“Indispensable”
Porsche mourns veteran and ex-racing driver Linge
January 5, 2024, 11:30 p.m
Motorsport mourns the loss of a pioneer: Herbert Linge has died at the age of 95. Linge was an influential figure at the sports car manufacturer Porsche. As a racing driver, Linge took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans eleven times, finishing in the classification eight times.
Porsche mourns Herbert Linge. The veteran died on Friday at the age of 95. The sports car manufacturer announced this. Linge worked for Porsche in various functions – including as a racing driver – for over eight decades. “Herbert Linge is an integral part of Porsche’s history,” the statement said.
Above all, Linge was committed to safety in motorsport. In 1972 he founded the Safety Squadron of the Supreme National Sports Commission for Motor Racing (ONS). Mobile track security and equipping sports cars with fire extinguishers were intended to save the lives of many racing drivers in the 1970s and 1980s. Ten years after the invention of the ONS, his commitment earned him the Federal Cross of Merit for his life’s work.
As a racing driver, Linge took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans eleven times, finishing in the classification eight times. He made his breakthrough in the cockpit in 1954. As Hans Herrmann’s co-driver at the Mille Miglia, he achieved his first victory. He had previously worked as a racing mechanic for the Porsche factory team.
In 1970 he took part in the 24-hour race with a Porsche 908 that was converted into a camera car for filming. After the race, he doubled for Steve McQueen in the racing scenes for the film “Le Mans”. The actor was unable to take part in the real race for insurance reasons and did not have a vehicle that complied with the official regulations. “But he wanted the real images for his film – and with the 908 I got them for him,” Lange once said.