Paul Pietsch
| Born |
20 June 1911 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany |
|---|---|
| Died |
31 May 2012 (aged 100) Titisee-Neustadt, Germany |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |
 German |
| Active years | 1950–1952 |
| Teams | Alfa Romeo, non-works Maserati and Veritas |
| Entries | 3 |
| First entry | 1950 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1952 German Grand Prix |
Paul Pietsch (20 June 1911 – 31 May 2012) was a racing driver, journalist and publisher from Germany, who founded the magazine Das Auto.[1]
Biography
Born in Freiburg,[2] Pietsch began his racing career in 1932 with a private Bugatti and Alfa Romeo.
Racing with an Alfa Romeo, he won the 1933 III Svenska Isloppet GP ice race in Hemfjärden, and the 1934 I Vallentunaloppet ice race in Vellentunasjön, both in Sweden.
In the 1935 German Grand Prix he raced for Auto Union, and he finished third in the 1935 Italian Grand Prix before leaving the team with its hard-to-drive rear engines. From 1937 onwards he entered a private Maserati. His greatest hours came in the 1939 German Grand Prix which he led from lap two until the ignition failed, making him drop down to third, which was still an excellent result for a privateer against the dominant force of the Silver Arrows.
After the war, he participated in three World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on September 3, 1950. His drive in a factory Alfa Romeo in the 1951 German Grand Prix ended with an accident. He scored no championship points.
At that time, Pietsch was already a successful editor and publisher of motorcycle and automobile magazines. His company, Motor Presse Stuttgart, is the largest in the European market for technology and special interest magazines.
From the death of his countryman Karl Kling in 2003 until his own death, Pietsch was the oldest surviving Formula One driver,[1] at age 100[3] and the last surviving driver of pre-war grand prix era. His son Peter-Paul Pietsch races often at the Nürburgring with fellow journalists.
On 31 May 2012, Pietsch died from pneumonia[4] at the age of 100 years, 11 months and 11 days.[2] Pietsch was also the first Grand Prix driver to reach the age of 100.[2]
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Paul Pietsch | Maserati 4CLT/48 | Maserati Straight-4 | GBR | MON | 500 | SUI | BEL | FRA | ITA Ret |
NC | 0 | |
| 1951 | Alfa Romeo SpA | Alfa Romeo 159 | Alfa Romeo Straight-8 | SUI | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER Ret |
ITA | ESP | NC | 0 |
| 1952 | Motor-Presse-Verlag | Veritas Meteor | Veritas Straight-6 | SUI | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER Ret |
NED | ITA | NC | 0 |
Complete European Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | EDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Pilesi Racing Team | Bugatti | ITA | FRA | GER Ret |
22= | 23 | ||
| 1935 | Auto Union | Auto Union | BEL | GER 9 |
SUI | ITA 3 |
ESP | 11= | 31 |
| 1937 | Private entry | Maserati | BEL | GER Ret |
MON | SUI 10 |
ITA | 17= | 35 |
| 1938 | Private entry | Maserati | FRA | GER 6 |
SUI | ITA | 14= | 28 | |
| 1939 | Maserati | Maserati | BEL | FRA | GER 3 |
14 | 26 | ||
| Private entry | Maserati | SUI Ret |
References
- 1 2 Glückwunsch zum 100. Geburtstag - ADAC Motorwelt 6/2012 p12
- 1 2 3 Jenkins, Richard. "The World Championship drivers - Where are they now?". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
- ↑ Vorano, Neil (2011-06-25). "German rally marks 100th birthday of racing great Paul Pietsch". The National. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
- ↑ "Zum Tode von Paul Pietsch. Der Grand-Prix-Pilot und Gründer von Auto Motor und Sport starb wenige Tage vor seinem 101. Geburtstag". Auto Motor u. Sport. 14 2012: Seite 14.2012/11. 14 June 2012.