Jacques Bernard Ickx was born on January 1, 1945 in Brussels. Ickx was a Belgian Formula 1 and race car driver, who got his start in motor sports in motorcycle racing, where he was the Belgian Trail Champion in 1963. His 1966 switch to race cars was rewarded with immediate wins and in 1967 he became European Champion of the newly founded Formula 2 (later to be known as Formula 3000 and today as the GP2). His first try at Formula 1 was for the Ken Tyrell's team with a Formula 2 Matra-Cosworth car at the Nürburgring in Germany. In the following year he again drove a Matra-Cosworth for Ken Tyrrell at Nürburg, before later switching to a Cooper-Maserati for the Grand Prixs in Italy and the USA. At Monza Ickx took sixth place and registered his first World Championship points.

Jacky Ickx was never a guy who wanted to play a supporting role. He immediately took center stage of big motor sports with his big smile and always remained undaunted and full of chutzpa in the face of bigger names. With Ken Tyrell’s blue Matra, which was similar to J. Stewart's BMR 16 cylinder, Ickx made the third best training time at Le Mans. Discriminated against because of the AVD organizer’s segregation policies, Ickx had to start behind all of the Formula 1 autos, but he had managed to make it up to fourth place when his suspension suddenly broke. Ickx was the king of the ring, where he took home two of his eight biggest wins. In ’69 with Brabham and in'72 with Ferrari- he was an artist in wet conditions. What he showed in the wavering fog and rain at his home track at SPA in 1967, were the moves of an acrobat. Antoine de Saint Exupery writings about his first GP win in ’68 have become legendary: it was like flying blind-without instruments.

In 1968, the Belgian changed over to Ferrari and on July 7, 1968 he celebrated his first Grand Prix win in a rainy Rouen, France. At 23 he was the second youngest ever to take home a Grand Prix win, second only to Bruce McLaren, who won in 1959 at the age of 22, . Between 1968 and 1979 in 116 Grand Prix races, he racked up 8 wins and 2 overall runner-up finishes (1969 and 1970).


Foto by Reiner W. Schlegelmilch

His successes at Le Mans are legendary, where he won in 1969, despite his protests against the starting order (see Le Mans start) and went on to take home the title five more times, thus earning him the nickname “Monsieur Mans”. This record was first broken by Tom Kristensen in 2005. To his collection are also numerous wins in touring races, off road races and ralleys, including his 1983 Paris to Dakar win with French actor Claude Brasseur. In addition to this Ickx won the long track Championships in 1982 and 1983. As Paganini of the endurance races, Ickx set unreachable marks in endurance racing with 50 wins, 6 of those at Le Mans. He was, ultiamtely, a legend in his own time. Although every inch a star and the darling of the Belgian people, he occasionally reacted to the burden of his popularity with icy arrogance. For a long time he looked unbelievably young and was always so at heart. At home, in his private play room, among the one-arm bandits, the pinball machines and all of his other electronic gadgets, Mr. X can is a kid again, which he stopped being long ago. He drove in ralleys and car championship up until 1995. After his retirement from active motor sports in, he still stays involved with the planning of various races. Ickx, married twice, has five kids, among them his daughter (born on February, 16, 1975) who is also involved in racing.


Foto by Reiner W. Schlegelmilch

Text by Dakota / Reiner W. Schlegelmilch.