Template:Short description {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters | check | ignoreblank = y | unknown = Template:Main other | preview = Page using Template:Infobox F1 driver with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | embed | child | subbox | name | Name | image | Image | image_size | upright | image_upright | alt | caption | birth_name | birth_date | birth_place | death_date | death_place | relations | relatives | nationality | Nationality | years | Years | teams | Teams | Team(s) | team | Team | engines | Engines | current_team | current team | Current team | 2025 Team | 2026 Team | car_number | car number | Car number | races | Races | championships | Championships | wins | Wins | podiums | Podiums | points | Points | poles | Poles | fastest_laps | fastest laps | Fastest laps | first_race | first race | First race | first_win | first win | First win | last_win | last win | Last win | last_race | last race | Last race | last_position | last position | Last position | last_season | last season | Last season | bf1_years | bf1 years | BF1 Years | bf1_races | bf1 races | BF1 Races | bf1_championships | bf1 championships | BF1 Championships | bf1_wins | bf1 wins | BF1 Wins | bf1_podiums | bf1 podiums | BF1 Podiums | bf1_points | bf1 points | BF1 Points | bf1_poles | bf1 poles | BF1 Poles | bf1_fastest_laps | bf1 fastest laps | BF1 Fastest laps | signature | signature_size | signature alt | signature_alt | website | module | module1 | module2 | module3 | module4 | module5 | record template1 | record template2 | record template3 | record template4 | record template5 | career template1 | career template2 | career template3 | career template4 | career template5 | updated | Updated }} Paul Pietsch (20 June 1911 – 31 May 2012) was a racing driver, journalist and publisher from Germany, who founded the magazine Das Auto.<ref name=motorwelt201206>Glückwunsch zum 100. Geburtstag - ADAC Motorwelt 6/2012 p12</ref> He was the first German ever to take part in a Formula One Grand Prix.

BiographyEdit

Born in Freiburg,<ref name="WATN">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Pietsch began his racing career in 1932 with a private Bugatti and Alfa Romeo.

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

In the 1935 German Grand Prix he raced for Auto Union, and he 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, he 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,<ref name=motorwelt201206/> at age 100<ref name="Centenary">Template:Cite news</ref> 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<ref name=AutoMotoruSport2012>Template:Cite journal</ref> at the age of 100 years, 11 months and 11 days.<ref name="WATN"/> Pietsch was also the first Grand Prix driver to reach the age of 100.<ref name="WATN"/>

Racing recordEdit

Complete European Championship resultsEdit

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Template:Tooltip Pts
1932 Pilesi Racing Team Bugatti T35B Bugatti 2.3 L8 ITA FRA GER
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22nd 23
1935 Auto Union AG Auto Union B Auto Union 5.0 V16 MON FRA BEL GER
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SUI
11{{#if:1|1|[1]}}
ITA
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ESP
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15th 47
1937 P. Pietsch Maserati 6C-34 Maserati 3.7 L6 BEL GER
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MON
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SUI
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ITA 17th 35
1938 P. Pietsch Maserati 6CM Maserati 1.5 L6 FRA GER
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SUI ITA 14th 28
1939 Officine A. Maserati Maserati 8CTF Maserati 3.0 L8 BEL FRA GER
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14th 26
P. Pietsch Maserati 4CL Maserati 1.5 L4 SUI
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Notes
  • <templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^1{{#if:| }} – As a co-driver Pietsch was ineligible for championship points

Complete Formula One World Championship resultsEdit

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Template:Tooltip Pts
1950 Paul Pietsch Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s GBR MON 500 SUI BEL FRA ITA
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NC 0
1951 Alfa Romeo SpA Alfa Romeo 159 Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8s SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER
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ITA ESP NC 0
1952 Motor Presse Verlag Veritas Meteor Veritas 2.0 L6 SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER
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NED ITA NC 0

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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Template:Silver Arrows Template:Formula One drivers from Germany

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