Blast from the Past François Cevert

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Written by Kate Walker

Sunday, 22 November 2009 10:24

Cevert is the only racing driver whose face I noticed before their talent. I’m nowhere near old enough to have seen him race, and he is a beautiful man. Good looks aside, Monsieur François Cevert is a racer who should be on your radar.

Cevert first began to race cars in 1966, when he completed his National Service requirement. He began by undergoing training at the Le Mans and Magny-Cours race schools before winning the Volant Shell scholarship, and with it an Alpine F3 car. Short of funds but proud owner of the car, Cevert had an unsuccessful debut season in 1967.

By 1968 he’d picked up sponsorship and swapped cars for a Tecno, a swap that would see him French Formula Three champion at the end of the season. Following his championship victory, Cevert moved up to Tecno’s Formula Two team. It was a move that was to shape his future. Driving in a Crystal Palace F2 race in 1969, Jackie Stewart found the young Cevert a hard man to overtake, and recommended that team boss Ken Tyrrell keep an eye on his progress.

Three races in to the 1970 Formula 1 season, Stewart’s Tyrrell teammate Johnny Servoz-Gavin retired. Tyrrell remembered Stewart’s recommendation of the young French driver, and Cevert found himself making his F1 debut alongside the reigning World Champion at the Dutch Grand Prix. The next four years saw Stewart and Cevert working closely together, often finishing 1-2, the champion having passed on his knowledge and experience to his colleague.

Cevert only won one Grand Prix in his career, the 1971 US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Tyrrell’s 1972 car was not as competitive as the championship-winning Lotus, and Cevert’s relative lack of experience saw him unable to pick up as many points as his teammate.

In 1973, Tyrrell’s car was again championship-worthy. Cevert scored six 2nd-place finishes, three of them behind his teammate.

Stewart, aware of the increasing abilities of his young protégée, was making secret plans to retire from Formula 1 at the end of the 1973 season, leaving Cevert as lead driver at Tyrrell.

The 1973 season ended with the US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Jackie Stewart had already secured the 1973 World Driver’s Championship, and Cevert was fourth in the standings. Stewart was planning to pass the Tyrrell torch to Cevert at the end of the race on Sunday, formally announcing his retirement to his wife, his teammate, and the world’s media.

In the final minutes of qualifying on Saturday morning, however, Cevert lost control of his car in the uphill Esses and hit a guardrail at 150mph. The accident was fatal and death immediate. Formula 1 had lost a future champion.

The video below has some clips of Cevert’s driving highlights.

by Kate Walker for Girlracer Magazine

www.girlracer.co.uk

Comments (2)

|2009-11-28 15:56:10 Amanda Thomas

Love the website, I think Francois would have been proud!!! I too First noticed how georgous he was those LOVELY BLUE EYES!!!! I also did'nt see him race as I was born in September 1973 so like you I also was too young!!! I think it might have been a good thing though as I dread to think what I would have been like when I heard th dreadful news of his death Thanks for goito th trouble of doing this website. Kindregards, from Amanda.x:-)
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|2009-12-14 15:43:40 Kate

This is the best bit, I think - finding other people who are excited by the same drivers as I am!

He is absolutely beautiful. I'm torn between wishing I'd seen him race and, like you, glad I didn't have to suffer through his death. I would have loved to see what he could do as a lead driver, though - it would have been a brilliant season to watch.
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