Paul Pietsch (20 June 1911 – 31 May 2012) 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 ...
, journalist and publisher from Germany, who founded the magazine ''
Das Auto''.
[Glückwunsch zum 100. Geburtstag - ADAC Motorwelt 6/2012 p12] He was the first German ever to take part in a
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 ...
Grand Prix.
Biography
Born in
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...
,
Pietsch began his racing career in 1932 with a private
Bugatti
Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French automotive industry, manufacturer of high performance vehicle, high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then-German Empire, German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the ...
and
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian carmaker known for its sports-oriented vehicles, strong auto racing heritage, and iconic design. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, it is a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe and one of 14 brands of mu ...
.
Racing with an Alfa Romeo, he won the 1933
III Svenska Isloppet GP ice race in Hemfjärden, and the 1934
I Vallentunaloppet ice race in Vellentunasjön, both in Sweden.
In the
1935 German Grand Prix he raced for
Auto Union
Auto Union AG was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony. It is the immediate predecessor of Audi as it is known today.
As well as acting as an umbrella firm for ...
, and he finished third in the
1935 Italian Grand Prix before leaving the team with its hard-to-drive rear engines. From 1937 onwards he entered a private
Maserati
Maserati S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914 in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. The company has been owned by Stellantis since 2021. Ma ...
. His greatest hours came in the
1939 German Grand Prix which he led from lap two until the ignition failed, making him drop down to third, which was still an excellent result for a privateer against the dominant force of the
Silver Arrows
Silver Arrows () is a nickname typically given to silver racing cars with a significant connection to a German car manufacturer. Although the term was coined in 1932, it came into popular usage regarding Germany's dominant Mercedes-Benz and ...
.
After the war, he participated in three World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on September 3, 1950. His drive in a factory Alfa Romeo in the
1951 German Grand Prix ended with an accident. He scored no championship points.
At that time, Pietsch was already a successful editor and publisher of motorcycle and automobile magazines. His company, Motor Presse Stuttgart, is the largest in the European market for technology and special interest magazines.
From the death of his countryman
Karl Kling in 2003 until his own death, Pietsch was the oldest surviving Formula One driver,
[ at age 100]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 ...
with fellow journalists.
On 31 May 2012, Pietsch died from pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
Racing record
Complete European Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
;Notes
* – As a co-driver Pietsch was ineligible for championship points
Complete Formula One World Championship results
( key)
See also
* List of centenarians (sportspeople)
The following is a list of centenarians – specifically, people who became famous as sportspeople — known for reasons other than their longevity. For more lists, see lists of centenarians.
Notes
References
{{Longevity
Lists of cente ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pietsch, Paul
1911 births
2012 deaths
German Formula One drivers
Alfa Romeo Formula One drivers
German racing drivers
Grand Prix drivers
Sportspeople from Freiburg im Breisgau
German men centenarians
Racing drivers from Baden-Württemberg
European Championship drivers