Jochen Richard Mass (German pronunciation: [ˈjɔ.χn̩ ˈʁɪ.çaɐ̯t maːs]; born 30 September 1946) is a German former racing driver and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from 1973 to 1982. Mass won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix with McLaren. In endurance racing, Mass won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989 with Sauber.
Jochen Mass | |
|---|---|
 Mass at the 1982 Dutch Grand Prix | |
| Born | Jochen Richard Mass 30 September 1946 |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  West German |
| Active years | 1973–1980, 1982 |
| Teams | Surtees, McLaren, ATS, Arrows, March |
| Entries | 114 (105 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 8 |
| Career points | 71 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 2 |
| First entry | 1973 British Grand Prix |
| First win | 1975 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1975 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1982 French Grand Prix |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1972, 1978, 1981–1983, 1985–1989, 1991, 1995 |
| Teams | Ford, Martini, Porsche, Sauber, Price |
| Best finish | 1st (1989) |
| Class wins | 1 (1989) |
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 1974. Mass moved to McLaren from the Canadian Grand Prix onwards, where he achieved his only race win at the curtailed 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. In his final season with McLaren in 1977, 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 1978 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 1982 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 of Formula One, Mass entered 12 editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1972 to 1995, winning in 1989 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 1982 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 1994 to 1998. Since the 1990s, Mass has made frequent appearances at Goodwood events, including the Festival of Speed and the Revival. In popular culture, Mass appeared as himself in Rush (2013).
Life and career
editJochen Richard Mass was born on 30 September 1946 in Dorfen, Bavaria.[1] 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.
Mass is perhaps best known for his on-track incident with Gilles Villeneuve which led to the latter's death. On 8 May 1982, 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.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4] He completed his first Formula One race at the 1973 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Mass came in seventh in a Surtees.[5] He drove a McLaren-Ford to third place in the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.[6]
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.[7]
Merzario and Mass led an Alfa Romeo sweep of the first two positions in the 1975 Coppa Florio manufacturers championship automobile race at Pergusa.[8] 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.[9] Mass and Jacky Ickx teamed in a Porsche to claim victory in the Dijon Six-Hour Race.[10] 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.[11]
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.[12] Mass won both 20-lap heats of the 1977 Jim Clark Memorial race in Hockenheim. He drove a March-BMW.[13] 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.[14]
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.[15]
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.[16] Mass won the most prestigious endurance race of all, 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.
Jochen Mass now drives 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 1994 to 1998, he also announced the Formula One races for German broadcaster RTL.
Mass played himself in Ron Howard's 2013 film Rush.
Racing record
editCareer summary
edit‡ Graded drivers not eligible for European Formula Two Championship points
Complete European Formula Two Championship results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | STP March Racing Team | March 722 | Ford BDA | MAL | THR | HOC Ret |
PAU Ret |
PAL 8 |
HOC | ROU Ret |
ÖST | IMO | MAN | PER | SAL | ALB | HOC | 27th | 1 | |||
| 1973 | Team Surtees FINA | Surtees TS15 | Ford BDA | MAL Ret |
HOC Ret |
THR DSQ |
NÜR Ret |
PAU | KIN 1 |
NIV 2 |
HOC 1 |
ROU 2 |
MNZ Ret |
MAN 2 |
KAR | PER 3 |
SAL | NOR | ALB 6 |
VAL Ret |
2nd | 42 |
| 1976 | Project Four Racing | March 762 | Lancia-Ferrari | HOC DNQ |
THR | VAL | SAL | PAU | NC | 0‡ | ||||||||||||
| Willi Kauhsen Racing Team | March 762 | Hart | HOC Ret |
ROU | MUG | PER | EST | NOG | ||||||||||||||
| Fred Opert Racing | Chevron B40 | BMW | HOC 6 |
|||||||||||||||||||
| 1977 | March Racing Ltd Yardley | March 772P | BMW | SIL | THR | HOC 1 |
NÜR 1 |
VAL | PAU | MUG | ROU | NOG | PER | MIS | EST | DON | NC | 0‡ | ||||
| 1978 | ICI Chevron Cars | Chevron B42 | Hart | THR 12 |
HOC 7 |
NÜR 8 |
PAU | MUG | VAL | ROU | DON | NOG | PER | MIS | HOC | NC | 0 |
‡ Graded drivers not eligible for European Formula Two Championship points
24 Hours of Le Mans results
editComplete British Saloon Car Championship results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos. | Pts | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Ford Köln | Ford Capri RS2600 | D | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | CRY | BRH | OUL | SIL 1 |
MAL | BRH | 28th | 9 | 7th |
| 1973 | Ford Köln | Ford Capri RS2600 | D | BRH | SIL | THR | THR | SIL | ING | BRH | SIL 2 |
BRH | 29th | 6 | 8th | |
Source:[17]
| ||||||||||||||||
Complete Formula One World Championship results
edit(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
edit(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Team Surtees | Surtees TS16 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | PRE 4 |
ROC DNS |
INT 2 |
| 1975 | Marlboro Team Texaco | McLaren M23 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | ROC Ret |
INT | SUI 3 |
| 1979 | Warsteiner Arrows | Arrows A1 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | ROC 4 |
GNM | DIN |
| 1980 | Warsteiner Arrows | Arrows A3 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | ESP 2 |
||
Source:[18]
| ||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ FIA Year Book of Automobile Sport 1979. Patrick Stephens Ltd. white p. 39. ISBN 0-85059-320-4.
- ^ Ferrari Wins Nine-Hour Race, The Washington Post and Times-Herald, 5 November 1972, Page C13.
- ^ Beltoise, Mass Pace Trials, New York Times, April 8, 1973, Page 261.
- ^ Jarier Wins Easily, Washington Post, June 11, 1973, Page D3.
- ^ Stewart Captures Prix, Washington Post, August 6, 1973, Page D6.
- ^ Pace Victor in Prix As 150,000 Cheer, Washington Post, January 27, 1975, page D7.
- ^ 4 Die, 12 Injured As Race Car Hits Barcelona Crowd, Washington Post, April 28, 1975, page D2.
- ^ Alfa Romeos Sweep, Washington Post, May 19, 1975, Page D4.
- ^ Lauda Holds Off Hunt To Win French Grand Prix, Washington Post, July 7, 1975, Page D5.
- ^ Dijon Race Dominated By Porsches, Washington Post, September 5, 1976, Page 70.
- ^ "Porsches Place 1st, 2nd", Washington Post, September 20, 1976, Page D9.
- ^ Ickx-Mass Porsche Records Fastest Time, New York Times, February 3, 1977, Page 54.
- ^ Mass Wins Clark, Washington Post, April 18, 1977, Page D3.
- ^ Driving Incident, Kingston, Jamaica Gleaner, August 16, 1980, Page 10.
- ^ "Germany's Mass Takes Look At Long Career", European Stars And Stripes, Thursday, May 2, 1985, Page 13.
- ^ "Auto Racing", New York Times, June 8, 1987, Page C9.
- ^ de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ "Jochen Mass – Involvement Non World Championship". statsf1.com. Retrieved 7 August 2018.