Jackie Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jackie Stewart
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Stewart at the 2014 6 Hours of Silverstone
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| Born |
John Young Stewart
11 June 1939 Milton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland
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| Spouse(s) |
Helen McGregor
(m. 1962) |
| Children | 2, including Paul |
| Relatives | Jimmy Stewart (brother) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  British |
| Active years | 1965–1973 |
| Teams | BRM, Tyrrell |
| Entries | 100 (99 starts) |
| Championships | 3 (1969, 1971, 1973) |
| Wins | 27 |
| Podiums | 43 |
| Career points | 359 (360) |
| Pole positions | 17 |
| Fastest laps | 15 |
| First entry | 1965 South African Grand Prix |
| First win | 1965 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1973 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1973 United States Grand Prix |
Sir John Young "Jackie" Stewart (born 11 June 1939) is a famous former racing driver from Scotland. He was also a TV commentator and a leader in motorsport. Jackie Stewart raced in Formula One from 1965 to 1973.
People called him "The Flying Scot" because he was so fast. He won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles three times with the Tyrrell team. When he stopped racing, he held the records for the most wins (27) and most podium finishes (43). A podium finish means placing in the top three.
Jackie Stewart was the only British driver with three championships for a long time. Lewis Hamilton equalled his record in 2015. Besides Formula One, Stewart also raced in the Indianapolis 500 and the Can-Am series. Later, with his son Paul, he ran his own Formula One team called Stewart Grand Prix from 1997 to 1999.
After retiring from racing, Stewart became a well-known TV sports commentator. He covered many races, including the Indianapolis 500, and even some Olympic events. He was known for his strong Scottish accent. Jackie Stewart also worked to make motor racing much safer. He pushed for better medical care and safer tracks.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Jackie Stewart was born in Milton, Scotland, in 1939. His family owned a successful car dealership. His father was an amateur motorcycle racer. His older brother, Jimmy, was also a racing driver.
Jackie went to primary school in Dumbarton and then to Dumbarton Academy. He had trouble learning because he had dyslexia. At the time, people didn't understand dyslexia well. Teachers and other students sometimes made fun of him. He left school at 16 and worked as a mechanic in his family's garage.
He wasn't diagnosed with dyslexia until 1980, when he was 41. His oldest son, Mark, was diagnosed, and Jackie realized he had similar symptoms. Jackie said that having dyslexia made him work harder at things he was good at. He learned to "think out of the box."
Before racing cars, Jackie was a talented clay pigeon shooter. He won many championships in the UK and Europe. He even tried out for the British team for the 1960 Summer Olympics.
His first car was an Austin A30, which he bought with money saved from tips. A family friend, Barry Filer, offered him a chance to test some racing cars. In 1961, Jackie won four races in a Marcos car. He also drove an Aston Martin DB4. In 1962, he tested a Jaguar E-type and matched the times of a professional driver. He won his first races in England that year.
In 1964, Ken Tyrrell, who ran a racing team, heard about Jackie. He offered Jackie a tryout in a Formula Three car. Jackie was faster than another famous driver, Bruce McLaren. Tyrrell quickly offered Jackie a spot on his team.
Racing Career Highlights
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In 1964, Jackie Stewart raced in Formula Three for Ken Tyrrell's team. He won his first race easily in the rain. He won almost every race that year and became the F3 champion. He was so good that he was offered a spot in Formula One (F1), but he wanted to gain more experience first.
In 1965, Stewart joined the BRM F1 team. His first F1 race was in South Africa, where he finished sixth. Later that year, he won his first F1 World Championship race in Italy. He finished his first F1 season in third place overall.
The year 1966 was tough for Stewart in F1. His BRM car was not reliable. He had a big crash at the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps. This accident made him a strong supporter of improving safety in F1. That same year, he almost won the Indianapolis 500 on his first try. He was leading the race but had to stop due to a mechanical problem.
In 1968, Stewart switched to Tyrrell's Matra International team. He won three races that year, including two in heavy rain. He finished second in the drivers' championship.
First World Championship (1969) In 1969, Stewart was amazing. He won six races, often by a huge lead. He became the Formula One World Champion. He was the only driver to lead at least one lap in every Grand Prix that year.
In 1970, Tyrrell started building his own F1 cars. Stewart won two races early in the season with a March car. The new Tyrrell 001 car showed promise.
Second World Championship (1971) Stewart won his second F1 World Championship in 1971 with the Tyrrell 003 car. He won six races that season. He also raced a full season in the Can-Am series, winning two races. Racing so much made him tired and caused some health issues. He won the championship despite having mononucleosis.
In 1972, Stewart won four F1 races. He finished second in the championship. He also raced in touring car events.
Third World Championship and Retirement (1973) Stewart decided to retire after the 1973 season. He felt the intense travel and the danger of racing were too much. He had seen many friends die in races. He won five races in 1973, including his record-setting 27th victory at the Nürburgring. He said winning there gave him great satisfaction but also fear.
His teammate, François Cevert, died in a crash during practice for the last race of 1973. Because of this, Stewart retired one race earlier than planned. He had already won his third World Championship.
Stewart held the record for most F1 wins (27) for 14 years. He was the only British driver with three championships until Lewis Hamilton broke that record in 2015.
Racing Safety Advocate
Jackie Stewart became a strong voice for safety in motor racing. His crash at Spa-Francorchamps in 1966 was a turning point. He was trapped in his car, and there were no proper rescue teams or medical facilities. Fellow drivers had to help him. He was taken to a first aid center that was dirty and then to a hospital in an ambulance that got lost.
After this, Stewart worked hard to improve safety. He said that when he started racing, safety measures were "terrible." He pushed for better emergency services and safety barriers at tracks. He pointed out that fuel was stored dangerously close to the pits.
Stewart even hired his own doctor to be at all his races. He also taped a spanner to his steering wheel in case he needed to free himself again. He fought for drivers to wear seat belts and full-face helmets, which are now standard. He also organized driver boycotts of dangerous tracks until they improved barriers, run-off areas, fire crews, and medical facilities. Some people thought these changes made racing less exciting, but Stewart believed safety was more important.
Consultant and Commentator
In 1964, Jackie Stewart began a long partnership with the Ford Motor Company. For 25 years, he worked as a consultant for Ford. He helped their engineers find ways to make cars better and safer. His experience as a racing driver gave him valuable ideas for car design and safety. He helped Ford develop more advanced and safer vehicles.
Stewart also became a well-known TV commentator. From 1971 to 1986, he covered F1, NASCAR, and Indy car races for ABC. He was known for his smart analysis and fast talking. He used notes for his broadcasts because of his dyslexia. He often spoke about driver safety during his broadcasts.
He also worked on Australian, Canadian, and British TV coverage of races.
Team Owner
In 1997, Jackie Stewart returned to Formula One as a team owner. He started Stewart Grand Prix with his son, Paul. The team was sponsored by Ford. In their first year, their driver Rubens Barrichello finished second at the Monaco Grand Prix.
In 1999, the team had a very successful year. They won a race at the European Grand Prix with driver Johnny Herbert. Barrichello also got three third-place finishes. Ford later bought the team, and it became Jaguar Racing in 2000. This team eventually became Red Bull Racing in 2005.
Honours and Awards
Jackie Stewart has received many awards. In 1973, Sports Illustrated magazine named him "Sportsman of the Year." He also won the BBC Television's "Sports Personality of the Year" award.
In 1990, he was added to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. He has also received honorary degrees from several universities. In 1971, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). In 2001, he received a knighthood for his contributions to motor racing. This means he is now called "Sir Jackie Stewart."
In 2002, he became a founding patron of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was given the Freedom of West Dunbartonshire, his hometown. In 2010, he was named a founding member of Motor Sport magazine's Hall of Fame. Many experts and mathematical models rank Jackie Stewart as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time.
Other Appearances
Jackie Stewart has appeared in movies and TV shows. He did all the driving scenes for an actor in the 1966 film Grand Prix. He was also the subject of a 1972 film called Weekend of a Champion, which followed him during a race weekend.
His good friend, musician George Harrison, released a song called "Faster" in 1979 as a tribute to Jackie and other F1 drivers. Stewart has also appeared in commercials, including for the Vectrex game console and for UPS. He was also a driving instructor for James May on the TV show Top Gear.
Helmet
Jackie Stewart's racing helmet was white. It had the colourful Royal Stewart tartan pattern around the top.
Personal Life
Jackie Stewart married his childhood sweetheart, Helen McGregor, in 1962. They have two sons, Paul and Mark. Paul is a former racing driver, and Mark is a film and television producer. They lived in Switzerland for many years.
Jackie dictated his autobiography, Winning Is Not Enough, because of his dyslexia. He has spoken about his close relationship with his older brother, Jimmy, who passed away in 2008.
In 2016, Helen Stewart was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Because of this, Jackie Stewart started a charity called Race Against Dementia in 2018. He believes that using the fast-paced, innovative thinking from Formula One could help find solutions for dementia sooner.
Images for kids
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Stewart at the 2014 6 Hours of Silverstone
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Stewart at the 1969 Dutch Grand Prix.
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Stewart in 1969 with the Matra MS80 at the Nürburgring.
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Stewart in the Tyrrell entered March 701 at the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix.
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Stewart at the Can-Am Races, 1971
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Tyrrell 003, the car that took Stewart to the 1971 World Championship
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Stewart (right) in conversation with Mike Kranefuss in 1973
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Stewart during his ABC tenure, 1978
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Rubens Barrichello driving for Stewart's F1 team in 1997.
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Stewart in the Silverstone pit lane for the 2014 British Grand Prix
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Stewart greets fans in the pit lane at the 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis
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Stewart's crash helmet with Royal Stewart Tartan
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Stewart on his way to third place in the World Championship Victory Race at Brands Hatch in 1971
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See also
In Spanish: Jackie Stewart para niños
