Death of Hans Herrmann, legendary winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche

He was the last pilot of Formula 1 Having stood on a podium in the 1950s, Hans Herrmann sadly passed away this Thursday, January 9th, at the age of 97. The Stuttgart native enjoyed a long and illustrious sporting career, in an era when being a racing driver was akin to playing daredevil. Indeed, the racing world nicknamed him Hans im Glück (Lucky Hans) following several spectacular accidents. from which he managed to extricate himself without injury.

Hans Herrmann's career is deeply intertwined with PorscheIn 1954, for example, he distinguished himself on the roads of the Mille Miglia, the road race in northern Italy that attracted all the stars of the era. Herrmann drove a remarkable race in the 1954 Mille Miglia. At the wheel of a very low-slung Porsche 550 Spyder, Herrmann decided it was too late to brake as the barriers at a level crossing were coming down. He tapped the back of his co-driver Herbert Linge's helmet to make him duck his head, and together they managed to pass under the barriers and in front of the train, to the surprise of the spectators.

Behind this anecdote lies the man's audacious nature. Hans Herrmann then signed with Classic Mercedes for sale, where he competed in both road racing and 6 Formula 1 Grand Prix, driving the car the cutting edge of the time, the W196. In Switzerland, on the fast and dangerous Bremgarten circuit in 1954, he secured third place. This was his best result in Formula 1. He would never again achieve such a result, partly due to the discontinuation of the Mercedes program following the tragedy of the 24 hours of Le Mans 1955. Subsequently, Hans Herrmann worked in private teams, before returning to Porsche for the Porsche 718 program.  in 1960 and 1961, without any notable performance to show for it (6th at Monza in 1960). 

An epic duel with Jacky Ickx at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans

This is Endurance The German driver was making waves (class victory and 3rd overall at Le Mans in 1958 with Jean Behra). In 1966, he returned to Porsche when the company relaunched its factory efforts in the 2.0-liter Prototype category. Hans Herrmann learned to master the challenges of Le Mans while shining in other races on the calendar. He notably won the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. But it was at Le Mans that his driving truly made its mark, on two occasions. First, the 1969 edition is etched in the annals of motorsport. Driving a Porsche 908 LH (long tail to improve top speed), Herrmann shared the wheel with Gérard Larrousse. The Franco-German duo delivered an exceptional battle against the Ford GT40 of Jacky Ickx and Jackie Oliver. During their final leg, Ickx and Herrmann traded the lead repeatedly (see video). The Belgian ultimately prevailed, by a hair: a gap of 120 meters! 

This defeat could have dampened Hans Herrmann's spirits. But no, here he was again at the start of the Le Mans classic a year later. This time, he had obtained the highly sought-after top-of-the-line car: a Porsche 917, in the K (short) version. Partnered with Englishman Richard Attwood, Herrmann started cautiously from 16th place. He left the Classic Ferrari for sale 512 and the other 917s battled fiercely at the head of operations. Their patience was rewarded.

Despite Attwood's mumps, their red and white Porsche 917 climbed the ranks in torrential rain, thanks to various incidents and the unreliability of their rivals. On Sunday, they crossed the finish line victorious, five laps ahead. Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood wrote a major chapter in motorsport history, giving Porsche its first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Porsche 917 that won the Le Mans race for Herrmann and Attwood in 1970. © DPPI

In the wake of this triumph, Hans Herrmann remembered the promise he had made to his wife, Magdalena. If he won Le Mans, he would retire. True to his word, he kept his promise and never went back on his decision. Until his death, however, he continued to attend the various Classic events that Porsche and Mercedes organized for him, and it wasn't uncommon to see him driving racing cars well into the early 2020s.

To his family and loved ones, AUTOhebdo extends its most sincere condolences.