Jo Schlesser facts for kids
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| Born | 18 May 1928 Liouville, Meuse, France |
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| Died | 7 July 1968 (aged 40) Rouen-Les-Essarts, Seine-Maritime, France |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  French |
| Active years | 1966–1968 |
| Teams | Matra, Honda |
| Entries | 3 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1966 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1968 French Grand Prix |
Joseph "Jo" Schlesser (born May 18, 1928 – died July 7, 1968) was a French racing driver. He competed in exciting sports car races and also in Formula One, which is the highest class of single-seater auto racing. He took part in three Formula One World Championship races. Sadly, he passed away during the 1968 French Grand Prix. Jo was the uncle of Jean-Louis Schlesser, who also became a Formula One driver later on.
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Early Racing Days
Jo Schlesser started his racing journey in 1952. He first competed in a type of race called a rally, driving a Panhard car. In 1954, he tried Monomill racing, which was popular in France. His career paused for three years while he worked in Mozambique.
He returned to racing in 1957. He finished second in the Rome–Liège–Rome Rally, driving a Mercedes. He then raced a Ferrari 250 GT. In 1960, he did well, finishing second in his class at the Nürburgring 1000 km race. He also came in second overall at Rouen. Jo also raced in Formula Two in 1960, getting a sixth place in Syracuse. In 1961, an accident at Le Mans cut his season short. He came back in 1962 with a Formula Junior Brabham car.
In 1964, Schlesser moved to a new type of Formula Two racing. He became a respected driver in European Formula Two. In 1966, he joined the factory Matra Formula Two team. He continued with them as Ford France in 1967. In 1968, he teamed up with his good friend Guy Ligier to race McLaren cars. Jo Schlesser also raced in NASCAR in the United States. He finished 13th in the 1964 Daytona 500 race.
Formula One Challenges
Jo Schlesser got a chance to race in Formula One in 1966. He drove a Formula Two (F2) Matra MS5-BRM car at the 1966 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. He finished 10th overall and third among the Formula Two cars. In 1967, he raced there again with an F2 Matra MS5-Cosworth car. Unfortunately, he had to stop early due to a problem with his car's clutch.
Formula One and a Tragic Day
A big opportunity came for Schlesser in 1968 with the Honda team. Honda had built a new, experimental car called the RA302. This car had an air-cooled engine, which was unusual for Formula One. Honda's main driver, John Surtees, tested the car. He felt it wasn't safe enough to race.
However, with financial help from Honda France, Honda decided to enter the car in the 1968 French Grand Prix at Rouen. Since Jo Schlesser was a local hero, he was chosen to drive it. Sadly, after just two laps, the car went off the track at a corner called Six Frères. It crashed into a bank and immediately caught fire. Jo Schlesser was unable to escape. After this sad event, Honda decided to leave Formula One at the end of the 1968 season.
Jo Schlesser's Legacy
Guy Ligier, who was a close friend and racing partner of Jo Schlesser, started his own car company, Ligier Cars. He did this to honor a dream they both shared: to build a "good car." As a tribute to Jo, all Ligier cars would have model names starting with "JS." This tradition continues even today with the company's current owners.
Jo's nephew, Jean-Louis Schlesser, also became a very successful racing driver. He competed in one Formula One Grand Prix. He also won the World Sportscar Championship and the tough Paris–Dakar Rally twice.
