Best of The Cahier Archive: Francois Cevert

Submitted by Rich Fowler on August 30, 2011

The handsome Frenchman made his Formula 1 debut when he was called into the Tyrrell March team in 1970 to replace the disillusioned Johnny Servoz-Gavin.

The relationship between Francois and the reining World Champion Jackie Stewart blossomed, and Cevert became the veteran Stewart’s devoted protégé.

Cevenrt earned his first World Championship point by finishing sixth in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in 1970.

In 1971 Cevert became only the second Frenchman to win a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix (Maurice Trintignant won at Monaco in 1955 and 1958), and the result helped him take third place in the 1971 Driver’s Championship behind Stewart and Ronnie Peterson. However the win would stand as his only victory.

At Watkins Glen in 1973, with Stewart having already wrapped up his third World Championship, Cevert was killed during qualifying, while battling for pole with Ronnie Peterson.

Jackie Stewart was one of the first on the scene of Cevert’s accident and said later “They [the marshalls] had left him [in the car], because he was so clearly dead.” Stewart immediately left the scene of the accident and returned to the pits. Because of Cevert’s death, Tyrrell withdrew its entry for this GP, and Stewart did not run his final, and 100th race.

This is the latest in our series of photo specials showcasing the stunning images from the Cahier Archive. The collection, by photographers Bernard Cahier and his son Paul-Henri are part of a massive collection of 400 000 originals of which 17 000+ pictures are currently available on their website.