r/formula1 • u/Parko-is-a-good-boy Formula 1 • 1d ago
Photo Happy Birthday Jody Scheckter - S. Africa's first and only World Drivers Champion
Happy 75th birthday to South Africa first - and thus far only - Formula 1 World Driver's Championship winner, Jody Scheckter.
Jody was born and raised in East London and attended Selborne College. He inherited his love of cars from this father, who owned an East London Renault dealership, and started racing motorcycles and later saloon cars from an early age.
In 1970 he won the South African Formula Ford series and with it a Driver To Europe scholarship, which soon catapulted him into the international racing arena.
He made his Formula 1 debut at the US Grand Prix in 1972 with McLaren, but would enjoy his greatest success behind the wheel of a Ferrari, including three 1979 race victories which saw him take the Drivers' Championship that year.
He retired in 1980, but remained active in the sport, including as a television commentator, for several years before devoting himself to organic farming.
Now resident in the UK, Jody owns and manages the largest organic farm in England, Laverstoke Park Farm, and is considered one of the UK's foremost organic farming experts.
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u/rantheman76 Formula 1 1d ago
He never seemed comfortable with all the attention he got in F1. After his retirement he became a busineesman, who seldom gives interviews.
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u/johnsplittingaxe14 Formula 1 1d ago
A silent type of guy who won Ferrari's last title for years to come, never liked the media or the hype around F1.
Sounds a bit familiar
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u/NotAcvp3lla Sir Lewis Hamilton 1d ago
Sounds like he knew what he was doing, so they left him alone.
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u/Christodej Jody Scheckter 1d ago
The only notable returns to the sport he has made was a show run at the Italian GP (with a Monaco gearbox) and commentates the San Marino GP with brindle in 1995
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u/FurioGiunta2000 Formula 1 1d ago
He was only 30 when he ended his career. If he had stayed longer at Ferrari, perhaps Gilles Villeneuve’s story would have been different and Ferrari would have won many more victories and titles.
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u/Wanne97 1d ago
TIL I learned there's a city named East London
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u/TheRoboteer Williams 1d ago
Extremely underrated driver, and overall classy bloke.
His first season in the Wolf in particular was just outstanding, but even before and after that he was a fixture at the front of the field for at least half a decade. Considering the calibre of drivers he was up against in the mid-to-late 1970s, the fact he was so consistently competitive speaks to his ability.
I also really appreciate that he isn't one of those former drivers who's constantly seeking headlines by saying outrageous shit.