End of road for world race legend
FORMULA One great Jack Brabham, who claimed three world drivers’ titles and remains the only man to win the championship in a car he built himself, died yesterday, his family said.
The Australian, acclaimed as one of the sport’s most influential figures with the technological innovations brought about by the team he created helping shape Formula One, was also the first driver to be knighted for services to motorsport in 1979.
“It’s a very sad day for all of us. My father passed away peacefully at home at the age of 88 this morning,” son David Brabham said.
After serving in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War 2, he took up racing cars and went on to win drivers’ championships in 1959 and 1960 with the Cooper Racing Team and again in 1966 in his own Brabham car.
The motorsport world mourned his passing with fellow Australian Formula One champion Alan Jones hailing him as “inspirational”.
“I think he was inspirational for any young bloke that wanted to go across overseas and race cars,” said Jones, who won the world championship in 1980.
McLaren chief Ron Dennis worked first for Cooper and then Brabham in the ’60s.
“Even as a callow youth, I could recognise greatness when I saw it, and I’ll always regard it as an honour and a privilege to have worked for Sir Jack. I learnt a lot from him too.”
The Confederation of Australian Motorsport (Cams) revered the trailblazer known as “Black Jack” on its website.
“Always a man of few words – his nickname referred to his dark hair and his propensity for maintaining a shadowy silence. But behind the wheel he was anything but shy.”
In his final years, he battled failing eyesight and problems with his kidneys and liver.
He died at his home on Australia’s Gold Coast and is survived by his wife, Margaret, and sons Geoff, Gary and David. — AFP