In his single attempt at Formula One, he entered the 1977 German Grand Prix on 31 July 1977 with the second Penske car of the new German team ATS. With little experience in single seaters and a bad car, he did not qualify. He was the third reserve, meaning that he would get the chance to race if three drivers dropped out; however, Heyer chose to start the race anyway, slipping out of the pits and joining the pack without the officials realising. Only when his gearbox failed after 10 laps was it realised that Heyer should not have been competing, whereupon he was disqualified. He never attempted another race in a single-seat car. He is the only driver to be credited with a DNQ (Did Not Qualify), DNF (Did Not Finish), and DSQ (Disqualified) in the same race, earning himself a lifetime ban from Formula One in the process.