Hanns Geier

Born in Waldalgesheim, Hanns Geier's racing career began in the 1920s, initially on a motorbike. After switching to motor racing, he initially drove in Amilcar and Bugatti. In May 1933, he received the coveted position as a young talent in the driving department of Daimler-Benz AG, which resulted in a contract as a reserve driver for the 1934 and 1935 seasons in the works team.

At the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in 1934, Geier got his first big chance at the wheel of the W 25 and repaid the favour with a remarkable fifth place. He also entered the AVUS race in May 1935 and sat at the wheel of the record-breaking W 25 car, with which Caracciola had set international records on the record-breaking Gyon circuit in October 1934 and on the AVUS in December 1934. Geier finished fourth in the first heat, but dropped out in the main heat with carburettor problems.

Three months later, Geier had a devastating accident during practice for the Swiss Grand Prix, in which he was thrown out of the car and landed under a parked spectator's vehicle. He barely survived his severe injuries and subsequently had to give up his driving career, which had only just begun. After his recovery, however, he returned to the Mercedes-Benz racing department as an assistant and worked there until 1955.