Jochen Mass


Jochen Richard Mass is a German former racing driver.

Life and career

Born in Dorfen, Bavaria, 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, secured no pole positions, achieved 8 podiums and scored a total of 71 championship points.
Mass is perhaps best known for his blameless part in the death of Gilles Villeneuve. 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, Jochen 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 helpless 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, but there was nothing he could have done. 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. He completed his first Formula One race at the 1973 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Mass came in seventh in a Surtees. 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.
in 1980
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. 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 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

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314151617Pts
STP March Racing TeamMarch 722Ford BDAMALTHRHOC
Ret
PAU
Ret
PAL
HOCROU
Ret
ÖSTIMOMANPERSALALBHOC27th1
Team Surtees FINASurtees TS15Ford BDAMAL
Ret
HOC
Ret
THR
DSQ
NÜR
Ret
PAUKIN
1
NIV
2
HOC
1
ROU
2
MNZ
Ret
MAN
2
KARPER
3
SALNORALB
VAL
Ret
2nd42
Project Four RacingMarch 762Lancia-FerrariHOC
DNQ
THRVALSALPAUNC0
Willi Kauhsen Racing TeamMarch 762HartHOC
Ret
ROUMUGPERESTNOGNC0
Fred Opert RacingChevron B40BMWHOC
6
NC0
March Racing Ltd YardleyMarch 772PBMWSILTHRHOC
1
NÜR
1
VALPAUMUGROUNOGPERMISESTDONNC0
ICI Chevron CarsChevron B42HartTHR
12
HOC
7
NÜR
8
PAUMUGVALROUDONNOGPERMISHOCNC0

Graded drivers not eligible for European Formula Two Championship points

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete Formula One World Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314151617WDCPoints
1973Team SurteesSurtees TS14AFord Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARGBRARSAESPBELMONSWEFRAGBR
Ret
NEDGER
7
AUTITACANUSA
Ret
NC0
1974Team SurteesSurtees TS16Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
Ret
BRA
17
RSA
Ret
ESP
Ret
BEL
Ret
MON
DNS
SWE
Ret
NED
Ret
FRA
Ret
GBR
14
GER
Ret
AUTITANC0
1974Yardley McLarenMcLaren M23Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8CAN
16
USA
7
NC0
1975Marlboro Team TexacoMcLaren M23Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
14
BRA
3
RSA
6
ESP
1
MON
6
BEL
Ret
SWE
Ret
NED
Ret
FRA
3
GBR
7
GER
Ret
AUT
4
ITA
Ret
USA
3
8th20
1976Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M23Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8BRA
6
RSA
3
USW
5
ESP
Ret
BEL
6
MON
5
SWE
11
FRA
15
GBR
Ret
GER
3
AUT
7
ITA
Ret
CAN
5
USA
4
JPN
Ret
9th19
1976Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M26Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8NED
9
9th19
1977Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M23Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
Ret
BRA
Ret
RSA
5
USW
Ret
ESP
4
MON
4
BEL
Ret
SWE
2
FRA
9
6th25
1977Marlboro Team McLarenMcLaren M26Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8GBR
4
GER
Ret
AUT
6
NED
Ret
ITA
4
USA
Ret
CAN
3
JPN
Ret
6th25
1978ATS RacingATS HS1Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
11
BRA
7
RSA
Ret
USW
Ret
MON
DNQ
BEL
11
ESP
9
SWE
13
FRA
13
GBR
NC
GER
Ret
AUT
DNQ
NED
DNQ
ITAUSACANNC0
1979Warsteiner ArrowsArrows A1Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
8
BRA
7
RSA
12
USW
9
ESP
8
BEL
Ret
MON
6
18th3
1979Warsteiner ArrowsArrows A2Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8FRA
15
GBR
Ret
GER
6
AUT
Ret
NED
6
ITA
Ret
CAN
DNQ
USA
DNQ
18th3
1980Warsteiner ArrowsArrows A3Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8ARG
Ret
BRA
10
RSA
6
USW
7
BEL
Ret
MON
4
FRA
10
GBR
13
GER
8
AUT
DNQ
NED
DNS
ITACAN
11
USA
Ret
17th4
1982March Grand PrixMarch 821Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8RSA
12
BRA
8
USW
8
SMRBEL
Ret
MON
DNQ
DET
7
CAN
11
NED
Ret
GBR
10
FRA
Ret
GERAUTSUIITACPLNC0

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

Complete Formula One non-championship results