The Australian Jack Brabham, three-time F1 world champion driver (in 1959 and 1960 for Cooper) and in 1966 for the team he founded, Brabham, was born exactly 98 years ago. Brabham died at the age of 88, of natural causes, on May 19, 2014. He was at his home in Gold Cost, in eastern Australia.
Born in Hurtsville on April 2, 1926, he fell in love with cars at age 15, when he started working in an auto repair shop. His debut in Formula 1 came late, at the age of 29, at the British GP in 1955, held at Aintree. He retired from the race on the 30th of the 90 laps, with an engine problem.
His first victory was at the 1959 Monaco GP with a Cooper-Climax, exactly the year he won his first world title in the main motorsport category.
From 1962, until 1965, with his own team, Brabham, he had difficult years, struggling in intermediate positions, without achieving any victory.
But in 1966, at the age of 40, he had another impeccable season, with four consecutive victories (France, England, Holland and Germany), reaching his third world title in Formula 1. He finished the championship with a wide advantage, totaling 42 points against 28 from John Surtees, the runner-up.
In his brilliant time in Formula 1, Jack Brabham participated in 126 GPs, with 14 victories, 13 pole positions and 12 fastest laps.
It was with the Brabham team (already under the command of Bernie Ecclestone, since 1972), that three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet won his first two championships: in 1981 and 1983, powered by Ford and BMW engines, respectively. Wilsinho Fittipaldi and José Carlos Pace also drove Brabham cars. Wilsinho in 1972 and 1973 and Pace between 1974 and 1977.
Jack Brabham was married to Lady Margaret, with whom he had three sons: Geoff, Gary and David, all of whom played in motorsport.
Geoff won an edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Gary competed in two Formula 1 races for the extinct Life team, but did not complete the races (US and Brazilian GPs), in addition to having competed in Cart/Indy in 1993 and 1994.
Among his children, David was the one who competed most in F1, participating in 24 GPs, for the Brabham and Simtek teams, but did not score any points.
Denny Hulme, inside his Brabham-Repco, talks to his teammate and team owner, Jack Brabham. They did the championship double, with Hulme champion and Jack runner-up. Photo: Disclosure
In 1967 and in 2010
In 16 years in Formula 1, Jack Brabham won 14 races and took 13 pole positions. Photo: Disclosure
There were few drivers who won three world titles in F1. Jack Brabham is one of them. Photo: Disclosure
At age 84, in 2010. Photo: Disclosure
Jack Brabham, with four consecutive victories (France, England, Holland and Germany) was the champion of the F1 season in 1966, 14 points ahead of Englishman John Surtees, from Ferrari. Photo: Disclosure
At Brands Hatch, at the 1970 British GP. Photo: Publicity
Jack Brabham with his Brabham-Repco V8 at the 1966 Dutch GP in Zandvoort, one of the four races won by the Australian that season. Photo: Disclosure
Jack Brabham’s great year in 1960, with five consecutive victories (Holland, Belgium, France, England and Portugal) and his second F1 title, with the efficient Cooper. Photo: Disclosure
It was not easy for Jack Brabham to win the first of his three world titles in Formula 1. In the last race, in Sebring, Florida, the Australian had to push his car for 500 meters to come in fourth place after being in the lead and winning the championship. four points ahead of Englishman Tony Brooks, with Ferrari. Photo: Disclosure
