Sir Jack Brabham 1926 - 2014
Sir Jack Brabham remains the only grand prix driver to win a drivers' championship in a car bearing his name; a feat which is unlikely to be repeated. Born in 1926 in Hurstville near Sydney, John Arthur 'Jack' Brabham learned to drive at an early age after taking an interest in the vehicles delivering goods to his father's greengrocers shop.
Having learned how to maintain cars as well as drive them, Brabham began studying practical engineering at college before he joined the Royal Australian Air Force at the age of 18. After worked as a flight mechanic during the war, he was discharged at the age of 20 and an uncle built him his own workshop from which he set up an engineering company.
It was at this stage that Brabham was introduced to motorsport. Building a midget for a friend to race on dirt ovals, Brabham was soon racing - and winning - in it himself. Four consecutive Australian championships were added to by hillclimb wins in a Cooper Bristol, constructed by John and Charles Cooper.
With Brabham keen to pursue a racing career in the UK, he convinced John and Charles to let him build a rear-engined Formula One car in their workshop, and soon the little British outfit was upsetting the establishment. The first win for a Cooper came in 1958 courtesy of Stirling Moss in Argentina, but the following year Brabham himself won in Monaco and Britain and became the first Australian to win a drivers' title courtesy of consistent points finishes.
That first title seemed to be the catalyst for Brabham, who romped to back-to-back championships thanks to wins Holland, Belgium, France, Britain and Portugal. After such success ultimately came decline as Ferrari dominated 1961, so Brabham left Cooper to set up his own team with fellow Australian Ron Tauranac as designer. The first Brabham Formula One car appeared in late 1962 and was a winner inside two years in the hands of Dan Gurney.
While the first Brabham had been steadily improving, it was the introduction of the new 3-litre formula in 1966 that allowed it to become a championship-winning car. With a Repco V8 in the back, Brabham won either side of his 40th birthday in France - his first win since 1960 - Britain, Holland and at the Nurburgring to take four consecutive victories. Although he retired at Monza, his two main rivals of Jackie Stewart and John Surtees also failed to finish, handing Brabham his third championship and to date the only one by a driver in a car carrying his own name.
A true legend of the sport, both behind the wheel and behind the scenes, Brabham's three titles displayed how hard work and a stealthy determination could lead to success.
He continued to race in Formula One until 1970, taking his final win in South Africa before retiring at the end of the season.
Brabham sold his team to Bernie Ecclestone and returned to Australia to help support the careers of his sons Geoffrey, Gary and David. He was knighted in 1979 for his services to British motorsport, and regularly appeared at the Australian Grand Prix right up until he passed away peacefully in 2014 at the age of 88.
