Gerhard Mitter
NationalityGerman
Birth date30 August 1935
Birth placeKrásná Lípa, Czechoslovakia
Death date1 August 1969 (aged 33)
Death placeNürburgring Circuit, Germany
Years–,
TeamsLotus (incl. non-works), BMW, non-works Brabham, non-works Porsche
Races7 (5 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Points3
Poles0
Fastest laps0
First race1963 Dutch Grand Prix
Last race1969 German Grand Prix

Gerhard Karl Mitter (30 August 1935 – 1 August 1969)[1] was a German Formula One and sportscar driver.

Early life and career

Mitter was born in Schönlinde (Krásná Lípa) in Czechoslovakia, but his family was expelled from there, to Leonberg near Stuttgart.

After racing motorbikes, he switched to Formula Junior, becoming the best German driver with 40 victories. In addition, he sold two-stroke engines for FJ. In 1963, Mitter won the Formula Junior Eifelrennen at the Nürburgring.

Formula One

Mitter also participated in seven Grands Prix, debuting on 23 June 1963. He scored a total of three championship points in his home 1963 German Grand Prix with a Porsche 718 from 1961. Impressed by this, Team Lotus gave him a chance in the following years.

Sportscar driver

In sportscar racing and hillclimbing for Porsche, he scored many wins, e.g. the 1966-1968 European Hillclimb Championships against Ferrari, the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona (Porsche 907, in class) and the 1969 Targa Florio (Porsche 908) as his final major win.

Return to Formula One and death

Due to the long Nürburgring track, it was possible to take part in the German Grand Prix with Formula 2 cars that were classified in their own contest. Mitter was killed there at Schwedenkreuz while practising for the 1969 German Grand Prix with BMW's 269 F2 project. As a suspension or steering failure was suspected, the BMW team with Hubert Hahne and Dieter Quester withdrew from the race, as did Mitter's teammate at Porsche, Hans Herrmann. Udo Schütz, his driving partner at Porsche in the 1969 World Sportscar Championship season with whom he had won the Targa three months earlier, had survived a bad crash at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans, and retired.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011WDCPts
1963Ecurie MaarsbergenPorsche 718Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4MONBELNED
Ret		FRAGBRGER
4		ITAUSAMEXRSA12th=3
1964Team LotusLotus 25Climax FWMV 1.5 V8MONNEDBELFRAGBRGER
9		AUTITAUSAMEXNC0
1965Team LotusLotus 25Climax FWMV 1.5 V8RSAMONBELFRAGBRNEDGER
Ret		ITAUSAMEXNC0
1966Ron Harris Team LotusLotus 44 F2Ford Cosworth SCA 1.0 L4MONBELFRAGBRNEDGER
DNS		ITAUSAMEXNC0
1967Gerhard MitterBrabham BT23 F2Ford Cosworth FVA 1.6 L4RSAMONNEDBELFRAGBRGER
Ret		CANITAUSAMEXNC0
1969Bayerische Motoren Werke AGBMW 269 F2BMW M12/1 1.6 L4RSAESPMONNEDFRAGBRGER
DNS		ITACANUSAMEXNC0
Source:[2]

Complete Formula One Non-Championship results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314151617181920
1962Ecurie FilipinettiLotus 21Climax FPF 1.5 L4CAPBRXLOMLAVGLVPAUAININTNAPMALCLPRMSSOL
6		KANMEDDANOULMEXRANNAT
1963Ecurie MaarsbergenPorsche 718Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4LOMGLVPAUIMOSYRAININTROMSOL
5		KANMEDAUTOULRAN
1964Team LotusLotus 25Climax FWMV 1.5 V8DMTNWTSYRAININTSOL
Ret		MEDRAN
Source:[3]

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678910Pos.Pts
Gerhard MitterBrabham BT23FordSNESILNÜR
8		HOCTULJARZANPERBRHVAL15th2
Roy Winkelmann RacingBrabham BT23CFordHOCTHRJARPALTULZANPERHOC
Ret		VALNC0
BMWBMW 269BMWTHRHOCNÜR
Ret		JARTULPERVALNC0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
1964Porsche System EngineeringColin DavisPorsche 904/8P
3.0		244DNFDNF
1965Porsche System EngineeringColin DavisPorsche 904/8P
2.0		20DNFDNF
1967Porsche System EngineeringJochen RindtPorsche 907/6LP
2.0		103DNFDNF
1968Porsche System EngineeringVic ElfordPorsche 908P
3.0		111DNFDNF
1969Porsche System EngineeringUdo SchützPorsche 908LP
3.0		199DNFDNF
Source:[4]

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results

YearTeamCo-DriversCarClassLapsPos.Class
Pos.
1965Porsche Automobile Co.Herbert LingePorsche 904/8P
2.0		1849th1st
1966Porsche System EngineeringHans Herrmann
Joe Buzzetta		Porsche 906P
2.0		2094th1st
Porsche System EngineeringGünther KlassPorsche 906P
2.0		120DNFDNF
1967Porsche AutoScooter PatrickPorsche 910P
2.0		2263rd1st
1968Porsche Automobile Co.Rolf StommelenPorsche 907 2.2P
3.0		46DNFDNF
1969Porsche System Engineering Ltd.Udo SchützPorsche 908/02P
3.0		2325th4th
Source:[4]

References

  1. ^ Jenkins, Richard. "The World Championship drivers - Where are they now?". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
  2. ^ Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 256. ISBN 0851127029.
  3. ^ "Gerhard Mitter - Involvement Non World Championship". StatsF1. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  4. ^ "All Results of Gerhard Mitter". RacingSportCars. Retrieved January 12, 2019.