Jacques Laffite facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jacques Laffite
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Laffite in 2015
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| Born |
Jacques-Henri Laffite
21 November 1943 Paris, Nazi-occupied France
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| Spouse(s) |
Bernadette Cottin
(m. 1977–1992)Florence Gericot
(m. 1993) |
| Children | 2, including Margot |
| Relatives |
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| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  French |
| Active years | 1974–1986 |
| Teams | Frank Williams, Ligier, Williams |
| Entries | 180 (176 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 6 |
| Podiums | 32 |
| Career points | 228 |
| Pole positions | 7 |
| Fastest laps | 7 |
| First entry | 1974 German Grand Prix |
| First win | 1977 Swedish Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1981 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1986 British Grand Prix |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
| Years | 1972–1974, 1977–1978, 1990, 1993–1994, 1996 |
| Teams | Ligier, Renault, Mirage, Porsche, Venturi, Larbre, McLaren |
| Best finish | 8th (1974) |
| Class wins | 0 |
Jacques-Henri Laffite (born November 21, 1943) is a famous French former racing driver. He also worked as a sports broadcaster. Jacques Laffite competed in Formula One, the highest class of auto racing, for 13 seasons. He won six Formula One Grands Prix during his career.
Laffite was born and grew up in Paris, France. In 1968, he trained to become a racing driver. He raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice with the Ligier team. Then, he made his Formula One debut in 1974 with Frank Williams.
He stayed with Frank Williams through the 1975 season. During this time, he earned his first podium finish. A podium is when a driver finishes in the top three. He also won the European Formula Two Championship with Martini. In 1976, he joined Ligier, where he got several podiums and his first pole position. A pole position means starting the race from the very front.
In 1977, he achieved his first Formula One win at the 1977 Swedish Grand Prix. After a season without wins in 1978, Ligier built a very competitive car called the Ligier JS11. Laffite won the first two races of the 1979 season. This included a "grand slam" at the 1979 Brazilian Grand Prix. A grand slam means winning from pole position, leading every lap, and setting the fastest lap. He finished fourth in the championship that year.
Laffite also finished fourth in the 1980 and 1981 championships. He won several races in those years. In 1982, he had a tough season with many retirements. He then moved to Williams at the end of the year. After two seasons without wins at Williams, he returned to Ligier in 1985. He earned several more podium finishes.
At the 1986 British Grand Prix, Laffite was seriously injured in a crash. He broke both of his legs. This injury led him to retire from Formula One. He ended his career with six wins, seven pole positions, seven fastest laps, and 32 podiums. He was the most successful driver in Ligier's history. New safety rules were put in place after his accident. These rules made sure drivers' feet were behind the front axle line.
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Jacques Laffite's Early Life
Jacques-Henri Laffite was born in Paris, France, on November 21, 1943. He went to a private school called Cours Hattemer. In 1968, he began his training as a racing driver. He learned at the Winfield Racing School in France.
Formula One Racing Career
Laffite started his Formula One career in 1974. He raced for Frank Williams' team, which was called Iso–Marlboro. The next year, he raced for the same team, now just called Williams. He achieved a second-place finish at the 1975 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring track.
In 1976, Laffite joined the French Ligier team. He scored 20 points and got a pole position at the 1976 Italian Grand Prix. The next two seasons were a bit challenging. However, he still managed to win his first Grand Prix race. This win happened at Anderstorp in the 1977 Swedish Grand Prix.
The 1979 season started very well for Laffite. He won the first two races of the year. He was even competing for the World Championship title until the final races. In the end, he finished fourth overall with 36 points. The following two seasons were similar. He finished fourth in the Championship twice more and won three additional races. But in 1982, Laffite finished only 17th. He scored just 5 points that year.
In the early 1980s, Laffite also raced in the non-championship Australian Grand Prix. He finished second in 1982 behind Alain Prost. In 1983, he came in third.
Laffite returned to Ligier in 1985. He was in his forties by then. In that season, he reached the podium three times. These were at the 1985 British Grand Prix, 1985 German Grand Prix, and 1985 Australian Grand Prix. He scored a total of 16 points. In 1986, he earned 14 points. This included two more podium finishes in the first half of the season.
As mentioned, he broke both legs in a crash at the start of the 1986 British Grand Prix. This accident happened at Brands Hatch. He then retired from Formula One. He had started 176 Grand Prix races. This tied him with Graham Hill for the most starts at that time. Laffite achieved six of Ligier's nine wins, making him their most successful driver.
Life After Formula One
After recovering from his injuries, Laffite continued racing. He competed in touring cars. In 1987, he finished 17th in the first World Touring Car Championship. He drove an Alfa Romeo 75 for Alfa Corse. He also raced for three seasons in the German DTM series.
Laffite later became a television commentator for the French network TF1. He worked there from 1997 to 2012. He is known for his strong reactions during races.
In October 2008, when he was 64 years old, he tested a Renault R27 Formula One car. This test took place at the Paul Ricard track.
Jacques Laffite has two daughters, Camille and Margot. Margot is also a sports journalist who covers Formula One. Laffite loves golf and is a part-owner of the Dijon-Bourgogne Golf course. He also owns property in Creuse, France, near Aubusson. He enjoys fishing and nature there.
Other Racing Achievements
- 800 km of Dijon: 1st place, 1975
- 1000 km of Monza: 1st place, 1975
- 1000 km of Nürburgring: 1st place, 1975
- 500 km of Monza: 1st place (class win), 1988
- 500 km of Nürburgring: 1st place (class win), 1988
- 3 hours of Zhuhai: 1st place, 1994
Images for kids
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Laffite's 1979 Ligier JS11 car at the 2008 Goodwood Festival of Speed
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Laffite driving the Ligier JS19 car at the 1982 Pau Grand Prix
See also
In Spanish: Jacques Laffite para niños
