A Bavarian driver's Formula One career, from a Surtees debut to a McLaren win in Spain, plus a 1989 Le Mans victory in a Sauber.
Jochen Mass was a German driver, born in 1946, who competed in 114 Formula One Grands Prix between 1973 and 1982. His single Grand Prix victory came in Spain in 1975, and he later won Le Mans in 1989.
Jochen Mass was a German racing driver and broadcaster who competed in Formula One from 1973 to 1982. He won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix with McLaren and later took the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989 with Sauber, two results that frame a long career across single-seaters and sports cars.
Who was Jochen Mass?
Jochen Richard Mass was born on 30 September 1946 in Dorfen, Bavaria. He raced in Formula One for 114 Grands Prix, scoring one win, eight podiums and 71 championship points. Outside single-seaters he built a strong record in sports cars and touring cars, and later worked as a television commentator.
Mass died in Cannes on 4 May 2025, aged 78, after complications from a stroke he had suffered in February of that year.
A Bavarian who won a Formula One race in Spain, took Le Mans in a Sauber and later became a familiar figure at Goodwood.
How did Mass start racing?
His route into the sport was unusual. His father's family came from Mecklenburg, where his grandfather had worked as a ship captain, and Mass worked on Merchant Navy ships after leaving school. His interest in racing began late, at a hillclimb event, and he then left the ships for an apprenticeship at an Alfa Romeo dealership in Mannheim.
The dealership owner entered Alfa Romeos in numerous races and noticed Mass's talent, which set his racing career in motion. He appeared in Formula Super Vee, Formula Three and European Formula Two in his early years.
In 1972 he shared a Ford Capri RS2600 with Hans-Joachim Stuck, and the pair took the Spa 24 Hours. That year he also won the World Sportscar Championship, and in 1973 he finished runner-up in European Formula Two.
What did Mass achieve in Formula One?
Mass made his Formula One debut at the 1973 British Grand Prix, on 14 July 1973, driving for Surtees. His first finish came with seventh at the German Grand Prix that year, and he moved to a full-time seat with Surtees for 1974.
His time at Surtees was difficult. In 1974 he refused to start the Monaco Grand Prix after a suspension part broke in qualifying, and his Surtees replacement, Helmut Koinigg, later died in an accident at Watkins Glen. Mass then moved on to McLaren, joining from the Canadian Grand Prix.
His McLaren years brought his biggest results. He finished third at the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos and third at the French Grand Prix at Le Castellet, before winning the Spanish Grand Prix at Montjuic.
How did Mass win the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix?
He won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix after the race leader, Rolf Stommelen, crashed into a protective barrier. The car burst into flames and was thrown into the crowd, killing four spectators and injuring twelve. Stommelen suffered multiple fractures and took months to recover.
The race was stopped immediately after the accident and Mass was declared the winner, driving a Texaco McLaren-Ford. It was his only Formula One win, and it made him the last German winner until Michael Schumacher's victory at the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix.
His 1976 German Grand Prix was another high point. He led on the Nordschleife before the race was stopped. The race was stopped after Niki Lauda's accident and restarted in dry conditions, and Mass finished third behind his teammate James Hunt.
How did his ATS and Arrows seasons go?
After the 1977 season he left McLaren for ATS. The season brought no points, and Mass missed the last three races after breaking his leg in testing. It was a hard season for the team and for him, and the injury ended his year early.
He then moved to Arrows for 1979. Across his two seasons with the team he recorded five points finishes. His best Monaco result came in 1980, when he finished fourth.
His Arrows A3 rolled over several times during practice for the 1980 Austrian Grand Prix at Zeltweg. He came away with a bruised neck and a wrenched vertebra.
Was Mass involved in the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix accident?
Yes. On 8 May 1982, with ten minutes left in qualifying at Zolder, Mass's car touched wheels with Gilles Villeneuve's as Villeneuve tried to pass him. Villeneuve's car was thrown into a series of violent cartwheels and he was flung out, and he died in hospital that evening.
The French Grand Prix crash that ended his Formula One career came two months later.
What ended Mass's Formula One career?
His last Formula One race was the 1982 French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard, where he crashed with Mauro Baldi. The March and the Arrows touched at maximum speed, both cars flew off the track and through a containment fence, and Mass's car hit a tyre-lined guardrail before coming to rest upside down and on fire.
He escaped with light burns only, while Baldi was uninjured. The accident convinced Mass to stop racing Formula One cars. His totals were one win, two fastest laps and eight podiums across 114 Grands Prix.
How did his sports car career compare?
Mass entered twelve editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1972 and 1995. He finished runner-up at Le Mans in 1982 with Porsche, then won the race in 1989 driving a Sauber C9 with Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens.
The 1989 victory was the second Le Mans win for Mercedes-Benz, following its first in 1952. Mass also finished runner-up in the World Sportscar Championship, matching a result he had achieved in 1984.
In 1985 he won the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft title with Joest and the Porsche Cup for the most successful privateer driver in a customer team. He also won the Circuito del Mugello 1,000 km in a Porsche 962C that year.
In 1987 he partnered Bobby Rahal to victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Mass also finished twice as runner-up in the Interserie series and won races in the British Saloon Car Championship.
He mentored young drivers at Sauber, including Michael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger. In 2004 he drove the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR that Stirling Moss had driven to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia.
What did Mass do after racing?
From 1993 to 1997 Mass worked as a co-commentator for the German broadcaster RTL, covering Formula One. He became a regular at Goodwood events from the 1990s, including the Festival of Speed and the Revival. His broadcast work came after his retirement from driving.
He also appeared as himself in Ron Howard's 2013 film Rush.
How do his results compare by series?
| Period | Series | Team | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Sportscar racing | Ford Capri RS2600 with Stuck | Spa 24 Hours winner |
| 1973-1974 | Formula One | Surtees | Debut in 1973; full-time seat in 1974 |
| 1975 | Formula One | McLaren | Winner at Spain; third at Brazil and France |
| 1976 | Formula One | McLaren | Third at the German Grand Prix |
| 1977 | Formula One | McLaren, then ATS | Sixth in the championship with McLaren; no points with ATS |
| 1979-1980 | Formula One | Arrows | Five points finishes; fourth at Monaco in 1980 |
| 1982 | Formula One | March | Retired after the French Grand Prix crash |
| 1982 | Le Mans | Porsche | Runner-up |
| 1985 | Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft | Joest | Champion |
| 1987 | 12 Hours of Sebring | Porsche with Bobby Rahal | Winner |
| 1989 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | Sauber Mercedes | Winner |
