Hans Herrmann – finest racing moments of the German star driver

1. 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours

Was this his greatest drive? Perhaps not. Victory with Richard Attwood at the wheel of the Porsche Salzburg 917 came against a bac kdrop of just seven finishers, the top five spread over 38 laps – that’s over 300 miles. And it came a year after the gallant defeat by a hair’s breadth to Jacky Ickx in an all-time thriller. But for what it signified, this was the most important result of Hans Herrmann’s career: Porsche’s first overall success in the 24 Hours; and 42-year-old Herrmann keeping a promise to his wife that, once crowned king of Le Mans, he would hang up his helmet. Grotty, wet conditions made this something of a miserable race, and led to a misfire for the winning car due to water in the air intakes, but they survived.

2. 1968 Daytona 24 Hours

In another race of attrition, the GT40s had wilted and Porsche’s 907s had assumed command, with Herrmann and Jo Siffert holding a six-lap advantage as the race entered its final quarter. Then they endured a lengthy pitstop, elevating Vic Elford and Jochen Neerpasch to the lead. But Porsche chief Huschke von Hanstein decreed that Herrmann, Siffert and Rolf Stommelen each take a turn in the winning entry. So Herrmann finished first and second with Siffert!

3. 1954 Mille Miglia

Herrmann was renowned as the most promising German talent when he arrived in Brescia, set to co-drive Herbert Linge in a Porsche 550 Spyder. They were tipped to fight it out for the 1500cc class with the Italian OSCAs; they didn’t – they won by 20min and finished sixth overall. But what went down into myth was their good fortune: Herrmann was at the wheel when they arrived at a level crossing. He couldn’t stop so they ducked as they sped beneath the barrier and were narrowly missed by a train.

4. 1960 Sebring 12 Hours

Long before its breakthrough win at Le Mans, Porsche scored its first triumph in the World Sportscar Championship, and Herrmann was again one of the drivers. The Sebring organisers had stipulated a control fuel, meaning neither Porsche nor Ferrari could enter official teams due to a clash with their own suppliers. But Jo Bonnier leased two 718 RS60 Spyders and one of them, driven by Herrmann and Olivier Gendebien, won the race. Herrmann then doubled up in the Targa Florio with Bonnier.

5. 1954 Swiss Grand Prix

The 26-year-old Herrmann was very much the junior driver in the Mercedes line-up for its return to grand prix racing, with Juan Manuel Fangio the senior partner and Karl Kling the number two. Even so, Herrmann set fastest lap on the debut of the W196 in the French GP at Reims, above, before suffering engine problems. A few weeks later he recorded the best result of his F1 career in a points-paying race: third (albeit lapped) in a rain-affected Swiss GP on the mighty Bremgarten road course.