Ulli Melkus

Ulli Melkus (Born 19th April, 1950 in Dresden, East Germany, Died 18th June, 1990 near Speyer, West Germany) was an East German racing driver known for his appearances in Formula One.

Ulli was the son of prominent East German engineer and racing driver Heinz Melkus.

A highly respected sports personality in his home country, Ulli was awarded the highest sporting decoration in the GDR – the Meister des Sports, at a ceremony in 1984.

Formula One

1976

Following a highly successful stint in GDR Formula 3, Melkus joined the de-facto Soviet national team Moscow Motors alongside Angelina Sokoloff in the Estonia-Volga for the German and Italian Grands Prix. The team failed to pre-qualify on both occasions.

Death

After a race at the Nürburgring, Melkus was travelling along a main road between Mannheim and Speyer, West Germany before a tire blowout on the car he was driving caused him to lose control.

The car slid under the wheels of a large truck, where he died at the age of 40.