[Video] Happy birthday Hans Hermann!

On February 23, 2008, Hans Herrmann celebrated his 80th birthday. His name is closely linked to the return of Mercedes-Benz to Formula 1 after the Second World War. The young driver from Stuttgart was one of the greatest emerging talents of the post-war years and one of the drivers to line up alongside legendary names such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling at the start of the first Grand Prix which marked the return of the Arrows of 'Silver in Reims in 1954. In the video created by MotoriOnLine.tv, the web-tv of F1GrandPrix.it, you will see how “lucky Hans” emerged with only a few broken bones from many spectacular accidents.

Watch the video

Service: Fabrizio Corgnati
Editing: Antony Rodella

They call him “Lucky Hans”, Hans the lucky one. A true force of nature, born with a talent for racing. Family tradition would have led him to work as a baker's boy, but it soon became clear that his destiny was to surround himself with petrol and oil, rather than sugar and flour. With a t-shirt and no seat belts: racing was so dangerous in the 50s and 60s that a good deal of luck was needed to survive...

After his debut with Porsche in 1953, he raced in the legendary Mille Miglia in 1954. A huge crowd at the start: Porsche was the underdog at the time, and it also fielded a very young driver at the start. His debut was even more spectacular: Hans Herrmann and his co-pilot Herbert Linge ended up straight into the barriers.

Herrmann's nickname, “Lucky Hans,” does him justice. Together with his colleagues in the sports car workshop in Zuffenhausen they were able to celebrate their class victory in the Mille Miglia. And then the Pan Americana, where Herrmann met his match. After almost 3200 km he took home third place, making Porsche famous in the United States.

Then Alfred Neubauer, the sporting director of Mercedes, noticed him and took him to the premier category, Formula 1. In France, in his first Grand Prix, he achieved the fastest lap: a record that no one has set so far. able to match. Speedy Hans. He is still a very welcome guest at automotive events today. But few are capable of guiding his old silver arrow. Maybe… Lewis Hamilton?! 300 HP without driving aids are hard to handle, to say the least. And sometimes things can go wrong…

“Lucky Hans”… There were times when, without the help of luck, everything would have ended. In 1955 a race ended at full speed against a Monaco-style harbor wall. Thank God, he escaped with only a few fractures and a few days in hospital. Then Berlin, in 1959: a brake failure, a nightmare. Herrmann's car overturned... and he only broke his little finger. It's hard to imagine this flight through the air.

All's well that ends well. With a victory at Le Mans in 1970 he achieved definitive glory and the crowning of his sporting career. On the podium, I announce his retirement, a promise kept to his wife. Despite this, racing cars are still his passion and will remain so for a long, long time. Best wishes, Hans Herrmann.

MotoriOnLine.tv