F1 and Le Mans 24 Hours winner Jochen Mass has died

A legend of German motorsport passed away on Sunday, May 4, 2025. Winner of the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix as well as 24 hours of Le Mans In 1989, Jochen Mass died at the age of 78.

In FebruaryJochen Mass had suffered a "stroke," as his family announced on social media in a post published this Sunday. At 78, the effects of the stroke were fatal for the man who spent his final days surrounded by his loved ones. “Every message of positivity was passed on to him, bringing peace during his final days.”, relates the brief statement from his family. “Beyond his passing, we also celebrate his incredible life. A life he loved sharing with all of you. A life he lived to the fullest. He was reunited with his friends to run up there again.”

 

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Jochen Mass distinguished himself in touring car racing in the 1960s and early 1970s. His Zakspeed-modified Group 5 Ford Capri Turbo caused a stir in DRM, the forerunner of the DTM in Germany, but it is in single-seaters, as well as in Endurance, where the Bavarian stood out the most.

European vice-champion of Formula 2 In 1973, Jochen Mass logically gained access to the Formula 1 the following year with Team Surtees. The mixed performances of former champion John Surtees' team led him to join McLaren during the 1974 season. Although he did not achieve the same level of performance as his teammate Emerson Fittipaldi, Jochen Mass managed to reach the top step of the podium at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. A race sadly remembered for Rolf Stommelen's accident which caused the death of four spectators on the dangerous Montjuic street circuit.

Replaced by Patrick Tambay in 1978, Jochen Mass was relegated to the back of the grid at ATS, and eked out a living behind the wheel of the golden Arrows machines. He left F1 after a disappointing 1982 with RAM-March.

His record in Endurance is more eloquent: 30 victories, and two vice-world champion titles. His longevity has allowed him to experience the Alfa Romeo T33/TT/12 in 1975, the Porsche 936, but also and above all the legendary Group Cs like the Porsche 956, 962 and the Sauber series Mercedes silver. It was aboard one of these, the C9, that he won the 24 1989 Hours of Le Mans with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens, allowing the German brand to triumph in La Sarthe for the first time since 1952.

Jochen Mass continued to be strongly committed to Mercedes after his retirement from racing. He was responsible for most of the demonstrations of historic models at gatherings such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
To his family, loved ones and friends, the AUTOhebdo editorial team extends its most sincere condolences.