Iconic nineties F1 star looks unrecognisable in viral TikTok with his daughter as she tries on his old racing gear

AN iconic nineties Formula One driver has stunned fans after appearing in a viral TikTok alongside his daughter.

The German won three F1 races after coming through the motorsport ranks alongside Michael Schumacher.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, now 57, drove for Sauber, Williams, Jordan and Arrows during his F1 career, and managed second and third place finishes in the 1997 and 1999 seasons respectively.

But more than 20 years on from his final F1 race, he appears to have found a new lease of life on social media.

And he has teamed up with his daughter, Lea to do so.

Lea, 24, went viral after posting a TikTok of herself trying on her dad’s old Jordan racing suit from the 1999 season.

The yellow suit still had its numerous sponsors plastered across it, with the clip then cutting to Lea zipping up the front of the suit.

It remarkably appeared to be a perfect fit, which she confirmed by captioning the post: “It fits.”

Other clips on her social media page show her interviewing her father, sporting a very different look from his racing days.

In his younger days Frentzen sported a clean shaven face, but has now grown out his facial hair to sport a well-defined beard.

BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS

It is a look that has previously caught fans off guard, with a viral pic of Frentzen with his beard doing the rounds in October last year.

Frentzen had a remarkable career as an F1 driver, both on and off the track.

He was part of a big push by then F1-chief Bernie Ecclestone to get more German drivers into the sport, and being promoted shortly after Schumacher while driving alongside him and Karl Wendlinger.

Earning his first seat in 1994 in the Mercedes-powered Sauber, Frentzen was eyed as a star for the future by team powerhouses at the time.

Offers were forthcoming from from Williams – who won the 1993 championship – and McLaren in 1994.

The Williams offer came following the death of F1 legend Ayrton Senna at the Imola Grand Prix that year.

However, he turned it down out of loyalty to Sauber who had given him his big break.

The latter went a very different way, coming directly from ex-McLaren CEO Ron Dennis before a harmless joke saw the move collapse.

Frentzen said on the Beyond the Grid F1 podcast: “You know why I never got a chance at McLaren? In 1994 in Adelaide, my manager came to me and said then I had a call, Ron Dennis wanted to see me…

“So, Ron Dennis came to me and said, ‘Hey Heinz, how is your English?’, and he said, ‘there might be some improvement in your English’.

“And then I said for fun, ‘and how is your German?’, because we knew that Mercedes was coming to McLaren [as an engine supplier]. ‘You have to learn German as well’, I said.

“He had a stone face. I was thinking I was funny, and my manager just pushed my arm like ‘what the f*** did you say that for?’. And I saw the face of Ron Dennis, and he never ever spoke again with me.

“He was so upset that I made this joke. And that’s why I never really had a chance at McLaren, because Ron Dennis for some reason didn’t like my sense of humour.”

Frentzen won his first F1 race in 1997 when he also scored podiums in seven other races to finish second in the Championship.

Despite a race win season and finishing second in the championship, there was a massive drop in performance in 1998, one Frentzen cannot explain to this day.

In 1999, Frentzen headed to Jordan in a straight swap with Ralf Schumacher and came within touching distance of landing the title.

Two race wins had put him on the path to glory despite a run-in with Schumacher at the Canadian GP when the Ferrari accelerated out of the pits and onto the racing line, causing Frentzen to spin out when he was poised to take the lead.

Retirement at the European Grand Prix due to overlooking the anti-stall system later in the season would be the final nail in the coffin for his title hopes.

Things did not get better for Frentzen at Jordan. In 2001 events came to a head when team principal Eddie Jordan sacked Frentzen halfway through the season.

Frentzen claimed he had discussed terms with Jordan with a promise to sign him onto the team for next season, before learning he would not be signing a new deal.

Frentzen said: “I was really upset and the team was upset that I was upset. It was a very bad situation… since then it [the relationship] was never the same again.

“We arrived to Malaysia but everything was different. I have no explanation (to where the performance of the car went).

“It was like someone was pulling a plug. Something was not running round anymore (in the car).

“Then Eddie sacked me. There was no reason, it was just out of the blue with this letter from a lawyer and informed me, so that was a big shock… Eddie was getting a little stranger each race.“

Frentzen eventually left F1 in 2003, later competing in Speedcar series, Le Mans 24hr and GT racing until 2014.

🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁 

Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk