Hermann Lang
Encyclopedia
Hermann Lang was a German
champion race car driver.
Born in the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart
, Baden-Württemberg
, Germany
, at age fourteen Hermann Lang had to go to work to help support his family following the death of his father. Young Lang found a job as a motorcycle mechanic, eventually buying his own used bike with which he began amateur racing. He won the very first race he entered and before long decided to compete in the sidecar class. At age twenty-two, he won the German sidecar mountain race championship.
Lang's big break came when he landed a job at the Mercedes
factory where he became part of their Grand Prix motor racing
team. He was made head mechanic for the Mercedes-Benz W25
A model to be driven by the Italian
star Luigi Fagioli
who had left Alfa Romeo
to create a powerhouse Mercedes factory team that also included Rudolf Caracciola
. Following a very successful season in which Fagioli won both the Italian
and Spanish Grand Prix
, Hermann Lang was given a chance to drive for the Mercedes team. He proved to be most capable on high-speed racetracks, capturing his first win in the 1937 Tripoli Grand Prix
at the Mellaha Lake course in Libya
which was then the fastest racetrack in the world. Lang dominated the event, winning it for three straight years. That year he won his second major race at the AVUS
extravaganza.
In 1938, he won two more races for Mercedes including the prestigious Coppa Ciano
at Livorno, Italy. Nevertheless, in spite of Hermann Lang's skills and racing success and his popularity with racing fans, being a part of the Mercedes Silver Arrows
team was not easy. Made up of wealthy and aristocratic drivers who looked down on the uneducated, working-class Lang, he was always treated as an outsider. However, in 1939 he earned their grudging respect when he won five of the eight Grand Prix races he started, including victories at the Belgian Grand Prix
, the Pau Grand Prix in France
, the Swiss Grand Prix
and his third consecutive Tripoli Grand Prix
. He clocked the fastest lap at the French Grand Prix
and was leading the field but engine trouble knocked him out of the race. In 1939, Lang also competed in, and won, the Kahlenberg
hillclimbing
race in Austria
.
and Lang received this title from the German motor racing authority, instead of the official authority AIACR.
By way of the points at the last attempted race of the season, competitor Hermann Paul Müller
was considered the points leader, not Lang.
Lang, at the time, was a Nazi officer (as was Bernd Rosemeyer
and other drivers).
The onset of World War II
robbed Lang of his best years but after the war ended, he returned to racing in 1946 without a team, driving a six-year-old BMW
to victory in the first post-war race in Germany held at Ruhestein. In 1949 he began sports car racing
and then competed in Formula Two
racing before joining the Mercedes Grand Prix racing team in Argentina
, at the Buenos Aires Grand Prix in 1951. In 1952, at age 43, he teamed up with Fritz Riess
to capture the 24 hours of Le Mans
. The following year, he published his autobiography titled "Grand Prix Driver," with the Foreword written by the Mercedes team manager, Alfred Neubauer
. Published in Germany, it was translated into English by Charles Meisl and brought out in England
.
In 1953, Hermann Lang was given a chance to participate in Formula One
racing driving for Maserati
after one of their team drivers was injured. He raced in two F1 events that year with his best result a fifth place finish at the Swiss Grand Prix. The following year Mercedes rejoined Grand Prix racing and Lang came back for another F1 season behind the wheel of a Mercedes W196. But at age 45, he had a less than successful campaign that saw him replaced in several races by one of the team's younger drivers. His season and career ended at the 1954 German Grand Prix
at Nürburgring
when he spun out after ten laps. Lang recognized the time had come to retire from racing and he returned to his job at the Mercedes factory.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
champion race car driver.
Born in the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, at age fourteen Hermann Lang had to go to work to help support his family following the death of his father. Young Lang found a job as a motorcycle mechanic, eventually buying his own used bike with which he began amateur racing. He won the very first race he entered and before long decided to compete in the sidecar class. At age twenty-two, he won the German sidecar mountain race championship.
Lang's big break came when he landed a job at the Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
factory where he became part of their Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
team. He was made head mechanic for the Mercedes-Benz W25
Mercedes-Benz W25
The Mercedes-Benz W25 was a Grand Prix racing car designed by Daimler-Benz AG for the 1934 Grand Prix season, in which new rules were introduced, and no championship was held. In 1935, the European Championship was resumed, and it was won by Rudolf Caracciola in a W25...
A model to be driven by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
star Luigi Fagioli
Luigi Fagioli
Luigi Fagioli , nicknamed "the Abruzzi robber", was an Italian motor racing driver.-Career:Born in the small city of Osimo, Ancona Province in the Marche region of central Italy, as a boy Luigi Fagioli was fascinated by the relatively new invention of the automobile and the ensuing racing...
who had left Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo in motorsport
During its history, Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing and rallies. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries and private...
to create a powerhouse Mercedes factory team that also included Rudolf Caracciola
Rudolf Caracciola
Otto Wilhelm Rudolf Caracciola , more commonly Rudolf Caracciola , was a racing driver from Remagen, Germany. He won the European Drivers' Championship, the pre-1950 equivalent of the modern Formula One World Championship, an unsurpassed three times...
. Following a very successful season in which Fagioli won both the Italian
Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
and Spanish Grand Prix
Spanish Grand Prix
The Spanish Grand Prix is a Formula One race currently held at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the annual Formula One championship season.-History:...
, Hermann Lang was given a chance to drive for the Mercedes team. He proved to be most capable on high-speed racetracks, capturing his first win in the 1937 Tripoli Grand Prix
Tripoli Grand Prix
The Tripoli Grand Prix was a motor racing event first held in 1925 on a racing circuit outside Tripoli, the capital of what was then Italian Tripolitania...
at the Mellaha Lake course in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
which was then the fastest racetrack in the world. Lang dominated the event, winning it for three straight years. That year he won his second major race at the AVUS
AVUS
The Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungs-Straße, better known as AVUS, is a public road that was also used as a motor racing circuit. It is located in the south-western districts of Berlin, Germany, between Charlottenburg and Nikolassee, and is nowadays an important part of the public highway system, as...
extravaganza.
In 1938, he won two more races for Mercedes including the prestigious Coppa Ciano
Coppa Ciano
The Coppa Ciano was an automobile race held in Italy. Originally referred to as Coppa Montenero or Circuito Montenero, the Coppa Ciano name being used between 1927 and 1939....
at Livorno, Italy. Nevertheless, in spite of Hermann Lang's skills and racing success and his popularity with racing fans, being a part of the Mercedes Silver Arrows
Silver Arrows
Silver Arrows was the name given by the press to Germany's dominant Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix motor racing cars between 1934 and 1939, and also later applied to the Mercedes-Benz Formula One and sports cars in 1954/55.For decades until the introduction of sponsorship liveries, each...
team was not easy. Made up of wealthy and aristocratic drivers who looked down on the uneducated, working-class Lang, he was always treated as an outsider. However, in 1939 he earned their grudging respect when he won five of the eight Grand Prix races he started, including victories at the Belgian Grand Prix
Belgian Grand Prix
The Belgian Grand Prix is an automobile race, part of the Formula One World Championship....
, the Pau Grand Prix in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Swiss Grand Prix
Swiss Grand Prix
The Swiss Grand Prix was the premier auto race of Switzerland. In its later years it was a Formula One race....
and his third consecutive Tripoli Grand Prix
Tripoli Grand Prix
The Tripoli Grand Prix was a motor racing event first held in 1925 on a racing circuit outside Tripoli, the capital of what was then Italian Tripolitania...
. He clocked the fastest lap at the French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
and was leading the field but engine trouble knocked him out of the race. In 1939, Lang also competed in, and won, the Kahlenberg
Kahlenberg
Kahlenberg is a mountain located in the 19th District within Vienna, Austria .-General:Kahlenberg lies in the Wienerwald and is one of the most popular destinations for day-trips from Vienna, offering a view over the entire city. Parts of Lower Austria can also be seen from Stefaniewarte at the...
hillclimbing
Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
race in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
1939 championship controversy
In 1939, Lang was declared the champion of the European Championship, but this is unofficial. The season was cut short by World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Lang received this title from the German motor racing authority, instead of the official authority AIACR.
By way of the points at the last attempted race of the season, competitor Hermann Paul Müller
Hermann Paul Müller
Hermann Paul Müller was a German sidecar, motorcycle, and race car driver....
was considered the points leader, not Lang.
Lang, at the time, was a Nazi officer (as was Bernd Rosemeyer
Bernd Rosemeyer
Bernd Rosemeyer was a German racing driver.- Career :...
and other drivers).
Postwar racing
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
robbed Lang of his best years but after the war ended, he returned to racing in 1946 without a team, driving a six-year-old BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
to victory in the first post-war race in Germany held at Ruhestein. In 1949 he began sports car racing
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
and then competed in Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
racing before joining the Mercedes Grand Prix racing team in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, at the Buenos Aires Grand Prix in 1951. In 1952, at age 43, he teamed up with Fritz Riess
Fritz Riess
Fritz Riess or Rieß was a racing driver from Germany. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, on August 3, 1952...
to capture the 24 hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
. The following year, he published his autobiography titled "Grand Prix Driver," with the Foreword written by the Mercedes team manager, Alfred Neubauer
Alfred Neubauer
Alfred Neubauer was the racing manager of the Mercedes Grand Prix team from 1926 to 1955.-Biography:...
. Published in Germany, it was translated into English by Charles Meisl and brought out in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In 1953, Hermann Lang was given a chance to participate in Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing driving for Maserati
Maserati in motorsport
Throughout its history the Italian auto manufacturer Maserati has participated in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, sportscar racing and touring car racing, both as a works team and through private entrants.-Beginnings:...
after one of their team drivers was injured. He raced in two F1 events that year with his best result a fifth place finish at the Swiss Grand Prix. The following year Mercedes rejoined Grand Prix racing and Lang came back for another F1 season behind the wheel of a Mercedes W196. But at age 45, he had a less than successful campaign that saw him replaced in several races by one of the team's younger drivers. His season and career ended at the 1954 German Grand Prix
German Grand Prix
The German Grand Prix is an annual automobile race.Because Germany was banned from taking part in international events after World War II, the German GP only became part of the Formula One World Championship in 1951...
at Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
when he spun out after ten laps. Lang recognized the time had come to retire from racing and he returned to his job at the Mercedes factory.
Complete Formula One results
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati in motorsport Throughout its history the Italian auto manufacturer Maserati has participated in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, sportscar racing and touring car racing, both as a works team and through private entrants.-Beginnings:... |
Maserati Maserati in motorsport Throughout its history the Italian auto manufacturer Maserati has participated in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, sportscar racing and touring car racing, both as a works team and through private entrants.-Beginnings:... A6GCM Maserati A6GCM The Maserati A6GCM is a single seater racing car from the Italian manufacturer Maserati. Only 12 cars were built between 1951 and 1953.-Introduction:... |
Maserati Maserati in motorsport Throughout its history the Italian auto manufacturer Maserati has participated in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, sportscar racing and touring car racing, both as a works team and through private entrants.-Beginnings:... L6 Straight-6 The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase... |
ARG 1953 Argentine Grand Prix The 1953 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on January 18, 1953 at the Autódromo Juan y Óscar Gálvez, Buenos Aires. It was the first round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally... |
500 1953 Indianapolis 500 The 1953 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Saturday, May 30, 1953 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the second round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship.-Race:... |
NED 1953 Dutch Grand Prix The 1953 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on June 7, 1953 at the Circuit Zandvoort. It was the third round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.- Race report :The Ferraris... |
BEL 1953 Belgian Grand Prix The 1953 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on June 21, 1953 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It was the fourth round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.- Race report :A... |
FRA 1953 French Grand Prix The 1953 French Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on July 5, 1953 at Reims-Gueux. It was the fifth round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.... |
GBR 1953 British Grand Prix The 1953 British Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 18 July 1953 at Silverstone Circuit. It was the sixth round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.- Classification :- Drivers'... |
GER 1953 German Grand Prix The 1953 German Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on August 2, 1953 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It was the seventh round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.- Classification :-... |
SUI 1953 Swiss Grand Prix The 1953 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on August 23, 1953 at Bremgarten Circuit. It was the eighth round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.It marked the brief return of... 5 |
ITA 1953 Italian Grand Prix The 1953 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on September 13, 1953 at Monza. It was the ninth and final round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used... |
17th | 2 | |
| Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG... |
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG... W196 Mercedes-Benz W196 The Mercedes-Benz W196 was the Mercedes-Benz Formula One entry in the and Formula One seasons, winning 9 of 12 races entered in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.... |
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG... L8 Straight-8 The straight-eight engine or inline-eight engine is an eight-cylinder internal combustion engine with all eight cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase... |
ARG 1954 Argentine Grand Prix The 1954 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Buenos Aires on January 17, 1954. It was the first round of the 1954 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :- Notes :... |
500 1954 Indianapolis 500 The 1954 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Monday, May 31, 1954 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the second round of the 1954 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :- Notes :... |
BEL 1954 Belgian Grand Prix The 1954 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on June 20, 1954. It was the third round of the 1954 World Drivers' Championship.- Race report :... |
FRA 1954 French Grand Prix The 1954 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims-Gueux on July 4, 1954, the same date of 1954 Football World Cup Final... |
GBR 1954 British Grand Prix The 1954 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 17, 1954. It was the fifth round of the 1954 World Drivers' Championship.- Race report :... |
GER Ret |
SUI 1954 Swiss Grand Prix The 1954 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Bremgarten on August 22, 1954. It was the seventh round of the 1954 World Drivers' Championship.- Race report :... |
ITA 1954 Italian Grand Prix The 1954 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on September 5, 1954 at Monza. It was the eighth round of the 1954 World Drivers' Championship.- Classification :- Notes :* Pole position: Juan Manuel Fangio - 1:59.0... |
ESP 1954 Spanish Grand Prix The 1954 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 24, 1954 at Pedralbes. It was the ninth and final round of the 1954 World Drivers' Championship.- Race report :... |
NC | 0 |
External links
- Grand Prix History, Hermann Lang
- Detailed Formula One driving statistics