Jochen Mass

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Mass's path to motorsport began unexpectedly after he quit working on Merchant navy ships, a trade he entered following his grandfather's career as a ship captain. His girlfriend, a steward at a hillclimb event, sparked his interest in racing, leading him to an apprenticeship at an Alfa Romeo dealership in Mannheim where the owner recognized his talent. In Formula One, Mass debuted on 14 July 1973 with Surtees but left for McLaren after John Surtees failed to pay him regularly and used faulty suspension materials. This decision proved pivotal; in 1975, while driving a Texaco McLaren-Ford, he won the Spanish Grand Prix after leader Rolf Stommelen crashed into the crowd at Montjuich, killing four spectators. Mass also suffered serious injuries at the 1980 Austrian Grand Prix when his Arrows A3 rolled over, fracturing vertebrae and bruising his neck. His final Formula One season in 1982 ended after a high-speed collision with Mauro Baldi at Paul Ricard, just two months after witnessing Gilles Villeneuve's fatal crash at Zolder.

In Their Own Story

The tragedy of the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix qualifying remains a dark chapter in Mass's career. With only ten minutes remaining, Gilles Villeneuve attempted to overtake Mass on the right-hand side of the track exiting a super-fast left turn. As Mass moved right to let him through, Villeneuve had already committed to that line; their wheels touched, launching the Canadian skyward. The Ferrari hit the ground nose-first and cartwheeled violently before dislodging its seat, flinging Villeneuve into the catch fencing. Mass immediately stopped his car, ran back to the wrecked vehicle, and witnessed Villeneuve being airlifted to a hospital where he was taken off life support later that evening. Earlier in his career, Mass displayed remarkable resilience at the 1976 German Grand Prix. Starting on dry tires for a partially wet Nordschleife, he led with a massive margin while others pitted. However, after Niki Lauda's severe accident stopped the race, it restarted in dry conditions, eliminating Mass's advantage and allowing teammate James Hunt to win while Mass finished third.

Reader's Guide

For those studying endurance racing, Mass's 1982 season offers a stark lesson in survival and adaptation. He entered that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche, securing a runner-up finish despite the intense competition. His ability to adapt across categories was evident when he won the 1975 Coppa Florio with an Alfa Romeo sweep alongside Merzario and claimed victory in the Dijon Six-Hour Race with Jacky Ickx driving a Porsche. In the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft, Mass demonstrated consistency by winning the championship in 1985 with Joest, after previously finishing runner-up twice in Interserie with the same team. His technical feedback was valuable even when not at the podium; during his disastrous 1978 ATS season, where he scored no points and broke a leg testing, his relationship with Robin Herd helped him transition to Arrows, where he recorded five point finishes across two seasons.

Did You Know?

• Mass worked on Merchant navy ships after leaving school because his grandfather was a ship captain from Mecklenburg.
• He finished runner-up in the European Formula Two championship in 1973, having tied Jean Pierre Beltoise for pole position at the Jim Clark Memorial F2 race earlier that year.
• Mass won the Spa 24 Hours endurance race in 1972 alongside Hans-Joachim Stuck driving a Ford Capri RS2600.
• He served as a commentator for RTL from 1993 to 1997 after retiring from motor racing.
• Mass appeared as himself in the 2013 film 'Rush'.