Jacky Ickx

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ickx's relationship with Ferrari began in 1968 after attracting Ken Tyrrell's attention during his early F2 and touring car successes. His debut season for the Prancing Horse was highlighted by a third-place finish at his home race, Spa-Francorchamps, and his first Formula One victory at Rouen. Despite crashing and breaking his left leg in practice for the Canadian Grand Prix that year, he returned to score 27 points and finish fourth overall. In 1970, Ickx faced a harrowing start when his car caught fire on the opening lap of the Spanish Grand Prix; hospitalized with severe burns after 20 seconds, he recovered in just 17 days to race at Monaco. Later that season, while Jochen Rindt fought for the title, Ickx secured wins in Austria and Mexico but finished runner-up after Rindt's fatal accident at Monza left him unable to claim the championship against a driver who could not defend his points.

In Their Own Story

The 1970 season tested Ickx's resilience as much as his skill. After surviving a fiery crash in Spain, he returned to the cockpit at Monaco only to retire with a driveshaft failure. As the season progressed, the battle for the title narrowed between him and Jochen Rindt. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Ickx claimed victory, but tragedy struck at Monza when Rindt died during qualifying. Although teammate Clay Regazzoni won the race there, Ickx's car broke down, leaving his championship hopes hanging on the final two rounds. He needed wins in Canada and Mexico to overtake Rindt's points total. While he secured victory in Canada, a fourth-place finish at the US Grand Prix mathematically eliminated him from contention. Despite winning the season finale in Mexico, Ickx could not match Rindt's tally. In a 2011 reflection, he stated he was glad he did not win against a man who could not defend his chances.

Reader's Guide

Ickx remained with Ferrari through 1971 and part of 1973, achieving further wins at the Dutch Grand Prix in 1971 and the German Grand Prix in 1972. His career with the team ended halfway through the 1973 season when he left over concerns regarding the performance of the Ferrari 312B3. Throughout his tenure, Ickx was renowned for his exceptional skill in wet conditions, a trait that defined his maiden win at Rouen and his 1971 victory at Zandvoort where he utilized Firestone wet tires against rivals on Goodyear rubber. His departure marked the end of a significant chapter where he secured three World Drivers' Championship runner-up finishes across his career (1969, 1970) and established himself as one of the sport's most versatile drivers before moving to other teams like Lotus and Ligier.

Did You Know?

• Ickx finished runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship twice, in 1969 and 1970.
• He won his first Formula One race at the French Grand Prix in 1968 while driving in heavy rain without a helmet visor for most of the event.
• Ickx was hospitalized with severe burns after a fire on the first lap of the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix but returned to racing just 17 days later at Monaco.
• He left Ferrari halfway through the 1973 season specifically due to dissatisfaction with the performance of the Ferrari 312B3 car.