F1 legend gives update to fans after back surgery

Jordan team-mates Damon Hill and Heinz Harald Frentzen in 1999 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

F1 legend gives update to fans after back surgery

Former F1 driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen went under the knife on his birthday!

Chris Deeley

Monday 18 May 2026 21:15

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Former F1 race winner Heinz-Harald Frentzen has given fans an update on social media after undergoing surgery on Monday.

The former Williams star revealed on Twitter that he left the operating room with a 'brand new disc' in his back, posting a picture from his recovery bed in the hospital with a neck brace, hospital gown and big thumbs up.

Frentzen had received 'hundreds' of messages and Twitter replies while he was going under the knife – but not for his surgery. Instead, he was receiving birthday wishes, as he also turned 59 years old on Monday.

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The German has garnered something of a cult following on social media in recent years, much like his former Jordan team-mate Damon Hill, with his willingness to respond to fans' tweets and comment on issues around the sport.

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Frentzen reveals birthday surgery on social media

In his post on Monday, he wrote: "Happy Birthday to me! Woke up after back surgery to hundreds of birthday wishes — thanks so much! Got myself a brand new disc as a birthday present this year. Feeling very blessed. Greetings from Mönchengladbach."

One of those topics that Frentzen has weighed in on is the F1 future of four-time champion Max Verstappen, writing earlier this season: "If you lose your motivation in F1, it's better to quit, or at least take a break. That's what I did.

“The sport is too dangerous if you lose your focus.”

Frentzen raced for ten years in F1, finishing second and third in the drivers' championship in 1997 and '99 respectively before leaving the sport in the early 2000s, later carving out a career in saloon car and sports car racing.

GPFans wishes him the best in his recovery from surgery, and a happy birthday!

F1 Heinz-Harald Frentzen