Jacky Ickx

Jacky Ickx is one of the most versatile drivers in motorsport history. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times, earning the title "Monsieur Le Mans", while twice finishing as runner-up in the F1 World Championship and winning the Dakar Rally.

Rapid Rise from Motorcycles to F1

Ickx was born on 1 January 1945 in Brussels, Belgium; his father, Jacques Ickx, was a motoring journalist and amateur racing driver. Initially passionate about motorcycles, he was "struck by the thrill of speed" during a ride, embarking on a motorsport career ever since.

In 1963, an 18-year-old Ickx began competing in touring car racing. He quickly demonstrated remarkable talent, clinching the European F2 Championship in 1967. That same year, he drove an F2 car alongside F1 machinery at the German Grand Prix, delivering an eye-catching performance that caught Ferrari's attention. In 1968, he officially joined the Ferrari F1 team and secured his maiden Grand Prix victory in wet conditions at Rouen in France—which was also his first win for Ferrari.

Throughout his F1 career, Ickx claimed 8 Grand Prix wins and 25 podium finishes, twice finishing as championship runner-up in 1969 and 1970. In 1970, he narrowly missed out by just 5 points to Jochen Rindt, who tragically died in a crash at Monza late in the season, becoming the only posthumous World Champion in F1 history.

Le Mans 1969: A Walk That Changed History

The 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans marked the final time the traditional "Le Mans-style start"—where drivers sprinted across the track to their cars—was used. Ickx did not run. He calmly walked to his Ford GT40, climbed into the cockpit, properly fastened his seatbelt, and only then started the engine and drove off.

This action was a public protest against the safety risks of the Le Mans-style start. In that very race, British driver John Woolfe was thrown from his car and killed in a crash due to not wearing a seatbelt. Ickx's walking protest directly prompted regulatory changes: starting in 1970, drivers were required to be strapped in inside their cars awaiting the start signal, and from 1971 onwards, rolling starts officially replaced the traditional sprint start.

Six Le Mans Titles and "Monsieur Le Mans"

Ickx's Le Mans career is nothing short of legendary. He took victory six times: in 1969 (Ford), 1975 (Gulf Mirage), and 1976, 1977, 1981, and 1982 (Porsche).

Among these, the 1977 victory was the most astonishing. His original Porsche 936 retired in the third hour due to engine failure, prompting Ickx to switch over to another Porsche 936 that was running 8 laps behind the leaders. Once behind the wheel, Ickx drove for three consecutive hours, consistently breaking lap records and hauling the car from 8 laps down up to 6th place. He eventually helped pilot the car to overall victory, a comeback officially described by the FIA as having "redefined the possibilities of what a racing car could achieve at Le Mans".

Ickx was also a key figure in the development of the Porsche 956 prototype, with his feedback directly shaping the cockpit and monocoque chassis design. In 1982 and 1983, he clinched back-to-back World Sportscar Championship (predecessor to the WEC) Drivers' World Championship titles.

Dakar and an All-Round Career

Ickx's cross-discipline versatility was fully showcased in the 1983 Paris-Dakar Rally. Piloting a Mercedes-Benz, he clinched overall victory in the car category, making him the only driver in history to win both Le Mans and the Dakar Rally. He later brought Porsche into the Dakar Rally, finishing as runner-up in 1986 behind the wheel of a Porsche 959.

Ickx viewed competing across multiple disciplines as the norm for his era: "We were more like mercenaries. We could drive touring cars, endurance racing, F1, F2 in the same racing calendar... I raced on 42 weekends in a single year." His wet-weather driving prowess was widely regarded as among the greatest in motorsport history, with Porsche officially describing him as "not only versatile, but a master of wet-weather driving".

Later Years and Legacy

Ickx remains active in the motorsport scene today, serving as a racing advisor for Genesis and frequently attending historic motorsport events. In 2026, the 81-year-old piloted the Ferrari 312 F1-68—the very car in which he won the 1968 French Grand Prix—for a demonstration run at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, remarking: "It is a great honour to drive this car again. We had pure joy back then."

Ickx is universally regarded as one of the most complete and versatile drivers in motorsport history, with a career spanning F1, endurance racing, rallying, and Can-Am, achieving championship-winning success in every arena. Belgium has named him Driver of the Year on twelve occasions.