Jochen Mass

Jochen Mass
Born 30 September 1946
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Germany German
Active years 1973–1980, 1982
Teams Surtees, McLaren, ATS, Arrows, March
Races 114 (105 starts)
Championships 0
Wins 1
Podiums 8
Career points 71
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 2
First race 1973 Argentine Grand Prix
First win 1975 Spanish Grand Prix
Last win 1975 Spanish Grand Prix
Last race 1982 French Grand Prix
Mass with Ford Capri Turbo at Nürburgring in 1980

Jochen Richard Mass[1] (born September 30, 1946) is a former race car driver from Germany.

Life and career

Mass was born in Dorfen, Bavaria. He participated in 114 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 14, 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 blameless part in the death of Gilles Villeneuve. On May 8, 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. Just as the pair rounded a super-fast left turn, (Mass ahead, Villeneuve behind) 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 violently and nose-first. 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.[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 kilometer, 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' car continued, hitting a tire-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 1000 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 movie Rush.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Yr Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 WDC Points
1973 Team Surtees Surtees TS14A Cosworth V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE FRA GBR
Ret		 NED GER
7		 AUT ITA CAN USA
Ret		 NC 0
1974 Team Surtees Surtees TS16 Cosworth V8 ARG
Ret		 BRA
17 		RSA
Ret		 ESP
Ret		 BEL
Ret		 MON
DNS		 SWE
Ret		 NED
Ret		 FRA
Ret		 GBR
14		 GER
Ret		 NC 0
Yardley McLaren McLaren M23 AUT ITA CAN
16		 USA
7
1975 Marlboro Team Texaco McLaren M23 Cosworth V8 ARG
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		 8th 20
1976 Marlboro Team McLaren McLaren M23 Cosworth V8 BRA
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		 9th 19
McLaren M26 NED
9
1977 Marlboro Team McLaren McLaren M23 Cosworth V8 ARG
Ret		 BRA
Ret		 RSA
5		 USW
Ret		 ESP
4		 MON
4		 BEL
Ret		 SWE
2		 FRA
9		 6th 25
McLaren M26 GBR
4		 GER
Ret		 AUT
6		 NED
Ret		 ITA
4		 USA
Ret		 CAN
3		 JPN
Ret
1978 ATS Racing ATS HS1 Cosworth V8 ARG
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		 ITA USA CAN NC 0
1979 Warsteiner Arrows Arrows A1 Cosworth V8 ARG
8		 BRA
7		 RSA
12		 USW
9		 ESP
8		 BEL
Ret		 MON
6		 18th 3
Arrows A2 FRA
15		 GBR
Ret		 GER
6		 AUT
Ret		 NED
6		 ITA
Ret		 CAN
DNQ		 USA
DNQ
1980 Warsteiner Arrows Arrows A3 Cosworth V8 ARG
Ret		 BRA
10		 RSA
6		 USW
7		 BEL
Ret		 MON
4		 FRA
10		 GBR
13		 GER
8		 AUT
DNQ		 NED
DNS		 ITA CAN
11		 USA
Ret		 17th 4
1982 March Grand Prix March 821 Cosworth V8 RSA
12		 BRA
8		 USW
8		 SMR BEL
Ret		 MON
DNQ		 DET
7		 CAN
11		 NED
Ret		 GBR
10		 FRA
Ret		 GER AUT SUI ITA CPL NC 0

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

Complete Formula One Non Championship results

(key) (races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3
1974 Team Surtees Surtees TS16 Cosworth V8 PRE
4		 ROC
DNS		 INT
2
1975 Marlboro Team Texaco McLaren M23 Cosworth V8 ROC
Ret		 INT SUI
3
1978 ATS Racing ATS HS1 Cosworth V8 INT
DNA
1979 Warsteiner Arrows Arrows A1 Cosworth V8 ROC
4		 DIN
1980 Warsteiner Arrows Arrows A3 Cosworth V8 ESP
2

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1978 Germany Martini Racing Porsche System Belgium Jacky Ickx
France Henri Pescarolo		 Porsche 936/78 S
+2.0		 255 DNF DNF
1981 Germany Porsche System Australia Vern Schuppan
United States Hurley Haywood		 Porsche 936 S
+2.0		 312 12th 2nd
1982 Germany Rothmans Porsche System Australia Vern Schuppan Porsche 956 C 356 2nd 2nd
1983 Germany Rothmans Porsche Germany Stefan Bellof Porsche 956 C 281 DNF DNF
1985 Germany Rothmans Porsche Germany Jacky Ickx Porsche 962C C1 348 10th 10th
1986 Germany Rothmans Porsche France Bob Wollek
Australia Vern Schuppan		 Porsche 962C C1 180 DNF DNF
1987 Germany Rothmans Porsche AG France Bob Wollek
Australia Vern Schuppan		 Porsche 962C C1 16 DNF DNF
1988 Switzerland Team Sauber Mercedes Italy Mauro Baldi
United Kingdom James Weaver		 Sauber C9-Mercedes-Benz C1 - DNS DNS
1989 Germany Team Sauber Mercedes Germany Manuel Reuter
Sweden Stanley Dickens		 Sauber C9-Mercedes-Benz C1 389 1st 1st
1991 Germany Team Sauber Mercedes France Jean-Louis Schlesser
France Alain Ferté		 Mercedes-Benz C11 C2 319 DNF DNF
1995 United Kingdom West Competition
United Kingdom David Price Racing		 Denmark John Nielsen
Germany Dr. Thomas Bscher		 McLaren F1 GTR GT1 131 DNF DNF

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jochen Mass.
  1. ↑ FIA Year Book of Automobile Sport 1979. Patrick Stephens Ltd. white p. 39. ISBN 0-85059-320-4.
  2. ↑ Ferrari Wins Nine-Hour Race, Washington Post, Times Herald, November 5, 1972, Page C13.
  3. ↑ Beltoise, Mass Pace Trials, New York Times, April 8, 1973, Page 261.
  4. ↑ Jarier Wins Easily, Washington Post, June 11, 1973, Page D3.
  5. ↑ Stewart Captures Prix, Washington Post, August 6, 1973, Page D6.
  6. ↑ Pace Victor in Prix As 150,000 Cheer, Washington Post, January 27, 1975, page D7.
  7. ↑ 4 Die, 12 Injured As Race Car Hits Barcelona Crowd, Washington Post, April 28, 1975, page D2.
  8. ↑ Alfa Romeos Sweep, Washington Post, May 19, 1975, Page D4.
  9. ↑ Lauda Holds Off Hunt To Win French Grand Prix, Washington Post, July 7, 1975, Page D5.
  10. ↑ Dijon Race Dominated By Porsches, Washington Post, September 5, 1976, Page 70.
  11. ↑ "Porsches Place 1st, 2nd", Washington Post, September 20, 1976, Page D9.
  12. ↑ Ickx-Mass Porsche Records Fastest Time, New York Times, February 3, 1977, Page 54.
  13. ↑ Mass Wins Clark, Washington Post, April 18, 1977, Page D3.
  14. ↑ Driving Incident, Kingston, Jamaica Gleaner, August 16, 1980, Page 10.
  15. ↑ "Germany's Mass Takes Look At Long Career", European Stars And Stripes, Thursday, May 2, 1985, Page 13.
  16. ↑ "Auto Racing", New York Times, June 8, 1987, Page C9.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Dieter Glemser		 European Touring Car Champion
1972 		Succeeded by
Toine Hezemans
Preceded by
Jan Lammers
Johnny Dumfries
Andy Wallace		 Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1989 with:
Manuel Reuter
Stanley Dickens 		Succeeded by
John Nielsen
Price Cobb
Martin Brundle