Photo: Joost Evers / Anefo, Nationaal Archief, CC BY-SA 3.0 NL
Photo: Joost Evers / Anefo, Nationaal Archief, CC BY-SA 3.0 NL
In the world of F1, few names stir both admiration and sorrow quite like Jo Siffert, known as ‘Seppi’ who was the first Swiss driver to win in Formula 1.
From dairy boy to speed king
Seppi was born back in July 7, 1936, in Switzerland, the city of Fribourg.
His early life was humble, the son of dairy owner and he showed no signs of a future behind the wheel of F1.
But then everything changed, starting out in motorcycle racing, he became the Swiss 350cc champion in 1959 before trading handlebars for steering wheels.
His transition to Formula Junior proved just as successful, and before long, his talent was impossible to ignore!
By 1962, he had fought his way into the highest echelon of motorsport, F1!
It did not took long, he began as a privateer with Lotus, later driving for Scuderia Filipinetti, Rob Walker team, March, and finally at BRM.
F1 success and sports car dominance
Over the next decade he became one of the most respected driver in the paddock.
In 101 GPs, he scored two F1 wins, at the British GP in 1968, and the Austrian GP in 1971. Also he had six podiums, two pole positions and four fastest laps.
But he was unbelievable competitor, he wanted always to try new things, he stretched far boyond F1.
In endurance racing he was a giant, driving for Porsche, he won almost everything there was to win, 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, 1000 km of Nürburgring, 1000 km of Spa, Monza 1000 km, Watkins Glen 6 Hours, Targa Florio, the list reads like a roll call of motorsport’s greatest challenges.
The Last Day at Brands Hatch
On October 24, 1971, just after weeks of his Austrian GP win, siffert lined up for the World Victory Race at Brands Hatch, and he took pole.
The race was to be run over 40 laps, but it was stopped on lap 15.
It was supposed to be a celebratory end of the season, it became a dark day for all motorsport fans.
So what really happened? Early in the race, a suspected failure sent his BRM veering off the track at high speed.
It was damaged in the first lap and broke lateer, flames erupted instantly, Siffert could not free himself from the car.
Siffert lost his life that day, the race was stopped, in Switzerland, over 50,000 people attented his funeral, a testament to the love and respect he had.
What can we say more?
So we remember him as a legend who competed in many motorsport series, and he was competitive everywhere.
After the loss of a great driver, it triggered immediate calls for safety reform.
Within months, onboard fire extinguishers and oxygen supply system to drivers’ helmets became mandatory in F1.
His is not remembered only for trophies and lap records, but in the lives saved by the regulations born after his accident.
From the cobbled streets of Fribourg to the grandest circuit in Europe and America, Jo Siffert’s journey remains one of the motorsport’s most human stories.
