Jack Brabham
Born | John Arthur Brabham 2 April 1926 Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia |
---|---|
Died | 19 May 2014 Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia | (aged 88)
Formula One World Championship career | |
Nationality | Australian |
Active years | 1955–1970 |
Teams | Cooper, Rob Walker Racing Team and Brabham |
Entries | 128 (126 starts) |
Championships | 3 (1959, 1960, 1966) |
Wins | 14 |
Podiums | 31 |
Career points | 253 (261)[note 1] |
Pole positions | 13 |
Fastest laps | 12 |
First entry | 1955 British Grand Prix |
First win | 1959 Monaco Grand Prix |
Last win | 1970 South African Grand Prix |
Last entry | 1970 Mexican Grand Prix |
Sir John Arthur Brabham
Brabham was a Royal Australian Air Force flight mechanic and ran a small engineering workshop before he started racing midget cars in 1948. His successes with midgets in Australian and New Zealand road racing events led to his going to Britain to further his racing career. There he became part of the Cooper Car Company's racing team, building as well as racing cars. He contributed to the design of the mid-engined cars that Cooper introduced to Formula One and the Indianapolis 500, and won the Formula One world championship in 1959 and 1960. In 1962 he established his own Brabham marque with fellow Australian Ron Tauranac, which in the 1960s became the largest manufacturer of custom racing cars in the world. In the 1966 Formula One season Brabham became the only man to win the Formula One world championship driving one of his own cars. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving World Champion of the 1950s.
Brabham retired to Australia after the 1970 Formula One season, where he bought a farm and maintained business interests, which included the Engine Developments racing engine manufacturer and several garages.[2]
Early life
John Arthur 'Jack' Brabham was born on 2 April 1926 in Hurstville, New South Wales, then a commuter town outside Sydney. Brabham was involved with cars and mechanics from an early age. At the age of 12, he learned to drive the family car and the trucks of his father's grocery business. Brabham attended technical college, studying metalwork, carpentry, and technical drawing.[3]
Brabham's early career continued the engineering theme. At the age of 15 he left school to work, combining a job at a local garage with an evening course in mechanical engineering. Brabham soon branched out into his own business selling motorbikes, which he bought and repaired for sale, using his parents' back veranda as his workshop.[4]
One month after his 18th birthday on 19 May 1944 Brabham enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Although he was keen on becoming a pilot, there was already a surplus of trained aircrew and the Air Force instead put his mechanical skills to use as a flight mechanic, of which there was a wartime shortage. He was based at RAAF Station Williamtown, where he maintained Bristol Beaufighters at No. 5 Operational Training Unit. On his 20th birthday, 2 April 1946, Brabham was discharged from the RAAF with the rank of leading aircraftman. He then started a small service, repair, and machining business in a workshop built by his uncle on a plot of land behind his grandfather's house.[5]
Racing career
Australia
Brabham started racing after an American friend, Johnny Schonberg, persuaded him to watch a midget car race. Midget racing was a category for small open-wheel cars racing on dirt ovals. It was popular in Australia, attracting crowds of up to 40,000. Brabham records that he was not taken with the idea of driving, being convinced that the drivers "were all lunatics" but he agreed to build a car with Schonberg.[5]
At first Schonberg drove the homemade device, powered by a modified
After successfully running the midget at some
Europe
Cooper
Upon arriving in Europe on his own in early 1955, Brabham based himself in the UK, where he bought another Cooper to race in national events. His crowd-pleasing driving style initially betrayed his dirt track origins: as he put it, he took corners "by using full [steering] lock and lots of throttle".
Brabham briefly and unsuccessfully campaigned his own second hand Formula One Maserati 250F during 1956, but his season was saved by drives for Cooper in sports cars and Formula Two, the junior category to Formula One.[17] At that time, almost all racing cars had their engines mounted at the front but Coopers were different, having the engine placed behind the driver, which improved their handling. In 1957, Brabham drove another mid-engined Cooper, again only fitted with a 2-litre engine, at the Monaco Grand Prix. He avoided a large crash at the first corner and was running third towards the end of the race when the fuel pump mount failed. After more than three hours of racing, the exhausted Brabham, who "hated to be beaten",[18] pushed the car to the line to finish sixth.[19] The following year, he was Autocar Formula Two champion in a Cooper, while continuing to score minor points-scoring positions with the small-engined Coopers in the World Drivers' Championship and driving for Aston Martin in Sportscars.[7] His schedule necessitated a considerable amount of travel on the roads of Europe. Brabham's driving on public roads was described as "safe as houses",[20] unlike many of his contemporaries—on the way back from the 1957 Pescara Grand Prix, passenger Tony Brooks took over driving after Brabham refused to overtake a long line of lorries. In late 1958, Brabham rekindled his interest in flying and began taking lessons. He bought his own plane and on gaining his licence began to make heavy use of it piloting himself, his family, and members of his team around Europe to races.[21]
In 1959, Cooper obtained 2.5-litre engines for the first time and Brabham put the extra power to good use by winning his first world championship race at the season-opening Monaco Grand Prix after Jean Behra's Ferrari and Stirling Moss's Cooper failed.[22] More podium places were followed by a win in the British Grand Prix at Aintree after Brabham preserved his tyres to the end of the race, enabling him to finish ahead of Moss who had to pit to replace worn tyres.[23] This gave him a 13-point championship lead with four races to go. At the Portuguese Grand Prix at Monsanto Park, Brabham was chasing race leader Moss when a backmarker moved over on him and launched the Cooper into the air. The airborne car hit a telegraph pole, throwing Brabham onto the track, where he narrowly avoided being hit by one of his teammates but escaped with no serious injury.[24] With two wins each, Brabham, Moss, and Ferrari's Tony Brooks were all capable of winning the championship at the final event of the season, the United States Grand Prix at Sebring. Brabham was among those up until 1 am the morning before the race working on the Cooper team cars. The next day, after pacing himself behind Moss, who soon retired with a broken gearbox, he led almost to the end of the race before running out of fuel on the last lap. He again pushed the car to the finish line to place fourth, although in the event this was unnecessary as his other title rival, Brooks, finished only third.[25] His championship-winning margin over Brooks was four points. According to Gerald Donaldson, "some thought [his title] owed more to stealth than skill, an opinion at least partly based on Brabham's low-key presence."[10]
Despite his success with Cooper, Brabham was sure he could do better. He considered buying Cooper in partnership with Roy Salvadori and then in late 1959 he asked his friend Ron Tauranac to come to the UK and work with him, producing upgrade kits for Sunbeam Rapier and Triumph Herald road cars at his car dealership, Jack Brabham Motors, but with the long-term aim of designing racing cars.[26] Brabham continued to drive for Cooper, but on the long flight back from the 1960 season-opening Argentine Grand Prix, he had a heart-to-heart with John Cooper. John's father Charlie and the designer Owen Maddock had been reluctant to update their car, but although a Cooper had won in Argentina, other cars had been faster before they broke down.[27] Brabham helped design the more advanced Cooper T53, including advice from Tauranac.[28] Brabham spun the new car out of the next championship race, the Monaco Grand Prix, but then embarked on a series of five straight victories. He won from the front at the Dutch, French, and Belgian Grands Prix, where title rival Moss was badly injured in a practice accident that put him out for two months. Two other drivers were killed during the race. At the British Grand Prix, Brabham was closing on Graham Hill's BRM before Hill spun off, leaving Brabham the victory. He then came back from eighth place to second at the Portuguese Grand Prix after sliding off on tramlines and won after race leader John Surtees crashed. Brabham's points total was put out of reach when the British teams withdrew from the Italian GP on safety grounds.[29] Mike Lawrence writes that Brabham's expertise in setting up the cars was a significant factor in Cooper's 1960 drivers' and constructors' titles.[30]
Coventry Climax were late in producing the smaller 1.5-litre engine required for the
The same year, Brabham entered the famous Indianapolis 500 oval race for the first time in a modified version of the Formula One Cooper. It had a 2.7-litre Climax engine producing 268 bhp (200 kW; 272 PS) compared to the 4.4-litre, 430 bhp (321 kW; 436 PS) Offenhauser engines used by the front-engined roadsters driven by all the other entrants. Jack qualified a respectable 17th at 145.144 mp/h (pole winner Eddie Sachs qualified at 147.481 mp/h), and while the front-engined roadsters were much faster on the long front and back straights, the rear-engined Cooper's superior handling through the turns and the shorter north and south sections kept the reigning World Champion competitive. Brabham ran as high as third before finishing ninth, completing all 200 laps. Although most of the doubters in the American Indycar scene claimed that rear-engine cars were for drivers who like to be pushed around, as Brabham put it, it "triggered the rear-engined revolution at Indy" and within five years most of the cars that raced at Indianapolis would be rear-engined.[32]
Brabham
Brabham and Tauranac set up a company called Motor Racing Developments (MRD), which produced customer racing cars, while Brabham himself continued to race for Cooper. MRD produced cars for Formula Junior, with the first one appearing in mid-1961. Brabham left Cooper in 1962 to drive for his own team: the Brabham Racing Organisation, using cars built by Motor Racing Developments.[33][note 3] A newly introduced engine limit in Formula One of 1500 cc did not suit Brabham and he did not win a single race with a 1500 cc car.[34] His team suffered poor reliability during this period and motorsport authors Mike Lawrence and David Hodges have said that Brabham's reluctance to spend money may have cost the team results, a view echoed by Tauranac.[note 4] During the 1965 season, Brabham started to consider retirement to manage his team. Dan Gurney took the lead driver role, and the team's first world championship win, while Brabham gave up his car to several other drivers towards the end of the season. At the end of the season, Gurney announced his intention to leave and set up his own team and Brabham decided to carry on.[35]
In 1966, a new 3-litre formula was created for Formula One. The new engines under development by other suppliers all had at least 12 cylinders and proved difficult to develop, being heavy and unreliable. Brabham took a different approach to the problem of obtaining a suitable engine: he persuaded Australian engineering company Repco to develop a new 3-litre eight-cylinder engine for him.[36] Repco had no experience in designing complete engines. Brabham had identified a supply of suitable engine blocks obtained from Oldsmobile's aluminium alloy 215 engine and persuaded the company that an engine could be designed around the block, largely using existing components. Brabham and Repco were aware that the engine would not compete in terms of outright power, but felt that a lightweight, reliable engine could achieve good championship results while other teams were still making their new designs reliable.
The combination of the Repco engine and the Brabham BT19 chassis designed by Tauranac worked. At the French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux, Jack Brabham took his first Formula One world championship win since 1960 and became the first man to win such a race in a car of his own construction. Only his two former teammates, Bruce McLaren and Dan Gurney, have since matched this achievement. It was the first in a run of four straight wins for the Australian veteran. The 40-year-old Brabham was annoyed by press stories about his age and, in a highly uncharacteristic stunt, at the Dutch Grand Prix he hobbled to his car on the starting grid before the race wearing a long false beard and leaning on a cane before going on to win the race.[37] Brabham confirmed his third championship at the Italian Grand Prix and became the only driver to win the Formula One World Championship in a car that carried his own name.
The season also saw the fruition of Brabham's relationship with Japanese engine manufacturer Honda in Formula Two. After a generally unsuccessful season in 1965, Honda revised their 1-litre engine completely. Brabham won ten of the year's 16 European Formula Two races in his Brabham-Honda. There was no European Formula Two championship that year, but Brabham won the Trophées de France, a championship consisting of six of the French Formula Two races.[38]
In 1967, the Formula One title went to Brabham's teammate Denny Hulme. Hulme had better reliability through the year, possibly due to Brabham's desire to try new parts first.[39]
Despite taking pole position in the first two rounds, mechanical problems halted his chances of victory. He spun numerous times in
Brabham raced alongside his teammate Jochen Rindt during the 1968 season. It wasn't a good season for him. He retired from the first seven races, before scoring two points for fifth place at the German Grand Prix. He retired from the remaining four races. At the end of the year, he fulfilled a desire to fly from Britain to Australia in a small twin-engined Beechcraft Queen Air.[21] Partway through the 1969 season, Brabham suffered serious injuries to his foot in a testing accident. He returned to racing before the end of the year, but promised his wife that he would retire after the season finished and sold his share of the team to Tauranac.
"I felt very sad, [...] I didn't feel I was giving up racing because I couldn't do the job. I felt I was just as competitive then as at any other time, and I really should have won the championship in 1970. [...] I'd have been a lot better off if I'd stayed, but sometimes family pressures don't allow you to make the decisions you'd like to."
The World according to Jack, Motor Sport (May 1999) p.36
Finding no top drivers available despite coming close to bringing Rindt back to the team, Brabham decided to race for one more year. He began auspiciously, winning the first race of the season, the South African Grand Prix, and then led the third race, the Monaco Grand Prix until the very last turn of the last lap. Brabham was about to hold off the onrushing Rindt (the eventual 1970 F1 champion) when his front wheels locked in a skid on the sharp right turn only yards from the finish and he ended up second. While leading at the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, he ran out of fuel at Clearways and Rindt passed him to take the win while Brabham coasted to the finish in second place. After the 13th and final race of the season, the Mexican Grand Prix, Brabham did retire. He had tied Jackie Stewart for fifth in the points standings in the season he drove at the age of 44. Brabham also drove for the works Matra team during the 1970 World Sportscar Championship season and won the final race of the season and his final top level race at the Paris 1000 km in October that year.[40] He then made a complete break from racing and returned to Australia, to the relief of his wife who had been "scared stiff" each time he drove.[41]
Retirement
Following his retirement, Brabham and his family moved to a farm between Sydney and Melbourne. Brabham says that he "never really wanted" Brabham was also a shareholder in Jack Brabham Engines Pty Ltd., an Australian company marketing Jack Brabham memorabilia.
The Brabham team continued in Formula One, winning two further Drivers' Championships in the early 1980s under
Despite his three titles, and although John Cooper considered him "the greatest",[note 5] Formula One journalist Adam Cooper wrote in 1999 that Brabham is never listed among the Top 10 of all time, noting that "Stirling Moss and Jim Clark dominated the headlines when Jack was racing, and they still do".[47] Brabham was the first post-war racing driver to be knighted when he received the honour in 1978 for services to motorsport.[48] He has received several other honours and in 2011, the suburb of Brabham in Perth, Western Australia, was named after him.[49] A race circuit and an automotive training school were also named after him in the early 2010s.[50]
In retirement, Brabham continued to be involved in motorsport events, appearing at contemporary and historic motorsport events around the world where he often drove his former Cooper and Brabham cars until the early 2000s. In 1999, after competing at the Goodwood Revival at the age of 73 he commented that driving stopped him getting old.[47] Despite a large accident at the 2000 Revival, the first racing accident to put him in hospital overnight, he continued to drive until at least 2004.[42] By the late 2000s, ill-health was preventing him from driving in competition. In addition to the deafness caused by years of motor racing without adequate ear protection, his eyesight was reduced due to macular degeneration and he had kidney disease for which by 2009 he was receiving dialysis three times a week. Nonetheless, that year he attended a celebration of the 50th anniversary of his first world championship at the Phillip Island Classic festival of motorsport,[51] and in 2010 flew to Bahrain with most of the other Formula One world Drivers' Champions for a celebration of 60 years of the Formula One world championship. Brabham was the oldest surviving F1 champion.[52]
Brabham and Betty had three sons together:
Death
Brabham made his last public appearance on 18 May 2014, appearing with one of the cars he built.[58] He died at his home on the Gold Coast on 19 May 2014, aged 88, following a lengthy battle with liver[59] disease. He was eating breakfast with his wife, Margaret, when he died.[60] In a statement on the family's website, Brabham's son David confirmed his father's death.[58]
"It's a very sad day for all of us", David Brabham stated. "My father passed away peacefully at home at the age of 88 this morning. He lived an incredible life, achieving more than anyone would ever dream of and he will continue to live on through the astounding legacy he leaves behind."[58]
Brabham was the last surviving world champion from the 1950s era.
At his request, his ashes were scattered at the Tamborine Mountain Skywalk in Queensland Australia by his wife Margaret, Lady Brabham on 4 September 2014. Brabham was a frequent visitor to the Skywalk.
Honours and awards
- Australian of the Year (1966)[62]
- Knight Bachelor (for distinguished service to the sport of motor racing, 1979)[63][48]
- Inductee, Sport Australia Hall of Fame (1985, elevated to Legend status in 2003)[64]
- Australian Sports Medal (2000)[65]
- Centenary Medal (2001)[66]
- Inductee, Australian Speedway Hall of Fame (2011)
- Named a National Living Treasure (2012)[68]
Racing record
Career summary
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
- * Indicates shared drive with Mike MacDowel
- † Indicates Formula 2car
Formula One non-championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1955 | J. A. Brabham | Cooper T24 | Straight-4
|
BUE | VLN | PAU | GLV Ret |
BOR | INT 7 |
NAP | ALB | CUR | CRN | |||||||||||
T40
|
Straight-6
|
RDX 4 |
TLG | OUL | AVO | SYR | ||||||||||||||||||
Cooper Car Company | LON DNS |
REC 4 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
1956 | J. A. Brabham | Maserati 250F | Straight-6
|
BUE | GLV DNA |
SYR | AIN 3 |
INT DSQ |
NAP | 100 DNA |
VNW 3 |
CAE | BRH | |||||||||||
1957 | Rob Walker Racing Team | T41 (F2)
|
Straight-4
|
BUE | SYR NC |
PAU | ||||||||||||||||||
Cooper T43 | MOR DSQ |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Cooper Car Company | GLV 4 |
NAP | RMS NC |
CAE Ret |
INT Ret |
MOD | ||||||||||||||||||
1958 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper T45 | Straight-4
|
BUE | GLV 2 |
SYR | AIN 2 |
INT 5 |
CAE | |||||||||||||||
1959 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper T51 | Straight-4
|
GLV 2 |
AIN Ret |
INT 1 |
OUL 2 |
SIL 2 |
||||||||||||||||
1960 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper T51 | Straight-4
|
BUE Ret |
GLV | |||||||||||||||||||
Cooper T53 | INT 2 |
SIL 1 |
LOM | OUL 2 |
||||||||||||||||||||
1961 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper T53 | Straight-4
|
LOM 1 |
GLV | PAU Ret |
BRX 1 |
VIE | SIL Ret |
SOL 5 |
KAN Ret |
DAN Ret |
MOD 5 |
FLG 2 |
||||||||||
Cooper T55 | AIN 1 |
SYR 4 |
NAP | LON | OUL 2 |
LEW | VAL | RAN | NAT | RSA | ||||||||||||||
1962 | Brabham Racing Organisation
|
Lotus 21 | Climax V8 | CAP | BRX | LOM DNA |
LAV | GLV | PAU Ret |
AIN Ret |
||||||||||||||
Lotus 24 | INT 6 |
NAP | MAL 2 |
CLP | RMS 4 |
SOL | KAN | MED | DAN 1 |
|||||||||||||||
Brabham BT3 | OUL 3 |
MEX 2 |
RAN | NAT | ||||||||||||||||||||
1963 | Brabham Racing Organisation
|
Brabham BT3 | Climax V8 | LOM | GLV 6 |
PAU | IMO | SYR | AIN DNS |
INT 7 |
ROM | SOL 1 |
AUT 1 |
|||||||||||
Brabham BT7 | KAN 3 |
MED 12 |
OUL 4 |
RAN | ||||||||||||||||||||
1964 | Brabham Racing Organisation
|
Brabham BT7 | Climax V8 | DMT Ret |
NWT Ret |
SYR | AIN 1 |
INT 1 |
SOL Ret |
MED | RAN | |||||||||||||
1965 | Brabham Racing Organisation
|
Brabham BT11 | Climax V8 | ROC Ret |
SYR | SMT 3 |
INT Ret |
MED 6 |
||||||||||||||||
Scuderia Scribante | RAN 1 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
1966 | Brabham Racing Organisation
|
Brabham BT19 | Repco V8 | RSA Ret |
SYR Ret |
INT 1 |
OUL 1 |
|||||||||||||||||
1967 | Brabham Racing Organisation
|
Brabham BT20 | Repco V8 | ROC 7 |
SPC 1 |
INT 2 |
SYR | |||||||||||||||||
Brabham BT24 | OUL 1 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Brabham BT19 | ESP 3 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
1968 | Brabham Racing Organisation
|
Brabham BT26 | Repco V8 | ROC | INT | OUL Ret |
||||||||||||||||||
1969 | Brabham Racing Organisation
|
Brabham BT26A | Cosworth V8 | ROC Ret |
INT 1 |
MAD | OUL | |||||||||||||||||
1970 | Brabham Racing Organisation
|
BT33
|
Cosworth V8 | ROC 4 |
INT Ret |
OUL |
Complete Tasman Series results
Year | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rank | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1964 | Brabham BT7A
|
LEV | PUK Ret |
WIG 2 |
TER | SAN 1 |
WAR 1 |
LAK 1 |
LON Ret |
2nd | 33 |
1965 | Brabham BT11A
|
PUK | LEV | WIG | TER | WAR 2 |
SAN 1 |
LON 2 |
3rd | 21 | |
1966 | Brabham BT19 | PUK | LEV | WIG | TER | WAR | LAK | SAN Ret |
LON 3 |
10th | 4 |
1967 | Brabham BT23A | PUK Ret |
WIG 13 |
LAK 2 |
WAR 4 |
SAN NC |
LON 1 |
3rd | 18 | ||
1968 | Brabham BT21E | PUK | LEV | WIG | TER | SUR | WAR 7 |
SAN Ret |
LON | NC | 0 |
1969 | Brabham BT31B | PUK | LEV | WIG | TER | LAK | WAR | SAN 3 |
8th | 4 |
Complete World Sportscar Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | DC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957 | Cooper Cars
|
Cooper T39 | BUE
|
SEB | TAR | NUR | LMS 15 |
SWE | VEN | NC | 0 | |||||||
1958 | David Brown, Aston Martin Ltd. | Aston Martin DBR1/300 | BUE
|
SEB | TAR | NUR | LMS Ret |
RAC 2 |
NC | 0 | ||||||||
1959 | John Coombs Racing Organisation | Cooper-Climax Monaco T49
|
SEB | TAR | NUR | LMS | RAC Ret |
NC | 0 | |||||||||
1967 | Sidney Taylor | Lola T70 Chevrolet | DAY | SEB | MNZ
|
SPA | TAR | NUR | LMS | HOC | MUG | BRA Ret |
PER | ZEL | VIL | NUR | NC | 0 |
1968 | Alan Mann Racing Limited | Ford F3L | DAY | SEB | BRA DNS |
MNZ
|
TAR | NUR | SPA | WAT | ZEL | LMS | NC | 0 | ||||
1969 | Alan Mann Racing Ltd. | Ford F3L | DAY | SEB | BRA DNS |
MNZ
|
TAR | SPA | NUR | LMS | WAT | ZEL | NC | 0 | ||||
1970 | Matra Sports / Equipe Matra-Elf | Matra MS650 | DAY 10 |
SEB | BRA 12 |
MNZ 5 |
TAR | SPA | NUR | LMS Ret |
WAT | ZEL | NC | 0 | ||||
1984
|
GTi Engineering
|
Porsche 956B | MNZ
|
SIL
|
LMS | NUR | BRA | MOS
|
SPA | IMO
|
FJI | KYL | SAN NC |
NC | 0 |
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957 | Cooper Cars
|
Ian Raby | Cooper T39 | S 1.1 |
254 | 15th | 3rd |
1958 | David Brown Racing Dept. | Stirling Moss | Aston Martin DBR1/300 | S3.0 | 30 | DNF (Con rod) | |
1970 | Equipe Matra -Simca
|
François Cevert | Matra-Simca MS650
|
P 3.0 |
76 | DNF |
Indianapolis 500 results
|
|
Complete British Saloon Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)
Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Pos. | Pts | Class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963
|
Alan Brown Racing Ltd | Ford Galaxie | D | SNE
|
OUL | GOO | AIN | SIL | CRY | SIL | BRH | BRH | OUL | SIL 1 |
22nd | 9 | 6th |
1964
|
Alan Brown Racing Ltd | Ford Galaxie | D | SNE 1 |
GOO DNS |
OUL | AIN | SIL | CRY | BRH | OUL 3 |
12th | 14 | 5th | |||
1965
|
Alan Brown Racing Ltd | Ford Mustang | D | BRH | OUL | SNE
|
GOO | SIL | CRY 6† |
BRH 1 |
OUL DSQ |
15th | 12 | 4th | |||
1966 | Alan Brown Racing Ltd | Ford Mustang | D | SNE 1 |
GOO 2 |
SIL DNS |
CRY 2† |
BRH | BRH | OUL | BRH | 12th | 20 | 4th | |||
1980
|
SRG | Renault 5 Gordini
|
B | MAL | OUL | THR | SIL | SIL | BRH 18 |
MAL | BRH | THR | SIL | 37th | 2 | 12th |
† Events with 2 races staged for the different classes.
Complete Bathurst 1000 results
Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | Esmonds Motors | Stirling Moss | Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 | 3001cc – 6000cc | 37 | DNF | |
1977 | John Goss Racing Pty Limited | Geoff Brabham | Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop
|
3001cc – 6000cc | 141 | 18th | 9th |
1978 | Jack Brabham Holdings Pty Ltd | Brian Muir | Holden LX Torana SS A9X 4 Door | A | 153 | 6th | 6th |
Notes
- ^ Up until 1990, not all points scored by a driver contributed to their final World Championship tally (see list of points scoring systems for more information). Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
- ^ Formula One rules did not at that time prevent the use of cars with enclosed wheels.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp. 14, 145–9 Brabham's and Tauranac's (Lawrence 1999 p. 32) accounts differ on whether the BRO was formed for the purpose of F1, or was already in existence.
- ^ Tauranac says (Lawrence (1999) p.48) that he feels a third mechanic would have reduced the reliability problems. Lawrence himself notes (Lawrence (1999) p.71) that 'If only Jack had been prepared to spend a little more money, the results could have been so much better'. Hodges (1990, p.32) notes, 'Economy was a watchword. ...It was this attitude, perhaps, which cost [Brabham] some races'.
- ^ Drackett (1985) p.17 "Of course, he turned out one of the best. In my book, taking everything into consideration, the greatest. He was a damn good driver because he used his nut. Later when Bruce McLaren joined the team, what Bruce didn't know, Jack taught him. They were both good engineers. They could set up the cars and they didn't mind getting their hands dirty and working on them."
References
Citations
- ^ "Jack Brabham". Formula One. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Jose Froilan Gonzalez, Ferrari's first F1 winner, dies aged 90". Autosport. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.20–21
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.21–22
- ^ a b Brabham, Nye (2004) p.26
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.33
- ^ a b c Unique (pp.30–31) "Jack Brabham potential world champion..." Article reproduced from a 1958 edition of Australian Motor Sport.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.35–37
- ^ Drackett (1986) pp.13–15
- ^ a b Donaldson, Gerald. "Jack Brabham". Formula One Administration Ltd. Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.44–45
- ^ Unique p.58 "Jack Brabham" 1959
- ^ Dracket (1985) p.16
- ^ a b Lawrence (1989) p.80
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.54–56
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.56–57
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.59
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.61
- ^ Unique Jack Brabham – Star from Down Under p.27 reproduced from Sports Car Illustrated 1959
- ^ Unique p.111, a reproduction of the profile 'Deeds, not words' by Alan Brinton (1966)
- ^ a b Brabham (1971) pp.98—117
- ^ Rendall (2007) pp.215–216
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.85
- ^ Straw, Edd (7 May 2009 ) "Jack of All Trades" Autosport
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.89–97
- ^ Lawrence (1999) p. 22-4 & Henry (1985) p.19
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2005) pp.112–113
- ^ Lawrence (1999) pp.11–12
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2005) pp.115–121
- ^ Lawrence (1998) p.86
- ^ Lawrence (1998) p.87
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004)pp.133–136
- ^ Lawrence (1999) p. 31
- ^ Cooper, Adam (May 1999) "The world according to Jack" Motorsport p. 36 The article quotes Jack as saying "There's no way you could call those 1500-cc machines Formula One."
- ^ Lawrence (1999) pp.70–71
- ^ Henry (1985) p. 53
- ^ Henry (1985) pp.61–62
- ^ Lawrence (1999) p.221
- ^ Lawrence (1999) p.92 Hulme, Tauranac, and Frank Hallam, Repco-Brabham's chief engineer, all shared this view.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.237
- ^ Drackett (1985) p.50
- ^ a b c Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.250– 253
- ^ "Engine Developments Ltd". Inside F1, Inc. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Brabham hits out against use of his name". The Age. Australia. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Family to sue new 'Brabham' F1 team". The Age. Australia. 12 June 2009. Archived from the original on 27 May 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Brabham team reborn, F1/sports cars targeted". Speedcafe. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ a b Cooper, Adam (1999). "The world according to Jack". Motor Sport.
- ^ a b "It's an Honour: Knight Bachelor". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 30 December 1978. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ New suburb honours Australian motoring legend Archived 11 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine – Media Statement- Office of the Minister for Regional Development and Lands. Published 1 May 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ "Sky News: Sir Jack Brabham opens apprentice school". archive.is. 31 December 2012. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012.
- ^ "When We Were Racing". Australian Story. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ Richard, Williams (16 March 2010). "Thrilling sight of those magnificent men in their timeless machines". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ Long, Gary. "Geoff Brabham". Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2010. One Can-Am championship (1981), and four IMSA GT Championships (1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991). He won Le Mans in 1992.
- ^ "David Brabham profile". Archived from the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2010. One All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (1996) and two American Le Mans Series (2009 & 2010). He won Le Mans in 2009.
- ^ "Gary Brabham career summary". Formula One rejects. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ "Sam Brabham Joins Formula Ford Grid". British Formula Ford Championship. 28 March 2013. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ Brabham UK. "A Racing Dynasty – The Brabham Family". Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ a b c "Australian F1 world champion driver Jack Brabham has died, aged 88". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ "Sir Jack Brabham, ex-F1 champion, dies aged 88". BBC. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ Grover, Paul. "Former three-time World Formula One champion Sir Jack Brabham dead". Fox Sports. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ "It's an Honour: OBE". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 11 June 1966. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ISBN 978-1-74196-809-5.
- ^ Australia list: "No. 47724". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1978. p. 33.
- ^ "Sir Jack Brabham". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ "It's an Honour: Australian Sports Medal". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 24 October 2000. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "It's an Honour: Centenary Medal". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 1 January 2001. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "It's an Honour: AO". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 26 January 2008. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ Lauren Farrow (5 March 2012). "Seven added to national living treasure list". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
Sources
- Brabham, Jack (1971). When the Flag Drops. London: Kimber. ISBN 978-7-183-00920-4.
- Brabham, Jack; Nye, Doug (2004). The Jack Brabham Story. Motorbooks International. ISBN 0-7603-1590-6.
- Davis, Tony; Armont, Akos (2019). Brabham: The Untold Story of Formula One. Sydney: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9781460757475.
- Drackett, Phil (1985). Brabham—Story of a racing team. Arthur Baker Ltd. ISBN 0-213-16915-0.
- Henry, Alan (1985). Brabham, the Grand Prix Cars. Osprey. ISBN 0-905138-36-8.
- Lawrence, Mike (1998). Grand Prix Cars 1945–1965. Motor Racing Publications. ISBN 1-899870-39-3.
- Lawrence, Mike (1999). Brabham+Ralt+Honda: The Ron Tauranac story. Motor Racing Publications. ISBN 1-899870-35-0.
- Unique, (Various) (January 2009). Brabham – the man and the machines. Unique Motor Books. ISBN 978-1-84155-619-2.
External links
- Jack Brabham at IMDb
- Jack Brabham career summary at DriverDB.com
- Jack Brabham driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Portraits of Jack Brabham at the National Portrait Gallery, London
- Jack Brabham statistics
- Interactive Jack Brabham Statistics – compare Jack with other F1 drivers[dead link]
- Official Australian website Archived 15 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- Official US website
- Clip of Desert Island Discs appearance 19 December 1966