Jackie Stewart

Nicknamed “The Flying Scot”, Sir Jackie Stewart is a triple British Formula One World Champion who won the Drivers’ Title in 1969, 1971 and 1973. In an era when, as he famously says, “motorsport was dangerous and sex was safe”, Jackie won 27 Grands Prix and claimed 17 pole positions, while setting new standards of professionalism and safety within the sport as well. Prior to Lewis Hamilton‘s recent successes, Stewart was the first British driver to win the World Championship 3 times and, prior to the rise of Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Hamilton, his tally of victories was the highest. He is a triple winner of the Monaco Grand Prix, the Dutch Grand Prix, the German Grand Prix and the Spanish Grand Prix (at Jarama and Montjuïch Park) and a double winner of the Italian Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, the Canadian Grand Prix, the South African Grand Prix and the French Grand Prix (at Paul Ricard and Charade). Stewart elected to retire at the top, at the end of the 1973 season, but chose not to start what would have been his 100th and final race, the 1973 United States Grand Prix as a mark of respect for his fallen team-mate François Cévert, who crashed fatally during qualifying that weekend. After retiring from active competition, Jackie became a commentator for the American ABC Sports Television Network between 1971 and 1986. In 1997, to great fanfare, Jackie returned to Formula 1 as owner of his own team, Stewart Grand Prix, which sensationally claimed a podium finish at Monaco in its first season thanks to an inspired drive by Rubens Barrichello. Even greater success was to come however, as British driver Johnny Herbert was able to pull off arguably the greatest upset of the 90’s, by winning the 1999 European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. The Nürburgring was coincidentally the scene of Jackie’s greatest F1 victory, the 1968 German Grand Prix, when he won by a margin of over 4 minutes. Herbert’s victory allowed Stewart to sell his team to Ford, who chose to relaunch it as Jaguar Racing in 2000.

During an interview for Beyond The Grid – The F1® Podcast with Tom Clarkson that was released on 31 October 2018, Sir Jackie talked about being with his friend Jochen Rindt when he died at the 1970 Italian GP meeting and about Tyrrell team-mate François Cévert’s fatal accident and his subsequent withdrawal from the 1973 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. When asked by Clarkson if the 1968 German Grand Prix was his greatest race, he agreed “technically, probably it was my best race”. Stewart also reflected on Clay Regazzoni weaving and putting him into the barriers at the 1972 German Grand Prix. He also discussed learning from Jim Clark and living with his compatriot at Balfour Place in London.