Jochen Mass

Jochen Richard Mass (; 30 September 1946 – 4 May 2025) was a German racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Mass won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix with McLaren. In endurance racing, Mass won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in with Sauber.

Born and raised in Bavaria, Mass made appearances in Formula Super Vee, Formula Three, and European Formula Two throughout his early career. He finished runner-up in the latter in 1973, having already taken victory at the 24 Hours of Spa alongside Hans-Joachim Stuck the year prior. Mass made his Formula One debut at the 1973 British Grand Prix with Surtees, making sporadic appearances before achieving a full-time seat in . Mass moved to McLaren from the onwards, where he achieved his only race win at the curtailed 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. In his final season with McLaren in , having taken several podiums with the team, Mass finished a career-best sixth in the World Drivers' Championship. After a non-classified championship finish in with ATS, Mass spent two seasons at Arrows. He was seriously injured at the 1980 Austrian Grand Prix, bruising his neck and fracturing vertebrae as his Arrows A3 rolled over during practice. After a year hiatus, Mass returned in with March. Following his crash with Mauro Baldi at the 1982 French Grand Prix—only two months after his involvement in the death of Gilles Villeneuve—Mass retired from Formula One, having achieved one win, two fastest laps, and eight podiums.

Outside Formula One, Mass entered 12 editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from to , winning in alongside Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens, driving the Sauber C9, as well as finishing runner-up in the World Sportscar Championship, matching his result from 1984. He also finished runner-up at Le Mans in with Porsche. Mass was the champion of the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft in 1985, as well as twice finishing runner-up in Interserie, all with Joest. Mass was also a race-winner in the British Saloon Car Championship. Upon retiring from motor racing, Mass became a commentator for RTL from 1993 to 1997. Mass made frequent appearances at Goodwood events from the 1990s onwards, including the '' Festival of Speed'' and the '' Revival''. In popular culture, Mass appeared as himself in '' Rush'' (2013).

Personal life

Jochen Richard Mass was born on 30 September 1946 in Dorfen, Bavaria. His father's family came from Mecklenburg, where his grandfather worked as a ship captain. This led to Mass working on ships of the Merchant navy after leaving school, which started a lifelong passion for boats and sailing. His interest in racing started late when he attended a hillclimbing race where his girlfriend worked as a steward. He then quit working on a ship and started an apprenticeship at an Alfa Romeo dealership in Mannheim. The owner, who entered Alfas in numerous racing events, saw Mass' talent which started his racing career.

During his racing career, Mass resided in Monaco. He later lived in Southern France with his wife Bettina. He had two sons with his first wife Esti and two daughters with Bettina.

Career

Mass participated in 114 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 14 July 1973 at the British Grand Prix. He won one GP race ( 1975 Spanish Grand Prix), secured no pole positions, achieved 8 podiums and scored a total of 71 championship points.

On 8 May 1982, Mass was involved in an incident with Gilles Villeneuve which led to the latter's death. With only 10 minutes left until the end of the qualifying session for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder, Villeneuve collided with Mass while attempting to overtake him. As Villeneuve came up behind Mass exiting a super-fast left turn, Mass moved to the right hand side of the track to let Villeneuve through. Villeneuve had already committed to the right hand side and the two cars touched wheels, launching the Canadian skyward. Villeneuve's car hit the ground nose-first and was then torn apart in a series of violent cartwheels. His seat was dislodged and he was flung from his car, landing heavily among the catch fencing at the opposite side of the track. Mass stopped his car, jumped out and ran back to Villeneuve's wrecked car. Villeneuve was flown to hospital and taken off life-support later that evening.

After leaving the Formula One circuit, Mass enjoyed great success in sports car racing, gaining international prominence with his performance during the European Touring Car Championship in the early 1970s. In 1972, he teamed up with Hans-Joachim Stuck to drive a Ford Capri RS2600 to victory at the Spa 24 Hours endurance race in Belgium. He went on to win that year's World Sportscar Championship. He finished second to Clay Regazzoni and Arturo Merzario in a November 1972 9-hour race at the Kyalami Circuit, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Mass' co-driver in a Chevron B-21 was Gerry Birrell. Mass, driving a Surtees TS-15, tied with Jean Pierre Beltoise in qualifying for the
Jim Clark Memorial Formula Two auto race in April 1973 held at Hockenheim, both drivers recording times of 2 minutes, 2.8 seconds, for an average of 124.3 miles per hour.

Mass placed second to Jean-Pierre Jarier in a Formula Two race at Nivelles, in June 1973. He had finished second in the first heat and third in the second. In his first Formula One race at the 1973 British Grand Prix he wasn't able to complete a lap, because he, as well as his two Surtees teammates, were part of the multi-car-collision that led to the end of Andrea de Adamichs career. He completed his first Formula One race at the 1973 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Mass came in seventh in a Surtees.

After driving three races for them in 1973, he secured a full-time ride with Surtees for the 1974 season. Mass soon was unhappy with the team, because John Surtees couldn't afford to pay him regularly and they were using cheap, low-quality material for the car which broke constantly. At the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying a part of the right rear suspension broke on his TS16. Mass blamed it on faulty material, while John Surtees insisted that Mass hit the wall somewhere on the track. Mass subsequently refused to start the race. He continued to race for the team for five more races until John Surtees agreed to let him out of his contract and Mass went on to sign with McLaren. At the last race of the season at Watkins Glen his replacement at Surtees Helmut Koinigg, whom Mass warned about the car on the flight to North America, died in an accident caused by suspension failure.

He drove a McLaren- Ford to third place in the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

Mass won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix after leader, Rolf Stommelen's car hit a protective barrier, exploded into flames and catapulted into the crowd at the Montjuich circuit. Four spectators were killed and twelve were injured. Stommelen suffered multiple fractures and was in a critical condition after the accident. Mass was declared the winner in his Texaco McLaren-Ford, when the race was stopped immediately after the accident.

Merzario and Mass led an Alfa Romeo sweep of the first two positions in the 1975 Coppa Florio manufacturers championship automobile race at Pergusa. Mass was third in the 1975 French Grand Prix at Le Castellet. On lap 44 he broke the record set by Denny Hulme, clocking a time of 1:50.60 over the 3.61-mile circuit. Mass and Jacky Ickx teamed in a Porsche to claim victory in the Dijon Six-Hour Race. Mass won the eighth and final race of the 1976 World Sports Car Championship series. He completed the 4.2 kilometre, Salzburg course in 1 hour, 28 minutes, 25.24 seconds, with an average speed of 125 m.p.h.

At the 1976 German Grand Prix Mass was in a good position to win his home Grand Prix. He was the only one to start on dry tires on a partially wet Nordschleife. The track dried and after the second lap he led with a good margin after the other drivers all needed to pit for dry tires. The race was stopped after the severe accident of Niki Lauda and restarted in dry conditions which eliminated Mass' advantage and he finished 3rd while his teammate James Hunt won the race.

Mass and Ickx drove a Porsche 935 in the 1977 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race. Mass was clocked at 126.477 m.p.h. around the 3.84 mile Daytona road course. Mass won both 20-lap heats of the 1977 Jim Clark Memorial race in Hockenheim. He drove a March-BMW.

After the 1977 season Mass left McLaren and signed with the ATS team, because of his good relationship with Robin Herd who was hired as the technical director. Herd left the team early in the season after disagreements with team owner Günter Schmid. Mass' season proved disastrous, scoring no points, failing to qualify for three races and having to sit out the last three races after braking his leg during testing. He subsequently left the team and moved to Arrows for 1979 season.

During his two seasons with Arrows he recorded five points finishes. His best showings were at the two Monaco GPs. In 1979 he was on road to a podium finish around 15 seconds behind the leading Ferraris when his brakes failed. After a lengthy repair pit stop he still finished sixth albeit seven laps down. In 1980 he recorded his best non-McLaren F1 finish there with a fourth place.

Mass' Arrows turned over several times at the 1980 Austrian Grand Prix at Zeltweg. He bruised his neck and wrenched a vertebra but was able to leave the hospital.

Mass was convinced to stop racing Formula One cars after an accident with Mauro Baldi at the 1982 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard. His March and the Arrows of Baldi touched at maximum speeds, both cars flying off the track and through a containment fence. Mass's car continued, hitting a tyre-lined guardrail. The March finally came to rest upside down and on fire, almost halfway into a spectator area. Amazingly he escaped with light burns only, and Baldi was uninjured.

Among his many victories, in 1985 he won the Circuito del Mugello 1,000 km race in Italy driving a Porsche 962C and in 1987 partnered with Bobby Rahal to claim victory at the 1987 12 Hours of Sebring race. Mass and Bobby Rahal combined to win the Champion Spark Plug Grand Prix at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Driving a Porsche 962, they inherited the lead 18 laps from the end. Mass won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989, driving a Sauber Mercedes C9. It was the second triumph for Mercedes-Benz at Le Mans, their previous win having come in 1952. At Sauber he served as a mentor to their stable of young drivers including Michael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger.

Jochen Mass drove the Mercedes-Benz museum's historic cars. In the 2004 Mille Miglia, he drove the original Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR that Stirling Moss had driven to victory in the 1955 race. To raise money for charity, the passenger seat next to him was auctioned off to the highest bidder.

From 1993 to 1997, Mass was a Formula One co-commentator for the German broadcaster RTL.

Mass played himself in Ron Howard's 2013 film '' Rush''.

Death

Mass died in Cannes, France on 4 May 2025 due to complications from a stroke that he suffered in February of the same year.

Racing record

Career summary

Graded drivers not eligible for European Formula Two Championship points

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

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

Graded drivers not eligible for European Formula Two Championship points

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

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

Complete Formula One World Championship results

( key) (races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.

Complete Formula One non-championship results

( key)

See also

* Formula One drivers from Germany

References

External Links

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mass, Jochen
1946 births
2025 deaths
Racing drivers from Munich
German Formula One drivers
Surtees Formula One drivers
McLaren Formula One drivers
Arrows Formula One drivers
ATS Wheels Formula One drivers
March Formula One drivers
Formula One race winners
European Formula Two Championship drivers
International Race of Champions drivers
24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
24 Hours of Spa drivers
24 Hours of Le Mans winning drivers
World Sportscar Championship drivers
European Touring Car Championship drivers
12 Hours of Sebring drivers
Porsche Motorsports drivers
David Price Racing drivers
West Competition drivers
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport drivers
Team Joest drivers
Sauber Motorsport drivers
German racing drivers