Jackie Stewart

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Stewart's career was defined not just by speed, but by a relentless push for safety after witnessing the dangers of the era. In 1966, during his accident at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, he missed the French Grand Prix and launched a campaign to improve safety standards, demanding better medical facilities and track improvements. Outside Formula One, he narrowly missed winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1966 on his first attempt; leading by over a lap with eight laps remaining, his victory was denied only by a broken scavenge pump, yet he earned Rookie of the Year honours. He also competed in the Can-Am series in 1970 and 1971 and served as team principal for Stewart Grand Prix with his son Paul between 1997 and 1999. His advocacy ensured that circuits moved away from dangerous layouts lined with trees and walls without runoff areas.

In Their Own Story

Stewart's journey began in Milton, Dunbartonshire, where he faced learning difficulties due to undiagnosed dyslexia until age 41. At 13, he won a clay pigeon shooting competition and became a prize-winning member of the Scottish shooting team, finishing third behind Joe Wheater and Brett Huthart for a spot in the 1960 Olympic trap shooting team. His automotive path started with a light green Austin A30 purchased for £375 using tips from his job at his father's garage. In 1964, after testing a Formula Three T72-BMC and bettering Bruce McLaren's times at Goodwood, he joined the Tyrrell team. That year, in a wet debut at Snetterton on 15 March, he took a 25-second lead in two laps and coasted to victory by 44 seconds. He later won his first World Championship race at Monza fighting wheel-to-wheel with teammate Graham Hill's P261.

Reader's Guide

Drivers entering the sport during Stewart's era faced extreme risks that he actively worked to mitigate. His career highlights include winning the Tasman Series in 1966 from teammate Graham Hill and a dramatic victory in the New Zealand Grand Prix where Jim Clark attempted to run him down with bodywork flying off his Lotus. Stewart drove for BRM alongside Graham Hill starting in 1965, winning the Monaco Grand Prix in a 2-litre engined car despite the team's struggles with unreliable H16 engines. He later switched to Tyrrell's Matra International team in 1968, taking a prominent management role and negotiating funding with sponsor François Guiter. His first win of that season came in heavy rain at Zandvoort, followed by another victory in rain and fog at the Nürburgring where he won by a margin of four minutes.

Did You Know?

• Stewart was not diagnosed with dyslexia until he was 41 years old, after his son Mark was tested.
• He narrowly missed winning the 1966 Indianapolis 500, leading by over a lap with eight laps to go before a broken scavenge pump forced him out.
• Stewart competed for a place in the British trap shooting team for the 1960 Summer Olympics but finished third behind Joe Wheater and Brett Huthart.
• He purchased his first car, a light green Austin A30 with real leather seats, for £375 shortly before his seventeenth birthday using tips from his garage job.
• In his Formula Three debut at Snetterton in 1964, Stewart took a 25-second lead in just two laps and won by 44 seconds.