Jochen Mass, winner of a career in F1 and Le Mans, dies at 78 years

Jochen Masswinner of a Formula 1 race and 24h from Le Mans, he has died at age 78.

The death of the German was announced on his Instagram profile by his family, more than a month after it was revealed that he had suffered what was described as a “medical emergency.”

“Today we cry the loss of a husband, father, grandfather and legend of the races,” the family said. “With great regret we share the news that Jochen Mass has died today due to complications derived from a stroke that suffered in February this year. Thank you all for the incredible support we have received. Each and every one of the positive messages he received gave him peace and comfort in his last days.

“Beyond crying his death, we also celebrated his incredible life. A life that he loved to share with all of you. A life that lived to the fullest. He ran again with all his friends,” he concluded.

Mass’s only triumph during his nine seasons and 105 races in F1 occurred in EThe 1975 Spain Grand Prixin the urban circuit of Montjuic Park, in Barcelona.

He had recovered the leadership with his McLaren -Cosworth M23 in front of the Jacky Ickx Lotus before the race stopped with a red flag after the accident in which four people died – a spectator, a track commissioner and two photographers – after the Rolf Stommelen Rol Hill went over the barriers after a fault in the rear wing.

Because the race stopped before 60% of the distance had been completed, only half of the points were distributed.

Mass got another seven podiums throughout his career, all in his stage with McLaren, which began in 1974 and continued until the end of 1977.

However, His greatest successes arrived in sports racesfirst with Porsche, in whose books he was since 1976, and then with the Sauber-Mercedes team.

It was an unconditional of the official Porsche squad since the beginning of the era of group C in 1982, and won nine races of the world championship with the 956/962 design of the German manufacturer before soubhar by Sauber in 1988.

Mass triumphed in 10 other world championship tests at the wheel of the Sauber C9 and C11 of the team, In 1988-90, with Mercedes, the Laureles took in Le Mans in 1989with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens as colleagues.

He finished second in the 89 World Cup, behind his teammate Jean-Louis Schlesser, in what was called the world championship of sports prototypes, after being forced to leave in the opening round in Suzuka because of a virus that affected him in sight.

If Le Mans had been a championship test that year, he would have taken the title.

Mass acted as a mentor and pilot coach in the young driver of Mercedes in the last of his three years in Sauber, where he worked with Michael Schumacher, Karl Wendlinger and Heinz-Hard Frentzen throughout the season.

He triumphed in Spa with Wendlinger and then in Mexico City with Schumacher.

Mass finished his career with 32 victories in world championships of sports cars with Alfa Romeo, Porsche and Sauber-Mercedes, only surpassed by the 37 of the legend of the resistance Jacky Ickx in the 30 years that the original category lasted.

#2 Equipo Sauber Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz C11: Jochen Mass, Karl Wendlinger

Photograph by: David Hutson / Motorsport images

After a period of three years as a merchant sailor, Mass began to compete with cars borrowed by the Alfa Romeo concessionaire in which I worked.

After quickly moving on to the circuits, Ford hired him for his cars campaigns with Capri.

Mass won 24 hours in spa in 1972 With the RS2600 version of the car and took the title of the European Tourism category.

The German manufacturer’s German branch financed its first cars in the British formula 3 and quickly passed to formula 2 with March and then with supplies.

In 1973, after winning the F2 with supplies, the Mass team gave it its first opportunities in the F1.

In 1974 he piloted throughout the season with the British team, before signing by McLaren for the last two races replacing the injured Mike Hailwood.

After McLaren, Mass piloted for ATS, Arrows and the RAM March team, before retiring from the F1 after an accident in the 1982 France Grand Prix in Paul Ricard, which was unharmed.

Mass retired from the competition after the 1990 season, Before competing in Le Mans in twelfth and last time aboard a McLaren F1 GTR in 1995.

Regular of the Goodwood Revival and Members’ Meeting during the last 10 years, Mass was a Mercedes-Benz ambassador.