The former German racing driver Hans Herrmann is dead. As the automobile manufacturer Porsche announced, citing Herrmann’s family, he died on Friday at the age of 97.
Herrmann was one of the most successful German motorsport drivers of the post-war period. From 1952 onwards he was active for many years in various types of racing in international motorsport and drove for Porsche, Mercedes and BMW, among others. His greatest success was overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970.
Herrmann then ended his career. “I didn’t want to tempt fate any longer,” the racing driver once said. “I realized how lucky I had been with so many friends lost over the years.” Because he mostly escaped with horror despite several serious accidents, he was nicknamed “Hans im Glück”. At the Monaco Grand Prix in 1955, for example, he had a serious accident.
Porsche and Mercedes pay tribute to Herrmann
Thomas Laudenbach, the head of Porsche Motorsport, said: “The news about the death of Hans Herrmann hit us all very hard. (…) He was one of the most successful factory racing drivers at Porsche AG.” He made history with his victory at Le Mans.
The managing director of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, Marcus Breitschwerdt, also remembered an “outstanding racing driver who significantly shaped the history of Mercedes-Benz”. As part of the legendary Silver Arrows racing drivers, he impressed in the mid-1950s. “His likeable charisma and his passion for motorsport made him very popular with fans and fellow human beings,” said Breitschwerdt.
