Sir Jack Brabham, three-time Formula One world drivers' champion and icon of world motorsport, dies aged 88

Updated

Sir Jack Brabham, a three-time Formula One world drivers' champion and icon of world motorsport, has died at the age of 88.

Sir Jack Brabham

Triple Formula One world champion - 1959, 1960, 1966

14 Grand Prix victories

13 pole positions

Australian of the Year in 1966

Awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1967

Knighted for his services to motorsport in 1979

Only F1 driver to win championship in car of his own construction

Contested 126 Grand Prix from 1955 to 1970





The Australian won the championship in 1959, 1960 and 1966 – the final time in a car of his own construction.

He retired in 1970, was knighted in 1978, and was named a National Treasure in 2012.

He died after collapsing this morning.

In a written statement on behalf of the family, his youngest son David said Brabham had lived "an incredible life".

"It's a very sad day for all of us. My father passed away peacefully at home at the age of 88 this morning," he said.

"He lived an incredible life, achieving more than anyone would ever dream of and he will continue to live on through the astounding legacy he leaves behind."

After serving in the RAAF during World War II, Brabham started his own engineering firm, buying and selling second-hand cars.

He began racing a short time later, racing midget cars on dirt tracks. He told Australian Story in 2009: "I managed to win the third race I started in, and never looked back from there".

Brabham travelled to Europe in 1955 and before long he was building his own cars – revolutionising the sport by shifting the engine from the front of the vehicle to the back.

In 1959 he won the first of his three championships, famously running out of fuel in the last race and pushing his car to the finish.

Brabham told Australian Story how the drama unfolded.

Bruce [McLaren, Brabham’s Cooper team-mate] and I led the race for quite some time, right up until the last lap. On the last lap I was leading and Bruce was behind me and sadly, my car ran out of petrol about half a mile from the end and Bruce drew up alongside me and looked at me as if to say 'What are you going to do?' I couldn't do anything but just coast to a stop. I eventually stopped about 100 yards from the finishing line, and I started pushing. If anybody assisted me, I'd be disqualified. At the time, of course, when I pushed the car over the line I didn't realise what position I was as far as the world championship was concerned. It was a big thrill to me to find out after I was exhausted on the ground, I found out that I'd actually won the championship. It was a fantastic thing. Bruce won the race and, of course, that really helped launch Bruce into his career.

In 1966 he became the first driver to win the championship in a car he had built himself — the BT19. He won the constructors' championship that year, and again in 1967.

After retiring in 1970, he became the first motorsport identity to be knighted.

Formula One commentator Murray Walker told Australian Story Brabham was a pioneer and a brilliant engineer.

"He became the first ever driver to win the world championship in a car carrying his own name. It's always been a bit of a mystery to me that Jack has never had the recognition that I feel he deserves," he said.

Another former Australian champion, Alan Jones, echoed those sentiments.

"I know how difficult it is to win a world championship in motor racing, believe me, and I don't think the Australian public realise what a treasure we've got in Jack."

A formidable competitor and a 'hard man' on the track

Briton Stirling Moss was one of Brabham's fiercest rivals during his driving career. He told Australian Story Brabham was always held in the highest esteem in racing circles.

"Sir Jack was the first Australian to come over and really make a mark. I mean, he is after all, he is one of the best known Australians in the world," he said.

"I mean, you’ve got Don Bradman and a few other guys, but very few people in the world have achieved what he's achieved in his sport."

Moss said Brabham was a formidable competitor. "He was a really tough driver, I'll tell you. I wouldn't say dirty, but he really would push you around," he said.

"Most of the drivers, once you'd passed them, you could forget about them. But Sir Jack – you never knew. He was always there, hunting along. He was competitive, I mean, he wanted to win."

Walker was more polite in his assessment: "In a word, I would describe Jack Brabham's racing style as 'forceful'," he said.

"Woe betide you if you were behind Jack, if there was an opportunity for him to put a wheel off the circuit, and spray stones into your face to put you off your racing line, because Jack was a hard man on the track."

In the early 1960s Brabham brought Ron Tauranac out to the UK from Australia to design the Brabham racing cars. The team's engines were built in Melbourne, which Brabham told Australian Story "staggered everybody overseas".

Brabham was the team's lead driver. But he was much more than just a driver, also contributing to the design and engineering of the cars.

"I had just as much enjoyment out of being the mechanic and looking after and getting the cars to the line as I did out of driving. The driving part was just relaxation after it had all happened," he said.

"It was a thrill, not only to build your own car but to race it and win races with it was terrific.

"Winning the world championship in '66 was really the pinnacle of the whole thing, because to win a championship with an Australian-made engine was a fantastic feather in our cap," he said.

While Brabham's most celebrated achievements came behind the wheel, he was also a very astute businessman and built his own racing team from the ground up.

Motor racing commentator Will Hagon said Brabham's achievements will never be matched.

"The forward vision that he had ... and to set up his own team but also to get an Australian company to design the engine and for somehow that to work that was just astonishing," he said.

"People just don't understand what an enormous achievement that was."

Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott says Brabham was a true legend.

"From a legendary status point of view, he was the most legendary Formula One driver in history," Mr Westacott said.

"He won three world championships and in 1966 became the one and only driver ever to win not only the drivers championship, but in a car that he designed and built.

"So he won the constructors championship for Brabham, that's never going to happen again."

Mate's death pushed Brabham towards retirement

Brabham forged a close bond with Kiwi Bruce McLaren, who he recruited to the Cooper team. McLaren went on to found the McLaren racing team, which remains a major player in Formula One racing.

Despite the fact that racing was a dangerous game during Brabham's career – he himself lost 30 friends to accidents during his career alone – Brabham never showed any signs of fear.

But in June, 1970, Brabham's great mate McLaren was killed in an accident.

"Bruce was testing a big sports car down at Goodwood and when it came lunchtime they decided to go to a little cafe, and when they were walking across Bruce stopped and decided he wanted to do one more lap in the car so as he could think about it while they were having lunch," Brabham said.

On that lap, the rear bodywork failed and the car smashed into an earth bank at a massive speed.

The accident had a lasting effect on Brabham. "Losing Bruce McLaren actually was probably the biggest thing that turned me towards retirement. And that was something that really hurt – when Bruce McLaren was killed," he said.

In his final years, Brabham battled failing eyesight and problems with his kidneys, but he never lost his spark or his sense of humour.

"The big aim now is to die without an enemy in the world. I'm going to outlive the bastards," he said.

Brabham is survived by his three sons, Geoff, Gary, and David, who all forged their own motorsport careers.

Topics: sport, motor-sports, australia

First posted