests on the outskirts of Bern, close to the River Wohlensee.
During the 2nd lap of the 1948 Swiss Grand Prix, Christian Kautz lost control of his private Maserati at the inside of the second of the Eymatt turns, which was later named as Tenni Turn. Kautz' car left the road at high speed, crashing into an embankment, the driver was killed almost instantly.
After the accident the race was not stopped, and Carlo Felice Trossi in a factory Alfa Romeo 158 eventually was the winner.
The event was marred by two other fatalities. On 01 July 1948, during Thursday practice session, Achille Varzi crashed his Alfa Romeo 158 and was killed; five hours later, the Italian rider Omobono Tenni perished while practicing in sight of the motorcycle race crashing with his Moto Guzzi in the same place of Kautz. On race day, George Abecassis sustained injuries, crashing with the Alta on 4th lap, and in another accident during the Prix de Berne, voiturette race, Maurice Trintignant was also seriously injured.
R.I.P
During the the World War II, Kautz moved to the United States, working as a test-pilot for Lockheed. Back to Switzerland, he joined the team of his country-fellow Enrico Platé, driving a Maserati 4CL in which he took part in several post-war racing event in Europe, as the Gran Premio del Valentino at Turin, Italy, in 1946 and the Grand Prix de Belgique at Spa-Francorchamps. That same year he won the Reims Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux. The Swiss Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday, 04 July 1948, was his first start of the season. It was held at Bremgarten circuit, an ultra-fast blast through the forests on the outskirts of Bern, close to the River Wohlensee.
During the 2nd lap of the 1948 Swiss Grand Prix, Christian Kautz lost control of his private Maserati at the inside of the second of the Eymatt turns, which was later named as Tenni Turn. Kautz' car left the road at high speed, crashing into an embankment, the driver was killed almost instantly.
After the accident the race was not stopped, and Carlo Felice Trossi in a factory Alfa Romeo 158 eventually was the winner.
The event was marred by two other fatalities. On 01 July 1948, during Thursday practice session, Achille Varzi crashed his Alfa Romeo 158 and was killed; five hours later, the Italian rider Omobono Tenni perished while practicing in sight of the motorcycle race crashing with his Moto Guzzi in the same place of Kautz. On race day, George Abecassis sustained injuries, crashing with the Alta on 4th lap, and in another accident during the Prix de Berne, voiturette race, Maurice Trintignant was also seriously injured.
R.I.P