German racing driver Hans Herrmann has died at the age of 97.

Legendary German racing driver Hans Herrmann has died at the age of 97. This was announced by Porsche on its website on January 9.

"With the passing of Hans Herrmann, we are all deeply saddened. He was one of the most successful factory racers at Porsche AG. With the victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 in a Porsche 917, he and Richard Atwood made history," said Thomas Laudenbach, head of Porsche Motorsport.

During his career, which began in 1952, Herrman achieved more than 80 general and class victories, most of which were driving Porsche cars. In addition to his historic victory at Le Mans in 1970, he won prestigious races such as the Targa Florio and the Mille Miglia.

In 1954, at the Carrera Panamericana, he won the class in a Porsche 550 Spyder. Herrman also played for teams such as Mercedes-Benz, Maserati and Abarth, but he always had the closest connection with Porsche, where, after retiring at the age of 42, he was for many years the face of the brand's museum and a participant in classic car events.

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