Remembering Jochen Mass, born #OnThisDay 30 September 1946 in Cologne, won once in 102 Formula 1 starts between 1973 and 1982. He made his F1 debut with Surtees and later moved to McLaren in 1975, where he played the role of an excellent No. 2 to Emerson Fittipaldi, winning the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. However, his prominence declined when James Hunt joined McLaren in 1976, as he could not match Hunt’s pace. After stints with ATS and Arrows and a year off in 1981, Mass returned for an uncompetitive season with March in 1982. He then focused on sports cars, winning Le Mans in 1989. Mass later mentored young talents, including Michael Schumacher, before retiring in 1991.
He sadly died on 4 May 2025 due to complications from a stroke that he suffered in February of the same year. He was 78.
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