Winner of a Formula 1 Grand Prix and the 24 hours of Le Mans, Jochen Mass died at the age of 78. His death was announced by his family, a few weeks after revealing that he had fallen ill.
It was through hill races that the German, born in Bavaria on September 30, 1946, made its motorsport debut. He was lent from Alfa Romeo by the dealer to whom he worked. Then he tried his luck on the circuit, where he was spotted by Ford during tourism races.
In 1972, he won the 24 Hours of SPA with the RS 2600 version of the Ford Capri, which convinced the German branch of Ford to finance its single -seater beginnings. After Formula 3 in Great Britain, he drove in Formula 2 with March then Surtes, with whom he won his luck in F1.
In nine seasons and 105 departures in Formula 1, Jochen Mass won once, during the 1975 Spain Grand Prix disputed on the Montjuïc urban circuit, in Barcelona. He had taken the lead with his McLaren-Cosworth M23, in front of the Lotus of Jacky Ickx, before the event was interrupted by a red flag following an accident that claimed the lives of four people.
Jochen Mass with the McLaren in Montjuic in 1975.
Photo of: Motorsport Images
A spectator, a member of the circuit and two photographers had been the victim of the Rolf Stommelen track outing after a rear wing failure. The race having been stopped before reaching the distance of 60%, only half of the points had been allocated.
Jochen Mass won seven other podiums during his career in the queen category, all during his visit to McLaren, between 1974 and 1977. Then he piloted for ATS, Arrows and March, stable in which he played a last trying last season, in 1982. A few weeks after being involved in the accident that cost Gilles Villeneuve, From a terrible crash to the Paul-Ricard. Unharmed, he decided to put an end to Formula 1.
Winner at Le Mans in 1989
Jochen Mass won at Le Mans with Mercedes.
Photo de: Daimler AG
It was in endurance that Jochen Mass was most successful. Pillar of the Porsche factory team at the start of the group C in 1982, he won nine events in the world sports car championship, before going to Sauber in 1988. He then triumphed over ten other heats from the wheel of the Sauber C9 and C11 badges Mercedes until the early 1990s. His biggest victory remains that won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1989, where he was associated with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens.
During his last year at Sauber, Jochen Mass played a mentor role for young pilots of the Mercedes program, notably sharing the steering wheel with Michael Schumacher, Karl Wendlinger and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
After retiring, he returned to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995, for a twelfth and last participation, at the wheel of a McLaren F1 GTR. He then remained Ambassador of Mercedes-Benz, regularly going to historic meetings such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
