Hans Mezger, Legendary Porsche Engineer, Has Passed Away
One of the greatest minds in automotive engineering has sadly relinquished his grip on this mortal coil, June 10, 2020.
Porsche’s legacy in the racing world is immeasurable. For decades, the company has been one of the most successful forces in motorsport. A vast majority of that success can be traced back to one single person, Hans Mezger. Yes, the same Mezger name that signifies the sought after 911 engines.
Unfortunately, Porsche announced this legendary engineer passed away, June 10. He was 90 years old.
Since 1956, Hans was involved in the development of Porsche engines, starting with small design details like valve control, and quickly moving to Formula One technology. The flat-six engine that Mezger helped design in the 1960s paved the path forward for Porsche, and its legacy continues to this day. His passion and engineering expertise were of such a high caliber that he was tasked to head the department for race car design at Porsche. Here is where Mezger made one of the biggest impacts of his career with the development of the Porsche 917 and the V12 heart that powered it. The technology from that adventure helped Porsche bring turbocharging to the road with Mezger again being tapped to help create the first 911 Turbo.
With a full two decades of unimaginable success under his belt, Mezger took things back to his roots with Porsche, Formula One. McLaren racing needed a new engine for their F1 car and Ron Dennis chose Porsche. Mezger and the team at Porsche managed to develop a 1.5-liter turbocharged V6 that produced more than 1000 horsepower. This engine gave McLaren two championship titles, more than two-dozen Grand Prix wins and helped Niki Lauda win two Driver’s titles. Alain Prost also used the engine to achieve his 1986 Driver’s Championship win.
He is no longer with us in body, but his focus, design, and enthusiasm for performance will live on forever. Every time you hear the wail of a flat-six Porsche echo through the trees at the Nurburgring, it’s just Hans saying hello.
Photos: Porsche
Join the Rennlist forums!
