‘He sailed across the Atlantic for fun, drove Le Mans for a living, and still found time to be polite.’
1946: Born in Dorfen, Bavaria. Most babies cry. Jochen probably arrived with a V6 rumble.
1960s: Became a merchant sailor. Why drive fast when you can also sail across the Atlantic for fun?
Late ’60s: Apprenticed at an Alfa Romeo dealership. The boss said, ‘You’re quite good.’
The rest is motorsport folklore.
Jochen Mass once raced Formula 1 cars, won Le Mans, and sailed the Atlantic for a laugh.
He mentored Schumacher, mastered Spa, and could drive a Mercedes 300 SLR like a hot hatch.
Now he’s gone, aged 78. A gentleman in a fireproof suit.
They don’t make ’em like that anymore.
Read on and raise a glass to the man who never needed to shout to be heard.
- 1972: Won the Spa 24 Hours in a Ford Capri with Hans-Joachim Stuck. 24 hours. In the rain. At Spa. Enough said.
- 1973: He made his F1 debut with Surtees. The car was terrible. He wasn’t.
- 1975: Won the Spanish GP at Montjuïc Park—chaos all around, but Jochen kept it on the island.
- 1982: Involved in the tragic incident that took Gilles Villeneuve’s life. A day Jochen never spoke about lightly.
- 1989: Victory at Le Mans in a Sauber-Mercedes. The Silver Arrows returned, and Jochen delivered.
- He mentored a young Schumacher in the late ’80s. Which is like Picasso giving you art tips.
- 1990s–2020s: Kept racing, commentating, and showing the Goodwood crowd how a real racing driver operates.
Epilogue
Jochen Mass passed away in May 2025 at 78. He wasn’t just fast. He was class.
The sort of bloke who could tame a race car, charm a paddock, and make you laugh over a beer.
A true racer. And an even better man.
‘He could make a Ford Capri dance through Eau Rouge like it was auditioning for the Bolshoi Ballet.‘
