1985 Porsche 962

Of course, my dad gave me the talent to become a racing driver and he helped me a lot. He was not only a successful racer, but also a good and fair sportsman. He taught me a lot of the things that helped me in my career. This year saw me hanging up my racing helmet and retiring from competitive events, the same year as Sir Stirling Moss chose to do the same thing! So, I think I’m in very good company. My racing career started out driving a BMW 2002 on the Nordschleife in 1969 and it came to an end sharing a Lamborghini in the 2011 Nürburgring 24 Hours with my sons Ferdinand and Johannes. I won my first race there in 1970 in the first running of the 24 Hours race. I was driving a BMW 2002 with Clemens Schickentanz.

Looking back over my years of racing, it really has been my life. One car has for sure given me great racing memories, the 962 Porsche. I say this without hesitating. The car gave me a World Championship title when I was teamed with Derek Bell, and of course two Le Mans wins. To me, the 962 was the best combination of power, tire widths, aerodynamics and engine—it was the best mix of it. Many would say it was a car built specifically for Le Mans, but I would disagree with that. It was a car built to win sportscar races, but not necessarily Le Mans. It worked on many of the other race tracks well Spa, Nürburgring, Silverstone and Brands Hatch. For Le Mans, however, it was very different, almost a new car; settings had to be specific for toe and everything, different aero, yes a completely different car. For me, I much preferred the regular 962 which ran on regular circuits.