Sir Jackie Stewart: 50 years a triple World Champion

F1 Beyond The Grid

karenellenbevan

News, Leisure, Sports News, Sports, Automotive

4.7 • 5.3K Ratings

🗓️ 4 April 2023

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

He’s one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula 1. Sir Jackie Stewart became World Champion in 1969, 1971 and 1973. 50 years since he retired after that final title, Sir Jackie is still in the top 10 for all-time F1 race wins - with 27 victories to his name. He started out with the BRM team in 1965, before joining Tyrell Racing three years later. They enjoyed five years of success, in which Jackie cemented his status as a legend of the sport. The Flying Scot, as he was also known, tells Tom Clarkson that winning was all that mattered. But for all the highs, there were also dreadful lows. Formula 1 was an extremely dangerous sport in Jackie’s era. Three of his close friends were killed in F1 races – Piers Courage, Jochen Rindt and his Tyrrell teammate, Francois Cevert. Jackie explains how he became almost desensitised to death and how he removed all emotion from his racing to succeed. The hectic lifestyle of a Formula 1 World Champion eventually caught up with Jackie and proved to be a huge factor in his decision to retire. Much of his life after F1 was dedicated to improving the safety of the sport and many of the changes to protect the drivers today are thanks to him. Jackie opens up about the relationship with his wife, Helen, and sons, Paul and Mark. He reveals why he didn’t stop racing as Roger Williamson lost his life at the Dutch Grand Prix in 1973, and why Formula 1 still means so much to him now.

Follow, rate and review F1 Beyond The Grid and share this episode using #F1BeyondTheGrid.

To hear more of Sir Jackie Stewart’s F1 story, listen to his first BTG interview here.

This episode is sponsored by:

MoneyGram: convert your digital currency to cash and back again using the only digital wallets with real cash access activated by MoneyGram. Learn more at moneygram.com/stellarwallets

Athletic Greens: if you want to take ownership of your health, today is a good time to start. Athletic Greens is giving you a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/f1btg.

Babbel: go to babbel.com/podcast23, and use promo code BEYOND for an extra three months free.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	To become a Formula One World Champion, a winning mentality is essential.
0:09.0	I don't know how many times I've finished second. I have no idea how many times I've finished on a podium.
0:15.0	That doesn't count. I know how many times I've won. But winning is what it is. That's the end of the job.
0:24.0	Winning was all that mattered to Sir Jackie Stewart. And 2023 marks 50 years since he retired as World Champion for the third time.
0:35.0	And that's what we're celebrating this week. The Scotsman is one of the greatest drivers ever.
0:41.0	Bridley and Lee Fast and hugely successful. His 27 victories are still in the top 10 on the all-time F1 list.
0:52.0	But Jackie's era of racing was extremely dangerous compared to today. He wasn't just fighting for wins. He was fighting for survival.
1:01.0	Most of my races were won in the first two or three laps because I removed the motion. Most people are a bit uptight at the beginning of a race.
1:10.0	Because death was a very popular at that time.
1:15.0	Hello and welcome to F1 Beyond the Grid. I'm Tom Clarkson and for this episode I've been speaking to a true Formula One hero.
1:26.0	Jackie Stewart began his Formula One career with the BRM team in 1965. But it was his next move that laid the foundations for his legendary status.
1:38.0	He and Kent Irle formed one of the most successful partnerships in the sports history. A partnership that ended with Jackie retiring in 1973 as a three-time World Champion.
1:51.0	But while there were plenty of wins, there was also personal loss.
1:56.0	During Jackie's nine years in Formula One, eight drivers died in Grand Prix, including his close friends, Peers Courage, Yohan Rind and his Tyrell teammate, François Sever.
2:09.0	It's fascinating to hear how NUM Jackie became to F1's risks and why he carried on racing on the day that Roger Williamson lost his life in the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix, a race that Jackie won.
2:24.0	But that detachment is one of the things that gave him the edge in races.
2:29.0	We talk about Jackie's decision to retire when he was still the man to beat, why his Tyrell car was superior to its competitors, and why his love affair with Formula One continues to this day.
2:43.0	I hope you enjoy our conversation.
2:45.0	Jackie, it's 50 years since you won your third and final World title, Crazy How Time Flies. What's your abiding memory of that year?
3:01.0	I was tiredness, frustration and clarity. Because in April, I made my mind up that I really needed to retire.
3:14.0	And it was at Indianapolis, and I was getting depressed by the pace of my life, the limit of being at home, and two little boys, and of course Helen.
3:28.0	And I had been doing enormous travel. And the days that we speak of, and my day of a racing driver, we don't make the money that is made today.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from karenellenbevan, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of karenellenbevan and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.