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Sir Jack Brabham, who passed away this week, was a member of an exclusive motor sports club. Not only was he a three-time world champion, he was also the only man to win the world championship in a car that was not only designed and constructed by him but carried his own name as well.
Brabham’s Formula One career spanned 16 years and started in 1955. He became the first Australian to win the Formula One title in 1959, famously pushing his car uphill to the finishing line to seal the triumph after running out of fuel on the final lap at the US Grand Prix at Sebring.
His first victory came earlier that year in the Principality of Monaco driving a Cooper. He went on to win 14 Grand Prix races and two further Formula One World Championships, in 1960 and 1966 – the latter being the season in which he won the championship in the car bearing his own name.
Sir Jack was knighted in 1968 and eventually sold the Brabham team to Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Under Ecclestone the team won two further world championships with Nelson Piquet.
Nicknamed Black Jack for his mop of dark hair and taciturn nature, Brabham would become ‘Geriatric Jack’ as he raced on into his 40s, his last victory coming at the 1970 South African Grand Prix in his final season when he was 43.
Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) chief executive officer (CEO), Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, said: “My condolences go out to his family. It was such sad news to hear about the passing of Jack who was a lovely person and loved by the entire Formula One family. He will be dearly missed. He achieved great accolades throughout his life and he will continue to live on through the legacy he leaves behind. God bless him.”
Martin Whittaker, a former BIC CEO who now runs sports promotion company Sportique88 based in Amwaj, also paid tribute to the racing legend.
“Bahrain has fond memories of Sir Jack,” he said. “He and his wife Lady Margaret joined the 60th Anniversary celebrations of Formula One at the BIC in 2010.
“He was one of 18 former world champions who attended the event and Jack, even at a sprightly 84, was as enthusiastic about being part of the iconic celebrations as everyone else. Despite his ill health, Jack flew to Bahrain from Australia and said that he would not have missed the event for the world.
“During the event, Sir Jack was not only reunited with former colleagues and competitors but also with his World Championship winning Cooper T51. This was the car in which he won the Monaco Grand Prix of that year.
“Sir Jack was accompanied to Bahrain by one of his three sons David, a former F1 and sports car driver and also a BIC race winner at the GT race back in 2004.”
All three of Jack’s sons went on to become well-known racing drivers in their own right with David and Gary racing in Formula One and Geoff competing in the US. The family tradition continues with Jack’s grandsons currently cutting their teeth in junior formulae.
His death on Monday at his home on Australia’s Gold Coast at the age of 88 came a week prior to this year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
McLaren boss Ron Dennis said: “The word ‘legend’ is often used to describe successful sportsmen, but often it exaggerates their status. In the case of Sir Jack Brabham, however, it’s entirely justified.
“Sir Jack Brabham, legend, RIP.”
