After 21 years without success, Ferrari finally crowned a Formula One
world champion in 2000 when Michael Schumacher won the prestigious
title. Ironically, it was thanks to this lack of success that the
previous Ferrari champion first became known to the new generation of
racing fans. He was South Africa's Jody Scheckter.
Born in East London in 1950, Scheckter earned his first Formula One drive with McLaren as a 22-year-old.
In 1972 he enjoyed one Grand Prix drive and in 1973 he certainly made an
impact - though not the kind he would have wanted to make. Competing in
the British Grand Prix, Scheckter ran wide coming out of a corner and
spun back across the track. A huge pile-up followed and the race was
stopped with half the field wiped out in the crash.
That season Scheckter started five grands prix but failed to register a championship point.
Moved to Tyrrell
The next year, 1974, Scheckter was signed by Tyrrell following the
retirement of
three-time world champion Jackie Stewart and the death of driver
Francois Cevert at the end of the 1973 season. It proved a good move for
the South African and for Tyrrell. Scheckter finished third in the
championship, winning the Swedish Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix -
a major win for British team Tyrrell.
In 1975 Sheckter won once, in front of his home fans, at the South
African Grand Prix. He accumulated 20 points for the season and finished
in joint seventh place.
The following year he drove the unorthodox six-wheeled Tyrrell-Ford Type
P-34. Scheckter took the car to its only win in its first outing in
Sweden. Nonetheless, the South African ace enjoyed a consistent season
and finished third in the world championship standings.
Runner-up
In 1977 Scheckter joined the newly founded Wolf team of Austro-Canadian
oil millionaire Walter Wolf. Despite the team being newcomers to Formula
One, Scheckter performed exceptionally. He won the Canadian,
Monaco and Argentinian Grands Prix and finished runner-up in the
championship to the great Austrian Niki Lauda.
1978 was not as successful a year for Scheckter. He failed to win a race
and scored 24 points to tie for seventh in the championship.
World champion
Scheckter joined Ferrari for the 1979 season and things went much better
for the South African. He won in Italy, Monaco and Belgium and was
crowned world champion.
He raced one more season in 1980, but did not have a good year and
retired. During his career he took part in 113 grands prix, won 10 of
them, finished second 14 times and third 10 times.
His 1979 success was something for Ferrari fans to hold on to, because
it would take the famous Italian team with the prancing horse another 21
years before they celebrated producing a world champion again.
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