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German racers Hans-Joachim Stuck and Jochen Mass qualified for the 1977 German Grand Prix. At the Hockenheimring, the former achieved his first podium, but it is the story of their compatriot Hans Heyer that still captivates half a century later. Like a mischievous child, he secretly participated in a Formula 1 race, aided by grid girls and marshals. This is a reconstruction of that event.
Making a debut in Formula 1 on home soil is a dream for many, but only a few see it become a reality. During the German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring, ATS deployed a second car. German touring car champion Hans Heyer saw his opportunity and bought his way in. Heyer, who had only driven a F2 car twice, failed to qualify for the Sunday race with a P27. He ended up as the third reserve driver on the list, meaning he could only start if three qualified drivers, for instance due to injury or technical issues, had to withdraw before the start.
Grid Girls and Marshals
Heyer’s chances seemed slim from the outset, but suddenly a glimmer of hope appeared. Frank Williams did not prepare the first reserve driver, Patrick Nève, for the race and since Emilio de Villota’s McLaren, the second reserve, was suffering from engine trouble, Heyer suddenly became the first reserve driver.
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The 24 qualified drivers make it through the warm-up round without a hitch, but he is not deterred by this. The German, always recognizable by his characteristic Tyrolean hat, pushes his car to the start of the pit lane with a few accomplices and instructs two helpers to open the barrier to the track at the right moment. “I positioned my car in a strategically advantageous spot. I knew most of the grid girls who were there well. I said, ‘Girls, when you come back from the grid, stand around my car, so I’m a bit out of sight,” he explained afterwards.
A start crash between Alan Jones and Clay Regazzoni provides exactly the distraction Heyer needs. The barrier opens and Heyer secretly steers his ATS onto the track, thanks to a few friends among the marshals, who, according to legend, willingly turn a blind eye. And so, Heyer still managed to participate in a Formula 1 race.
Pietje Bell
To this day, Heyer holds the curious record as the only Formula 1 driver with the most so-called D’s at one Grand Prix: Did Not Qualify (DNQ), Did Not Finish (DNF), and Disqualified (DSQ).
For the program ‘In the Slipstream’ from Viaplay, former driver and F1 follower Allard Kalff once paid attention to Heyer’s special story. “Over the years, there have been many crooks,” says Kalff. “From white-collar criminals to real criminals. I see Hans Heyer more as a little rascal, because it’s amusing that someone pulled off a sort of Pietje Bell-like action. I think many people chuckled at his action.”
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