Paul Pietsch

Paul Pietsch (20 June 1911 – 31 May 2012) was a racing driver, journalist and publisher from Germany, who founded the magazine Das Auto and published many other as his Motor Presse Stuttgart became the largest publisher in the European market for technology and special interest magazines.

He had a career in 1930s Grand Prix racing, and returned after the war, becoming the first German ever to take part in Formula One World Championship Grand Prix.

Biography Born in Freiburg, Pietsch began his racing career in 1932 with a private Bugatti and Alfa Romeo.

Racing with an Alfa Romeo, Pietsch won the 1933 III Svenska Isloppet GP ice race in Hemfjärden, and the 1934 I Vallentunaloppet ice race in Vellentunasjön, both in Sweden.

From the 1935 German Grand Prix he raced three GPs for Auto Union, and finished third in the 1935 Italian Grand Prix before leaving the team with its hard-to-drive rear engines. From 1937 onwards he entered a private Maserati. His greatest hours came in the 1939 German Grand Prix which he led from lap two until the ignition failed, making him drop down to third, which was still an excellent result for a privateer against the dominant force of the Silver Arrows.

After the war, Pietsch participated in three World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on September 3, 1950. His drive in a factory Alfa Romeo in the 1951 German Grand Prix ended with an accident. He scored no championship points.

At that time, Pietsch was already a successful editor and publisher of motorcycle and automobile magazines. His company, Motor Presse Stuttgart, is the largest in the European market for technology and special interest magazines.

From the death of his countryman Karl Kling in 2003 until his own death, Pietsch was the oldest surviving Formula One driver, and the last surviving driver of pre-war Grand Prix era. His son Peter-Paul Pietsch races often at the Nürburgring with fellow journalists.

On 31 May 2012, Pietsch died from pneumonia at the age of 100 years, 11 months and 11 days.