Porsche has announced sad news this evening, the passing of legendary driver Hans Herrmann at age 97.
Herrmann’s career, which began in 1952, was defined by a number of key victories at major endurance races, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, Mille Miglia and Targa Florio.
Most notably, after taking class wins in the 1958, ’62, ’67 and ’69 editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours for Porsche, he was part of the German brand’s first overall win at the event in 1970, alongside Richard Attwood (below) in the iconic 917 K.
Famously, that would turn out to be his final race. He decided to call time on his storied career after losing several friends to incidents in the sport.
“In 1969, I narrowly lost the victory to Jacky Ickx after we overtook each other several times in the last hour and a half of the race,” he recounted. “In 1970, Ferdinand Piëch ensured we had a stronger engine and a real chance of winning,” Herrmann recalled.
“Winning exactly one year after the narrowly missed victory at Le Mans was, of course, special. It was also Porsche’s first overall victory – and it was my last race,” Herrmann recalled. “It can’t be that I’m so lucky, and at some point, this phase might end.”
Elsewhere, his career CV – which features more than 80 overall and class victories – includes a class triumph at the 1954 Mille Miglia (below) aboard a 550 Spyder and 1960 Sebring 12 Hours overall win with the 718 RS 60 Spyder alongside Olivier Gendebien, Porsche’s first outright victory in a World Sportscar Championship race.
In the same year, sharing a 718 RS 60 Spyder with Joakim Bonnier, he also won the Targa Florio and the Formula 2 European Championship with the Porsche 718/2. Later in the decade (1968), he added to his roll of honour again with an overall Daytona 24 Hours win in a Porsche 907 LH and another first place finish at Sebring.
“The passing of Hans Herrmann has deeply affected us all,” says Thomas Laudenbach, head of Porsche Motorsport. “He was one of Porsche AG’s most successful factory racing drivers. With the victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 in the Porsche 917, Richard Attwood and made history.”
Beyond his stints with the fabled Stuttgart brand, Herrmann drove for other key manufacturers. In 1962, he switched to Carlo Abarth, briefly becoming a factory driver for the Viennese constructor in 1963, before returning to Porsche in 1966. He also drove for a number of teams in Formula One, including Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, and BRM, from 1953 through to the late 1960s.
“It is with great gratitude that we remember Hans Herrmann, an outstanding racing driver who had a decisive influence on the history of Mercedes-Benz”, Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH.
“As part of the legendary Silver Arrows racing team in the mid-1950s, he impressed with his speed and mastery in races.
“His likeable charisma and his passion for motorsport made him very popular with fans and fellow drivers alike.
“After his active career, Hans Herrmann remained closely associated with our brand as a representative of Mercedes-Benz Heritage and helped to preserve the heritage of our vehicles.”
Upon his retirement, he worked with the Porsche Museum for multiple decades, participating in driving events at renowned classic car gatherings worldwide.
Herrmann leaves behind his wife, Magdalena, two sons and a grandson. DSC passes on its sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Images courtesy of Porsche
