LONDON: Some of British Formula One’s greatest names, including Jackie Stewart and John Surtees, gathered at the Silverstone Circuit in central England yesterday to pay tribute to Jack Brabham.
Australian sporting hero Brabham died aged 88 in May, having made his mark in Formula One by winning three drivers’ world championships and being the only man to do so in a car he built himself.
Stewart, also a three-time world champion, reflected on Brabham’s modesty as he told an audience of 400 people: “He was a quiet man.
“I can’t remember a world champion being quieter than Jack Brabham. He was so unassuming, almost shy.
“But he did more than most other grand prix drivers in a sense by winning his three world championships, and the constructors’.
“He won 14 grands prix, but in those days there were an awful lot of non-championship races in Formula One he also won which are not recognised in the record books in the same way.”
The Scot added there were few things worse for a driver than having to follow Brabham round a circuit.
“I raced against him many times, a tough man to race against, very tough to pass and painful to follow,” Stewart recalled.
“He knew exactly where to put his rear wheel, where the gravel was, so he’d kick up stones
and you were ducking and diving to stay away from Brabham debris.
“You’d go to speak to him after the race because you
were annoyed, but he’d give you that big smile of his and you’d think ‘oh forget it!”’ Stewart addded. AFP
