"Mister Mercedes" is dead (obituary)
01/19/2021
Mercedes withdrew from motor racing after the serious accident at Le Mans in 1955. It was not until 1988, after an absence of 33 years, that the company returned to racing. Jürgen Hubbert (July 24, 1939 - January 12, 2021) was a major driving force behind this.
With the Baby-Benz in the DTM and with Sauber in Group C, a huge and extremely successful chapter in motorsport history began. Jürgen Hubbert, together with Werner Niefer and Norbert Haug, was one of the masterminds behind bringing the Group back into motorsport. "My hope was to polish up our image with a motorsport commitment. I remembered the fifties, when I was still at school and discovered my interest in sport. But I also looked back to the thirties. There were always times when the Group wasn't doing well and when motorsport gave the brand an extra boost. It worked back then. I always had that in the back of my mind."
It still works today, but people keep forgetting that.
Jürgen Hubbert was born in 1939 and joined Daimler-Benz in 1965 after studying engineering. He quickly climbed the ladder and took on management roles in Sindelfingen. In 1987, he was elected to the Board of Management and quickly committed himself to motorsport.
His great dream of having Sauber as a works team and Michael Schumacher as a driver was only partially fulfilled many years later.
After the Stuttgart-based company had supplied the Hinwil team with engines in 1993 and 1994, McLaren replaced the Peugeot engines in 1995. After countless engine failures, they won for the first time in Australia in 1997 with David Coulthard and became world champions in 1998. From today's perspective, they are no less responsible for rather boring championships with their many years of success in F1.
Series world champion Lewis Hamilton is "deeply saddened" by the news of Hubbert's death. "He was a racer at heart. I really enjoyed our conversations and his enthusiasm for racing," he said. "His commitment to Mercedes and the team was inspiring. May his soul rest. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. He will never be forgotten."
Hubbert was not only active in the management of the Daimler Group, he also became a powerful personality behind the scenes in Formula 1. He was one of the key figures in the GPWC - the failed attempt by several manufacturers (BMW, Renault, Honda, Toyota and, of course, Mercedes) to split from Bernie Ecclestone in order to set up their own F1, which failed miserably.
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG: "Jürgen Hubbert was Mister Mercedes. With his integrity, innovative spirit and great success, he shaped Mercedes-Benz forever. Under his leadership, a historic product offensive was launched with pioneering vehicles such as the A-Class and the M-Class. As a leader, he was able to have an integrating effect and motivate his teams with enthusiasm for technology and the highest standards for himself. He will always be held in high esteem by the entire Mercedes family. In gratitude for many years of good cooperation, we keep him in honorable memory. On behalf of the entire Board of Management of Daimler AG, we extend our condolences to his family and loved ones. We mourn the loss of a great personality and a great person."
Hubbert was also responsible for the introduction of the Smart into the Daimler Group and in his "spare time" he even found enough time to give engineering lectures at the Technical University in Karlsruhe. Tireless.
Our condolences go out to his family.
