Jacky Ickx facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jacky Ickx
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Ickx in 2018
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| Born |
Jacques Bernard Edmon Martin Henri Ickx
1 January 1945 Brussels, Belgium
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| Spouse(s) |
Catherine Blaton
(m. 1970; div. 1980)
Khadja Nin
(m. 2006) |
| Children | 5, including Vanina |
| Relatives | Pascal Ickx (brother) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Belgian |
| Active years | 1966–1979 |
| Teams | Tyrrell, Cooper, Ferrari, Brabham, McLaren, Frank Williams, Lotus, Wolf–Williams, Ensign, Ligier |
| Entries | 122 (116 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Podiums | 25 |
| Career points | 181 |
| Pole positions | 13 |
| Fastest laps | 14 |
| First entry | 1966 German Grand Prix |
| First win | 1968 French Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1972 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1979 United States Grand Prix |
| World Sportscar Championship career | |
| Years active | 1966–1979, 1982–1985 |
| Teams | Francorchamps, Ford, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Ligier, BMW, Kauhsen, Gulf, Martini, Porsche |
| Starts | 124 |
| Championships | 2 (1982, 1983) |
| Wins | 39 |
| Podiums | 71 |
| Poles | 23 |
| Fastest laps | 22 |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1966–1967, 1969–1970, 1973, 1975–1983, 1985 |
| Teams | Ford, Ferrari, Gulf, Porsche, Martini |
| Best finish | 1st (1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982) |
| Class wins | 6 (1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1981, 1982) |
Jacky Ickx (born January 1, 1945) is a famous Belgian racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 1966 to 1979. Jacky finished second in the Formula One championship twice. He won eight Formula One races during his 14 seasons. In endurance racing, Ickx won two World Endurance Championships with Porsche. He is also a six-time winner of the challenging 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He won the 12 Hours of Sebring twice. In rallying, Ickx won the tough Paris–Dakar Rally in 1983 with Mercedes.
Contents
Early Life and First Races
Jacky Ickx was born in Brussels, Belgium. His father was a motoring journalist. This meant Jacky grew up around motorsports. However, he only became truly interested when his father bought him a small 50 cc motorcycle.
Jacky started racing motorcycles. He competed in both motorcycle road racing and motorcycle trials. He won several national and European titles in trials. This showed his amazing talent early on.
In the mid-1960s, Jacky switched to touring car racing. He quickly won national championships. In 1966, he won the 24 Hours of Spa race. This success caught the eye of important people in racing.
Formula One Adventures
Jacky Ickx made his Formula One debut in 1966. He drove a Formula Two car in the 1966 German Grand Prix. Sadly, he was involved in a crash on the first lap. The other driver, John Taylor, later passed away from his injuries.
In 1967, Jacky returned to the German Grand Prix. He qualified third, even though he was in a less powerful Formula Two car. This was a huge achievement! He later joined the Cooper team for Formula One races. He scored his first championship point at the 1967 Italian Grand Prix.
Joining Ferrari and Brabham
In 1968, Jacky joined the famous Ferrari team. He won his first Formula One race in France. This happened in heavy rain, showing his skill in tough conditions. He finished fourth in the championship that year.
For 1969, Jacky moved to the Brabham team. He won races in Germany and Canada. He finished second in the championship, right behind the legendary Jackie Stewart.
Back to Ferrari
Jacky returned to Ferrari for the 1970 season. He had a tough start, even getting severe burns in a crash. But he recovered quickly. He won races in Austria, Canada, and Mexico. He finished second in the championship again. The champion, Jochen Rindt, sadly passed away during the season. Jacky later said he was glad he didn't win the championship that year. He felt it wouldn't have been right to win against someone who couldn't fight back.
In 1971 and 1972, Jacky continued to race for Ferrari. He won the 1971 Dutch Grand Prix in the rain. He also won the 1972 German Grand Prix at his favorite track, the Nürburgring. This was his last Formula One win. He loved the Nürburgring because it was so challenging. He believed it was a track where a great driver could beat a faster car.
By 1973, Ferrari's Formula One car was not as competitive. Jacky left the team partway through the season. He drove for McLaren and Williams for a few races.
Time with Lotus and Later Years
In 1974, Jacky joined Lotus. This was a difficult time for him. The Lotus cars were not performing well. He did show his "Rain Master" skills by winning a non-championship race in the rain.
By 1975, things were still tough for Lotus. Jacky left the team again. He raced only a few times in Formula One after that. He drove for teams like Wolf–Williams and Ensign. In 1979, he joined Ligier for his final races. He found the new "ground effect" cars difficult to drive. Jacky retired from Formula One at the end of 1979. He had eight wins, 13 pole positions, and 25 podium finishes.
Endurance Racing Success
Jacky Ickx was incredibly successful in endurance racing. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times! This was a record that stood for many years. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring twice. In 1972, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona with Mario Andretti. This made him one of only a few drivers to achieve the "Triple Crown of endurance racing."
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His first Le Mans win was in 1969. He drove a Ford GT40. Before the race, he protested the traditional "Le Mans start." This start involved drivers running across the track to their cars. Jacky thought it was too dangerous. He walked slowly to his car, carefully buckling his seatbelt. Sadly, another driver crashed on the first lap because he hadn't buckled up. After this, the rules changed. From 1970, drivers could start the race already sitting in their cars with their belts on.
Jacky became known as "Monsieur Le Mans" because of his many victories. Three of his wins were with his famous teammate, Derek Bell.
From 1976, he became a factory driver for Porsche. He drove their powerful turbocharged cars. He won Le Mans three more times with Porsche. He also won two World Endurance Championships in 1982 and 1983.
In 1984, Jacky was a race director at the Monaco Grand Prix. He stopped the race early due to heavy rain. This decision was controversial but showed his focus on safety.
Jacky retired from professional circuit racing in 1985. This was after a tragic accident at the Spa track. His teammate, Stefan Bellof, passed away in a crash.
Other Racing Adventures
Jacky Ickx also had success in other types of racing. In 1977, he won the Bathurst 1000 race in Australia. He drove a Ford XC Falcon. He had never driven this type of car before, but he quickly became as fast as the regular drivers!
In 1979, he won the Can-Am series, a championship for powerful sports cars. He also competed in the famous Dakar Rally 14 times between 1981 and 2000. He won the rally in 1983.
Awards and Recognition
Jacky Ickx has received many awards for his amazing career.
- He was named the Belgian driver's champion many times.
- He received the Belgian National Sports Merit Award in 1968.
- He was named Belgian Sportsman of the Year in 1982.
- In 2002, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
- In 2004, he received the "Spirit of Le Mans" trophy.
- In 2019, Porsche made a special edition car, the 911 Carrera 4S Belgian Legend Edition, to celebrate his 75th birthday.
- He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2020.
Personal Life
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Jacky Ickx is married to the singer Khadja Nin. He has five children, including his daughter Vanina Ickx, who also became a racing driver. His father and older brother were also racing drivers.
Jacky Ickx lives in Monaco. He still attends historic racing events and sometimes acts as the Clerk of the Course for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Images for kids
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Ickx in his Ferrari at the 1971 Dutch Grand Prix
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Ickx in 1975 at Spa
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Ickx's Rothmans Porsche 956
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Ford XC Falcon Hardtop Group C race car - Moffat/Ickx 1977 Hardie Ferodo 1000 race winning car
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Ickx on a 1971 Stamp of Ajman
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See also
In Spanish: Jacky Ickx para niños
