German Jochen Mass, Italian Michele Alboreto and Brit Johnny Herbert all added their name to the 24 Hours winners list at different points in their career: the first two had retired from Formula One, while the third won at Le Mans while competing with Lotus in his third Le Mans season.

 

Jochen Mass, from Porsche to Mercedes - Jochen Mass won the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix - the race interrupted by Rolf Stommelen’s accident – but rarely got to drive a car worthy of his talent in Formula One. The German driver flourished in endurance racing however. He made his Le Mans debut in a Ford Capri, before embarking on his F1 career. He went on to spearheaded Porsche’s campaign between 1978 and 1987, yet he finally reached the top of the podium with another German constructor – Mercedes – when he took the 24 Hours win in 1989, with fellow countryman Manuel Reuter and Swede Stanley Dickens. Since his retirement as a professional driver, we often see him at Le Mans Classic. At the 2014 event, he served as driving instructor, coaching AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, also a classic car collector and amateur driver, around the Circuit des 24 Heures.

Jochen Mass (born 30 September 1946) – 12 appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1972 and 1995 (1 win in 1989), competed in 105 Grand Prix from 1973 to 1982 (1 win).

Johnny Herbert, the first Japanese victory - Johnny Herbert switched between Formula One and the 24 Hours on a regular basis throughout his career. In 1990, a year after his Grand Prix début, he came to Le Mans as a Mazda works driver, alongside German Volker Weidler and Belgian Bertrand Gachot. The crew were victorious the following year, making Mazda the first (and, to date, only) Japanese outfit to win at Le Mans. Herbert finished fourth in 1992 and after that, concentrated all his energies on Formula One until 2000, claiming three victories in all (Great Britain and Italy in 1995, European Grand Prix in 1999). He returned to La Sarthe with Audi, then Bentley and Aston Martin, finishing second three times in 2002, 2003 and 2004. In 1991, he collapsed from heat exhaustion as he got out of the car and missed the podium ceremony. He only made up for it two decades later when came back to Le Mans for the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Mazda’s victory! Herbert is now a well-respected F1 consultant on British TV.

Johnny Herbert (born 25 June 1964) – 8 appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1990 and 2007 (1 win in 1991), competed in 161 Grand Prix from 1989 to 2000 (3 wins).

Michele Alboreto, from Ferrari to Audi - European Formula Three champion in 1980, Michele Alboreto made his Le Mans and Grand Prix débuts the following year. He was a Lancia works driver in La Sarthe from 1981 to 1983 and, in that same period, took two Grand Prix wins (Las Vegas in 1982 and Detroit in 1983), making him one of the most highly regarded hopefuls in F1. He competed for Ferrari between 1984 and 1988, taking another three victories (Belgium in 1984, and Canada and Germany in 1985). After that, he never really found a Formula One car to match his talent. In 1996, coming up to his 40th birthday, he returned to Le Mans with Reinhold Joest’s team. The following year, he shared victory with Sweden’s Stefan Johansson and Denmark’s Tom Kristensen. He remained with Joest Racing and became one of the pioneers of the Audi adventure, racing with them in 1999 (P4) and 2000 (P3). He sadly lost his life during testing at the Lausitzring circuit in Germany on 25 April 2001. His teammates and friends of the marque unanimously saluted Alboreto’s valuable experience and the role he played in Audi’s early years at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Michele Alboreto (1956-2001) – 8 appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1981 and 2000 (1 win in 1997), competed in 194 Grand Prix from 1981 to 1994 (5 wins).

 

Read more about Grand Prix winners who have also triumphed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans:

24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula One - 12 winners (1) - The 1950s and 1960s

24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula One - 12 winners (2) - From the 1960s to the 1980s

 

Photo (Copyright - ACO Archives): 1197 Le Mans winner with Stefan Johansson and Tom Kristensen, Michele Alboreto (here at the wheel) was the last driver to win at Le Mans and in Formula One.