HOT SHOTS: Jochen Mass.

The first time I went to Le Mans was in 1998, as a guest of Mercedes-Benz. The race was won by the Jaguar 'Tomcats' and I remember standing in the grandstand opposite the pits and singing 'Rule Britannia' with the joyous British fans.

One of the drivers for the Silver Arrows that year was Jochen Mass, who was making the transition from grand prix racing to sports cars. He had scored his only F1 in 1975 at a tragic Spanish Grand Prix.

But he didn't race at Le Mans, because the Sauber-Mercedes contenders were withdrawn before the start.

The last time I saw him racing was when the World Sportscar Championship came to Sandown in Melbourne and he was in a Benz again against the Porsche 956s.

Over the years our paths crossed occasionally, sometimes back at Le Mans – where he was a winner in 1989 – and at other events where he was driving as an ambassador for Porsche or Mercedes.

Once, at Laguna Seca in the USA, I asked him what had happened at Le Mans in '88. I cannot remember his exact words, but it went something like this:

"They got the aero wrong on the car. We had too much downforce, so the rear tyres were overheating and eventually exploding.

"We had a meeting of the drivers and we voted, as a group, that we would not race. The cars were not safe."

I asked him if it was a driver's strike and he said "Yes". Then I asked who was chosen to pass the bad news message to Sauber and Mercedes.

"Ah. Yes. That would have been me," he replied with a wonderful half chuckle.

That story came to me tonight when I learned that Mass, who was 78, had died.

He was a lovely, enthusiastic and talented man. Every time we talked I left the conversation feeling inspired and happy.

Danke, Jochen.