Best of the Cahier Archive: Jody Scheckter

Submitted by Rich Fowler on October 15, 2011

The 1979 World Champion won 10 Grand Prix for three different teams and his 33 podiums prove he was always a contender.

Scheckter almost won on just his third start for McLaren in ’72, but crashed into reigning World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who said about the incident, “This madman is a menace to himself and everybody else and does not belong in Formula 1.” However despite also being involved in the infamous first lap pile up at the British Grand Prix in 1973, his undoubted speed was enough for Tyrrel to hire him for a full season in 1974. Jody rewarded Ken with two wins and a fine third place in the drivers championship.

In 1975 he become the only South African to win the South African Grand Prix. In 1976 he campaigned the P34 six-wheeler and drove it to its only win on Sweden’s Anderstorp circuit, and again finished third in the Drivers Championship.

Scheckter left for Walter Wolf’s new team in 1977 and Scheckter gave the team an incredible win in its debut race, followed by two more for second place in the Championship behind Niki Lauda in the Ferrari. He stayed with Wolf for 1978, but there were no victories.

For 1979 he joined Ferrari and partnered Gilles Villeneuve in the teams ground effect 312T4. Three wins and consistent points made him the 1979 World Champion and the last driver to win a drivers’ championship for Ferrari until Michael Schumacher 21 years later.

Legend.

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.

Buy prints of these photographs from just $49