Karl Kling

Karl Kling
Kling in 1951
Born	(1910-09-16)16 September 1910 Giessen, Hesse, German Empire
Died	18 March 2003(2003-03-18) (aged 92) Lake Constance, Germany
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	West German
Active years	1954–1955
Teams	Mercedes
Entries	11
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	2
Career points	17
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	1
First entry	1954 French Grand Prix
Last entry	1955 Italian Grand Prix

Karl Kling (German pronunciation: [kaʁl klɪŋ] ^ⓘ; 16 September 1910 – 18 March 2003) was a German racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One at 11 Grands Prix from 1954 to 1955.

An employee of Daimler-Benz since the mid-1930s, Kling made his Formula One debut at the 1954 French Grand Prix, where he finished second to Mercedes teammate Juan Manuel Fangio, becoming the first German driver to score a podium finish in Formula One. He participated in 10 further World Championship Grands Prix, achieving another podium at the 1955 British Grand Prix and scoring a total of 17 championship points.

Upon retiring from motor racing, Kling became the head of Mercedes-Benz in motorsport from 1956 to 1968.