Rikky von Opel

Frederick "Rikky" von Opel (14 October 1947 - Present): Liechtenstein racing driver who competed in 14 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix between 1973 and 1974, notable for being the only driver ever to represent Liechtenstein in Formula One. Born in New York City into the wealthy and noble von Opel family as the son of Fritz von Opel and great-grandson of Adam Opel (founder of the Opel automobile company), von Opel was raised in St. Moritz, Switzerland, with the financial resources to pursue a professional racing career. He won the 1972 Lombard North Central British Formula Three Championship driving an Ensign, demonstrating genuine talent in junior formulae.

With financial backing from his family fortune, von Opel commissioned Ensign Racing to build its first Formula One chassis for the 1973 season, making his World Championship debut at the French Grand Prix. His debut season with Ensign was difficult: the N173 chassis was uncompetitive, and von Opel finished only two of 14 races, with a best result of 13th at the British Grand Prix. For 1974, he started with Ensign's new N174, but at the opening Argentine Grand Prix, he qualified dead last, 26th and over seven seconds slower than pole position. The car's handling was so poor that he withdrew before the race.

He then sat out Brazil and South Africa before jumping ship to Brabham, replacing Richard Robarts in the second works seat from the Spanish Grand Prix onward. Driving the Brabham BT44, von Opel achieved his best Formula One results: ninth place finishes at both the Swedish and Dutch Grands Prix in 1974. Despite these modest improvements, he never scored a World Championship point in his 14 race starts. After the 1974 season, von Opel retired from Formula One, having demonstrated that even substantial wealth and family backing could not guarantee success at the highest level without competitive machinery.

His career exemplifies the challenges faced by pay drivers in 1970s Formula One, when financial backing could buy a seat but not necessarily results. Von Opel's unique distinction as Liechtenstein's only F1 driver ensures his place in the sport's history. Known for: Being the only Formula One driver to represent Liechtenstein, commissioning Ensign's first F1 chassis in 1973, replacing Richard Robarts at Brabham mid-season in 1974, and being the great-grandson of Opel automobile founder Adam Opel.