Racing driver Hans Herrmann died on 9 January at the age of 97. This baker’s son achieved what every other hot-blooded young man of Stuttgart could only dream of doing during Germany’s post-war Economic Miracle: to race for Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.
Herrmann was, by his own admission, also fortunate to survive a career punctuated by lurid accidents and incidents to become the last-surviving Formula One podium finisher of the 1950s.
He had promised his long-suffering wife that he would retire once he had won the Le Mans 24 Hours. Her reaction to his losing out to Jacky Ickx’s Ford GT40 by 120 metres in the thrilling finale of 1969 can be imagined. A frustration matched only by Porsche’s. Herrmann put matters right the following year – and kept his promise.
Co-driver Richard Attwood had chosen to share Porsche Salzburg’s unfancied 917 with Herrmann because, “Hans was the oldest, the most sensible. He didn’t want to die either.” He was left doubting his wisdom after qualifying 16th – but not after their having weathered horrendous conditions to score the first of Porsche’s 19 wins to date.
