Gerhard Mitter only entered seven Grands Prix during his career but, away from Formula 1, he was one of the most successful drivers of the late sixties. Driving Porsche sports cars, he became a multiple title winner.
Motorcycle Racing and Formula Junior
Mitter was born on 30th August, 1935, and was originally from the Sudetenland. When his family were expelled from there they settled near Stuttgart. The formative years of Mitter’s racing career were spent motorcycle racing. He then moved to four wheels, entering the highly popular Formula Junior series.
During his time in Formula Junior Mitter became Germany’s most successful driver in the class. In addition to racing cars, Mitter was also a talented engineer. He even designed and built his own Formula Junior cars. Later, he designed an engine for Formula 2, but it never raced. Mitter was a much sought after engine tuner, and among his clients was a young Niki Lauda.
Formula 1 and Sports Car Racing with Porsche
1963 was an important year for Mitter. He was handed his Formula 1 debut by the charismatic Dutch aristocrat Carel Godin de Beaufort, racing for his Ecurie Maarsbergen team in Holland and Germany. Mitter performed superbly at his home race, finishing fourth in a Porsche. It would be the only points finish of his Formula 1 career. Sadly, de Beaufort was killed at the 1964 German Grand Prix.
Mitter also joined Porsche in 1963 to drive the company’s sports cars. At the time the European Hillclimb Championship was an extremely prestigious series and it was in this that Mitter scored some of his greatest victories. Between 1966 and 1968 he won three consecutive titles. Another significant victory came in 1969, when Mitter won the gruelling Targa Florio in Sicily.
Mitter Killed at 1969 German Grand Prix
1969 saw Mitter sign for BMW, to race and develop their Formula 2 contender, built by the Dornier company. Since his first appearance at the German Grand Prix in 1963 Mitter had been a regular competitor, including drives for Team Lotus. For the 1969 event he was entered to drive a works BMW in the Formula 2 class.
During practice on Friday 1st August Mitter crashed between the Flugplatz and Schwedenkreuz sections, at a dip in the track. He was fatally injured in the accident, which was most probably the result of suspension failure or a wheel falling off. The BMW team withdrew following the accident, as did Lotus driver Hans Herrmann, a good friend of Mitter. At the time of his death Mitter was 33 years old.
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