Mercedes-Benz Mourns Loss of 1950s F1 Racer Hans Herrmann

9 January 2026

6 Min Read

Hans Herrmann, who raced for the Mercedes F1 team in the 1950s, has passed away, aged 97.

The German is one of 13 drivers to have raced for the three-pointed star, competing in six Grands Prix for the Silver Arrows across 1954 and 1955, behind the wheel of the W 196 R and W 196 S machines.

Hans, a trained confectioner, was regarded as a promising young talent of his generation after starting his racing career in 1952 and was signed up by Alfred Neubauer – Head of the Mercedes-Benz racing programme – to the team when the marque returned to F1 at the 1954 French Grand Prix alongside Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling.

_{Herrmann (left) started Mercedes’ first Formula 1 race in France in 1954, pictured here alongside team-mates Juan Manuel Fangio (centre), and Karl Kling (right)}

He took part in five Grands Prix for the team that season scoring one podium, a third-place finish at the 1954 Swiss Grand Prix. He also finished third at the non-championship Avus Grand Prix in Berlin.

His F1 career was cut short after a crash at Monaco in 1955, and he was often affectionately referred to as ‘Hans in Luck’ because he managed to survive a number of major accidents.

When Mercedes withdrew from motor racing at the end of the 1955 season, Hans initially remained close to the brand, aiding with the production of new production vehicles.

“It is with great gratitude that we remember Hans Herrmann, an outstanding racing driver who had a decisive influence on the history of Mercedes-Benz”, Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Heritage GmbH.

“As part of the legendary Silver Arrows racing team in the mid-1950s, he impressed with his speed and mastery in races.

“His likeable charisma and his passion for motorsport made him very popular with fans and fellow drivers alike.

“After his active career, Hans Herrmann remained closely associated with our brand as a representative of Mercedes-Benz Heritage and helped to preserve the heritage of our vehicles.”

When the Three-pointed star did dip its toe back into motorsport, Hans was always on hand. He took part in the 1961 Argentinian Touring Car Grand Prix in a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE “tail fin” rally car (W 111).

He crossed the finish line in second place and, together with the winner Walter Schock, also in a Mercedes-Benz 220 SE, completed the one-two in the 4,500km-long event.

In total, Hans competed in 17 Grand Prix across eight seasons for six different manufacturers, as well as Formula 2 and sports car races and rallies, showing himself to be an enormously versatile racing driver.

His greatest successes came in endurance racing. He won the Targa Florio in 1960, the Daytona 24 Hours in 1968 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970.

Before the race, he had promised his wife Magdalena that he would never race again if he won the famous French endurance event. He duly obliged by promptly retiring before the end of the 1970 season.

As a Brand Ambassador for Mercedes-Benz Heritage, Hans remained closely associated with motorsport for the rest of his life.

Whenever he represented the three-pointed star at a Heritage event, he was more than happy to stop for a friendly chat with those in the crowd, before demonstrating his prowess behind the wheel in a variety of racing cars, even later into his life.

In October 2012, he was honoured by the town of Collesano for taking part in the Targa Florio eight times.

A matter of honour: the former works driver arrived for the ceremony at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR racing sports car (W 196 S).