Hubert Hahne (; 28 March 1935 – 24 April 2019) was a

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...

from Germany. He was the older brother of Armin Hahne, as well as the uncle of Jörg van Ommen.

Career

He participated in five

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

World Championship Grands Prix, two of those at the wheel of

Formula Two Formula Two (F2) is a type of Open-wheel car, open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship season, 2009 to 2012 FIA Formula Two C ...

cars, and one non-Championship Formula One race. Hahne was successful in

touring car racing Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition that uses race-prepared touring cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States. While the cars do not move a ...

, including the

European Touring Car Championship The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004. In 2005 it was superseded by the World ...

. In 1966, he raced a

BMW New Class The BMW New Class () was a line of sedans and coupes produced by West German automaker BMW between 1962 and 1972. These models ensured BMW's solvency after the company's financial crisis of the 1950s and again established the identity of BMW aut ...

2000TI. In the six-hour "''Großer Preis der Tourenwagen''" on 3 July 1966, an Alfa Romeo GTA had lowered the

Nürburgring The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...

touring car race lap record to 10:08.9. A month later, in a support race for the 1966 German Grand Prix, Hahne was the first to lap the Nürburgring in under 10 minutes in a touring car, in 9:58.5.''In touring car racing in the early 1960s, Hubert Hahne sets the highlights for BMW. Hahne, who was born on 28th March 1935 in Moers on Rhine, quickly discovers his passion for motor racing and in 1963 celebrates his first major success behind the wheel of a BMW 700, winning the European Touring Car Cup.'' ''The following year, Hahne dominates the German Circuit Championship with a BMW 1800Ti. By the end of the season he has won an impressive 14 of the 16-round season. His most successful year, however, is yet to come: In 1966, he wins another European Championship and, with a BMW 2000Ti, he masters the challenge of the “Green Hell” in 9:58.5 minutes, thus being the first touring car driver to lap the Nürburgring in less than ten minutes. Furthermore, he wins the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race with Jacky Ickx.'' ''In 1966 and the following years, Hahne also successfully contests Formula 2 and establishes two world records at Monza. In 1969, he finishes runner-up in the European Formula 2 Championship and enters several Formula One races. One year later, in 1970, the man who now resides in Italy, ends his motor racing career.'' - https://web.archive.org/web/20100204052743/http://bmw-motorsport.com/ms/en/fascination/history/bmw_touring/heroes/index.html%27%27 On the old and very long Nürburgring, Formula Two cars occasionally had their own race alongside the Formula One cars in the same events to fill the field, which provided other drivers like Kurt Ahrens Jr.,

Gerhard Mitter Gerhard Karl Mitter (30 August 1935 – 1 August 1969) was a German Formula One and sportscar driver. Early life and career Mitter was born in Schönlinde (Krásná Lípa) in Czechoslovakia, but his family was Expulsion of Germans after World W ...

and Dieter Quester the opportunity to enter the

German Grand Prix The German Grand Prix () was a motor race that took place most years since 1926, with 75 races having been held. The race has been held at only three venues throughout its history: the Nürburgring in Rhineland-Palatinate, Hockenheimring in B ...

. As the Formula Two section was counted separately, the drivers could not score World Championship points. Hahne participated in the

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...

and

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

German Grands Prix in the special Formula Two sections of those events, but withdrew before the start of the 1969 event due to the fatal accident suffered by his team-mate Gerhard Mitter. For his true Formula One debut at the 1967 German Grand Prix, Hahne drove a Formula Two Lola chassis fitted with a 2-litre 16 valve BMW engine, thus qualifying the drive for Formula One. The BMW factory were allowed to run this to give some national encouragement. He retired on lap 7 with suspension failure. The following year he finished 10th in the same car. Hahne got himself a March 701 for 1970, but could not qualify for the

1970 German Grand Prix The 1970 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Hockenheimring on 2 August 1970. It was race 8 of 13 in both the 1970 World Championship of Drivers and the 1970 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 50-lap race w ...

which was held at the

Hockenheimring The Hockenheimring, officially Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg () is a motor racing circuit situated in the Rhine valley near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on the Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other mot ...

that year. Hahne claimed that chassis and engine were among the worst of the many March and Cosworth delivered that year.

Ronnie Peterson Bengt Ronnie Peterson (; 14 February 1944 – 11 September 1978) was a Swedish racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "Superswede", Peterson twice finished runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in an ...

showed later at

Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. The village is about south-southwest of Towcester and northeast of Brackley, both accessed via the A43 road, A43 main ...

that this very car could reach adequate times, and Hahne retired from racing.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

( key)

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

( key)

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20060522051555/http://bmw-motorsport.com/ms/en/fascination/history/bmw_touring/heroes/index.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20060220041357/http://www.autocoursegpa.com/driver~driver_id~11791.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20060627021546/http://www.john-w.de/bmwf2/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Hahne, Hubert 1935 births 2019 deaths German racing drivers German Formula One drivers Sportspeople from Moers Racing drivers from Düsseldorf (region) European Formula Two Championship drivers Lamborghini people BMW (1950s–60s) Formula One drivers Tyrrell Formula One drivers European Touring Car Championship drivers 24 Hours of Spa drivers