Johnny Servoz-Gavin

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Johnny Servoz-Gavin
Born(1942-01-18)18 January 1942
Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, France
Died29 May 2006(2006-05-29) (aged 64)
Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, France
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityFrance French
Active years1967–1970
TeamsMatra, Cooper, Tyrrell
Entries13 (12 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums1
Career points9
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1967 Monaco Grand Prix
Last entry1970 Monaco Grand Prix

Georges-Francis "Johnny" Servoz-Gavin (18 January 1942 – 29 May 2006)

motor racing
driver in both sportscars and single seaters.

He participated in 13 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix between 1967 and 1970, failing to qualify in one. He achieved one podium, and scored a total of nine championship points. He drove for the Tyrrell Formula One team, mainly as Jackie Stewart's teammate.

Early life

Servoz-Gavin was born in Grenoble, a city in the foothills of the Alps. As a teenager he worked as a ski instructor, during which time he became known as "Johnny".[1]

Career

Lower formulae

Servoz-Gavin's early work included developing sports cars for Matra.[2] After initially competing in rallying, Servoz-Gavin moved to single-seater racing. He had previously attended the racing drivers' school at the Magny-Cours circuit in the centre of France, (from which he was "thrown out")[3] and in 1965 entered the French Formula Three Championship in a private Brabham BT18.[2] By the late 1960s, Servoz-Gavin was a rising star, following in the footsteps of Jacky Ickx and Jean-Pierre Beltoise. He became French Formula Three Champion in 1966 driving a works Matra MS5, and in 1969 he won the European Formula Two Championship.[1]

Formula One

His Formula Three racing performances won Servoz-Gavin the attention of

four-wheel-driven Formula One car, the Matra MS84.[3]

Servoz-Gavin suffered an eye injury in an off-road event in the winter of 1969–70, and had been worrying that his eyesight had been damaged.

Jarama. Then after hitting a barrier again, and failing to qualify for the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix he decided to retire.[1] Servoz-Gavin felt that the risks inherent in Formula One and racing in general were not worthwhile but the problems with his vision may have influenced his decision.[3]

Other motorsport interests

In 1969, Servoz-Gavin participated in Matra endurance events, co-driving with Pedro Rodríguez.[2]

Later life

A man of good looks and high society, he was among a number of Formula One drivers rumoured to be the unknown driver in Claude Lelouch's 1977 short footage film C'était un rendez-vous, although Lelouch claimed to have driven the car himself.[4][5]

After his racing career was over, Servoz-Gavin lived on a houseboat and suffered serious burns when a gas bottle exploded on his boat in 1982.[4] He died in May 2006 as the result of a pulmonary embolism, following a period of ill health. He was 64 years old.[2]

Racing record

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1966 France Matra Sports SARL France Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra MS620-BRM P
2.0 		112 DNF DNF
1967 France Equipe Matra Sports France Jean-Pierre Beltoise
MS630-BRM
 P
2.0 		155 DNF DNF
1968 France Equipe Matra Sports France Henri Pescarolo
MS630
 P
3.0 		283 DNF DNF
1969 France Equipe Matra Elf Switzerland Herbert Müller
MS630
 P
3.0 		158 DNF DNF
Source:[6]

Complete European Formula Two 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 Pos. Pts
1967 Matra Sports Matra MS5 Ford
SNE
 SIL NÜR
Ret 		HOC TUL
8
JAR

5
ZAN

Ret 		PER
5 		BRH 6th 15
Matra MS7
VAL

3
1968 Matra Sports Matra MS7 Ford HOC THR
JAR
PAL

Ret 		TUL
ZAN
 PER HOC
VAL
 NC 0
1969
Matra International
 Matra MS7 Ford THR
5 		HOC
6 		NÜR
6
JAR

4 		TUL PER
2
VAL

1 		1st 37

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WDC Pts
1967 Matra Sports Matra MS5 (F2)
L4
 RSA MON
Ret 		NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA USA MEX NC 0
1968
Matra International
 Matra MS10 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 RSA ESP MON
Ret 		BEL NED ITA
2 		CAN
Ret 		USA MEX
Ret 		13th 6
Cooper Car Company Cooper T86B BRM P101 3.0 V12 FRA
Ret 		GBR GER
1969
Matra International
 Matra MS7 (F2)
L4
 RSA ESP MON NED FRA GBR GER
Ret 		ITA 17th 1
Matra MS84 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 CAN
6 		USA
NC 		MEX
8
1970 Tyrrell Racing Organisation March 701 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 RSA
Ret 		ESP
5 		MON
DNQ 		BEL NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA MEX 20th 2
Source:[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Henry, Alan (26 July 2006). "Johnny Servoz-Gavin". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e McDonough, Ed (2010). Matra Sports Cars: MS620, 630, 650, 660 & 670 - 1966 to 1974. p13: Veloce Publishing Limited.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ^
    ISBN 0851127029
    .
  4. ^ a b "Johnny Servoz-Gavin". gp.com. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Behind the Scenes of Lelouch's Rendezvous". The Motoring Enthusiast. 27 May 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  6. ^ "All Results of Johnny Servoz-Gavin". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  7. ISBN 0851127029
    .
Sporting positions
Preceded by French Formula Three
Champion
1966 		Succeeded by
Preceded by European Formula Two
Champion
1969 		Succeeded by
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