Former F1 and Le Mans racer Jochen Mass passes away aged 78

Former F1 race winner and Le Mans victor Jochen Mass has passed away at the age of 78.

Hailing from Bavaria in Germany, Mass switched from working on ships to becoming an apprentice at an Alfa Romeo dealership, where the owner fortunately took note of and encouraged his racing talent.

In F1, he competed for a number of teams between 1973 and 1982 including Team Surtees and March Grand Prix, but his sole race win came with McLaren at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix – this was overshadowed by a tragic fatal accident that saw four people killed, leading to the race being suspended.

Mass achieved a further seven podium finishes during his time with McLaren, but many of his achievements came when he stepped away from F1 and moved into European sportscar racing.

Mass' vast motorsport career saw him take the win for Sauber in the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens, and he ultimately claimed a remarkable 32 world championship victories in sportscar racing.

Retiring from competing in 1990, the German became an F1 commentator and worked closely with Sauber and Mercedes-Benz for a number of years, playing a significant role in mentoring the former's stable of young drivers which included Michael Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen.

“I am deeply saddened to hear the news that my friend Jochen Mass has passed away," said F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali. "He had an incredible life at the heart of our sport and was a wonderful person who embraced life and loved Formula 1.

"He will be remembered fondly by all those who knew and admired him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this very sad time.”

A statement released on Instagram by Mass' family stated: "Today we mourn the loss of a husband, father, grandfather and a racing legend.

"Beyond mourning his death, we also celebrate his incredible life. A life that he loved sharing [with] all of you. A life that he lived to the fullest. He is racing with all his friends again."