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When a retired F1 veteran tried Williams' active car

When a driver has been out of F1 for 11 years, and then receives a phonecall asking them if they want try the latest title-winner, they seldom say no. Jochen Mass recalls the time he jumped into Williams' FW15C at a private test at Paul Ricard...

In the first instance, to find Jochen Mass sitting in the cockpit of a Formula 1 car doesn't make for an unusual story. He is, after all, a driver with 104 world championship grand prix starts to his name, including victory in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix for McLaren.

But as the December of 1993 approached, 11 years had passed since the German's decision to depart F1 after a fiery collision with Mauro Baldi in the 1982 French GP. Except for a 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours cameo, Mass was two years into retirement following his brief stint in the DTM and the more notable Group C sportscar exploits for Sauber Mercedes.

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