PHOTOGRAPH. The legendary Porsche and F1 driver passed away. Honored with a unique appearance

Legendary German racing driver Hans Herrmann, the first winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in Porsche history and the last living Formula 1 winner of the 1950s, passed away at the age of 98. Porsche officially announced his death on Friday evening.

The sad news came on the eve of the Formula E race in Mexico City, where Porsche made a special appearance in honor of Herrmann. The race at the Rodríguez Brothers Circuit kicks off a year-long celebration of Porsche’s 75th anniversary in motorsport, with Herrmann playing a key role in launching the brand onto the international stage.

The special livery was dedicated to the Porsche 550 Spyder driven by Herrmann to win its class in the legendary 1954 Carrera Panamericana, Mexico’s most famous road race.

A baker by profession, Herrmann entered motorsport in 1953 and took part in Formula 1 and endurance racing for the first time. He started his career by competing in 18 F1 Grands Prix, primarily for Mercedes. Following Tony Brooks’ death in 2022, Herrmann remains the last living F1 podium finisher from the 1950s, finishing third at the 1954 Swiss Grand Prix in the Silver Arrows.

His last Formula One Grand Prix participation was at his home race in Germany in 1969, but he retired from the start due to a possible technical problem.

Herrmann achieved his greatest success in sports car racing. In 1970, together with Richard Attwood, he led Porsche to its first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and forever etched his name in motorsport history.