Three-times champion Sir Jack Brabham dies at 88

F1 Fanatic Round-up

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In the round-up: Three-times world champion Sir Jack Brabham has died at the age of 88. Brabham (pictured in 2011 with Mark Webber and Alan Jones) was the only man to win the world championship in his own car, a feat he achieved when he won his third title in 1966.

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Sir Jack Brabham dead (The Sydney Morning Herald)

“Three-time formula one world champion Sir Jack Brabham has passed away, aged 88.”

Sir Jack Brabham, three-time Formula One world drivers’ champion and icon of world motorsport, dies aged 88 (ABC)

“He began racing a short time later, racing midget cars on dirt tracks. He told Australian Story in 2009: ‘I managed to win the third race I started in, and never looked back from there.'”

Hamilton reveals key areas of progress (ESPN)

“Particularly this year, it’s been braking. Working on the simulator last year, analysing data of how hard you hit the brake, the brake pivot position, the master cylinder, different brake material and really focusing on brake settings.”

New power units are ‘final straw’, say F1 teams (The Telegraph)

“‘This is the last roll of the dice,’ a source told The Daily Telegraph on Sunday. ‘It is the final straw.'”

Red Bull doubts Newey would leave (Autoaport)

“He has always made it clear his feeling towards the team, the paternal feeling he has for Red Bull.”

Lewis Hamilton’s success sparks fears he’s ruining F1 (Daily Mail)

Damon Hill: “The one-sidedness is one thing that frustrates about Formula One. We should take our hats off to the people who have worked hard and come up with the right answers. But if you are asking us to watch a motor race that is one-and-a-half hours long, it is not so easy.”

2014 Top Gear Festival Live in Barbados (YouTube)

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Comment of the day

An amusing take on the engine noise debate:

All this harping on about engine noise serves only to distract attention from the real issue. Unnoticed by many, over the last few years drivers’ hair has become more and more bland and uninteresting. Where once we had the individuality and flamboyance of James Hunt and Alain Prost’s unruly visages, we now see only the number 1 buzzcuts and short back and sides sported by the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

Inexplicable hairstyles are an important part of the spectacle of F1. They make it more visually appealing and are what the fans want. I mean for god’s sake some of them even have beards! How can it claim to be the pinnacle of motorsport when WEC and NASCAR have more eye-catching coiffures? It’s a disgrace, F1 has lost its way.
@KimoniNakamoto

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On this day in F1

Colin Chapman was born on this day in 1928.

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Keith Collantine
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49 comments on “Three-times champion Sir Jack Brabham dies at 88”

  1. muz (@murray1964)
    19th May 2014, 0:07

    Sad new to hear about the passing of Sir Jack. I had the privilege of meeting him once even in his ageing years he had time for his fans and spent plenty of time to chat and sign autographs.

    1. True legend!

    2. Really sad. Probably the best act of Australia’s motorsports orchestra.

  2. Really sad to know about Sir Jack Funny thing, his first victory if i recall is at Monaco, the next venue.
    My granfather told me that once, he to be F1 Champion, pushed the car across the finish line, that’s old times, but F1 and motorsport were made by this great pilots, thanks for what you did to the sport and anywhere you are one thing is certain, you’re racing and winning, fairwell CHAMP

  3. COTD – LOL’S
    I guess the drivers need to save weight any way they can. I always wandered how the car designers and engineer’s feel when they have spent a few hundred thousand Euros to save a few grams in chassis weights only for their star driver to turn up with a chuffin’ great tash and beard, with a mop on top. Lol

    1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      19th May 2014, 3:13

      seriously though, their helmets are big as school globes. Maybe they can save some weight by reducing it just 2 mms in total diameter?

    2. I say, we need to do something about the hair. Maybe add gramophone collars, or force drivers to have the double amount of hair for the last race of the season. You see, there’s just no other way!

    3. It’s most likely in their contracts. After all, some teams have upwards of 30 sponsors who all have their own very specific (and sometimes stupid) stipulations. e.g A clean shave for some, and no head-hair longer than, say 5 inches, for others.

    4. On a serious note, I’ve noticed some drivers wear a watch during the race. That’s already 100 g they could save, no?

      1. It’s a fake watch painted on the glove.

          1. @hunocsi

            Ah OK, I feel a bit stupid now :P

      2. I noticed this as well… thought it was probably for sponsors and that sort of thing.

  4. RIP Sir Jack. A great triple champion, the only man ever to win WDC in his own built car and a great ambassador of motorsport!

  5. Very sad to know about the death of Sir Jack Brabham, apart from his achievements as a driver when racing with the likes of Jim Clark, Graham Hill, …. He won the WDC in a car that he made himself which i think that this record will hold forever maybe just like John Surtess who won the WDC in 2 different category. RIP Sir Jack

  6. RIP Sir Jack. Such an immeasurable contribution to F1 and motorsport in general, you will be sadly missed.

  7. Alex Zanardi has finished 5th driving his BMW Z4 at Brands Hatch in the Blancpain GT Sprint Series. The thing is that Zanardi made a superb comeback as described by Autosprint from 17th to 5th after a mistake and a collision that moved him at the back of the grid. Great Champion as well Zanardi, the man has never stopped fighting.

    1. One of my heros.

    2. He also still has it! Amazing man.

  8. Australian F1 fans will be forever indebted to Sir Jack Brabham, a true Australian F1 pioneer. He will remain a legend not only in Australia but within the Formula 1 paddock as he is the only driver to win a championship in a car that was of his own making. A feat that I suspect will never be again attempted, let alone, achieved by another. RIP Sir Jack

    1. @keithcollantine Fanstatic choice of photo on this post. The total sum of Australia’s greatest F1 drivers. Before others mention that there have been other Aussie F1 drivers, yes, that is true, but those 3 are the cream of our crop to date. RIC hasn’t earned his stripes yet, but he isn’t far off ;)

      1. Webber can hardly be described as cream of the crop.

      2. Agreed. RIP Sir Jack, what a guy!

  9. In 1970 Sir Jack at the age of 44 could still compete with and beat the finest drivers of the age and this included Jackie Stewart. Gone is a great icon of the sport .Sadly missed RIP.

    1. Makes me think of Schumi getting pole position at Monaco in 2012… Still got it!

  10. Very sad to hear of Jack Brabham passing. Truly one of the greats of the sport and one of those people who you’d never hear an ill word about (not during my time as an F1 fan, anyway). May he rest in peace..

  11. As a Barbadian it was quite an epic feeling to know we hosted Lewis and Top Gear. What an amazing show they put on, hearing the W04 also really brought me back to what a big change to the noise of the cars it is this year.

  12. Jack Brabham was one of the best, sorry to see him go. vaya con dios…

  13. Rest in Peace Sir Jack Brabham. He was a great man; what he did in 1966 could never be done today.

  14. Vale Sir Jack Brabham. BlackJack would have been as legendary as Senna had worldwide live TV coverage been available during the years he raced.

    I do hope that the EU thoroughly investigate the financial connections between Bernie and Max and the deal that allowed Bernie to siphon $5Billion out of F1. Regardless of other good or bad spending habits the teams may have, a more equitable distribution of earnings would make the increase in engine costs inconsequential.

    Having Jack Brabham in the news again reminds me of my dislike of the one design rules of the ICE, Jack famously took advantage of a rule-change to modify a production engine block and win 2 consecutive constructors titles with it, it was undoubtedly the cheapest engine on the grid and also the most successful, smart can beat extravagance, even if it is only for a couple of years.

  15. There goes our first MR-car-driving champion…

  16. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    19th May 2014, 5:15

    3 World Championships all in cars that he built. Incredible.

    Rest in peace Sir Jack.

  17. RIP Sir Jack, really sad to hear about the loss of a true legend.

  18. Jack Brabham passes away RIP and thank you for the memories of all your achievements.

  19. RIP Sir Jack Brabham.

  20. Really sad to hear of Sir Jack’s Passing. My only wish for him would be for a recognition of his achievements at this weekends Monaco Grand Prix, home to his first ever career victory on May 10, 1959.
    Rest In Peace, our Australian Legend.

    1. 55 years.. it would be touching to hear some recognition at Monaco next weekend.

      1. Well, let’s hope Daniel Ricciardo will win the race. He will certainly pay a nice tribute to Sir Jack

  21. Re: Engines and budget cap.
    I just got an idea. Given that new, more expensive engines are exactly the opposite of what FIA was promising when luring new teams in a few years ago, how about if the engine bills of the teams were paid from the F1 earnings before they are divvied up between Bernie/dividends/temas? This way the teams and the vultures would get somewhat less cash, but the teams would also have significantly smaller spending, in effect making the price money more equal accross the field.

    1. Your idea is good, but the FIA sold the F1 revenue, for a song, to Bernie many years ago.

    2. sorry, “teams” and “across”.

  22. Rest in peace Sir Jack. So much more to our sport than just a great driver. He was a great champion, a great innovator and a great ambassador for our sport, and the Brabham name remains one of the most legendary in motor racing.

  23. RIP Sir Jack!

    COTD, I mean seriously?

    Inexplicable hairstyles are an important part of the spectacle of F1. They make it more visually appealing and are what the fans want.

    A spectacle of F1? Also the fans want it? I’ve never read a comment in my decade of following Formula 1 on having boring hairstyles. That’s a true COTD (sarcastically!).

    1. @neelv27 I didn’t expect anyone to reply so seriously, you must have zero sense of humour.

  24. Sad to hear Jack Brabham has passed away, such a legend and ambassador for our great sport. May he rest in peace.

  25. RIP Sir Jack Brabham

  26. Rest in Peace, sir Jack. What a truly talented man.

  27. When Jack was racing pole position was a marker for expected maximum performance during the race maybe a second shy. Today race performance is like a complex video game even when the two best cars with top rated drivers are pushing to their respective limits they are no where near the pole time. If you find this exciting you are obviously easily pleased or have lost a grip of what racing is all about.

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