- Jean-Pierre Jabouille, the first Formula One driver to win with turbocharged power, died on Thursday at the age of 80
- The Frenchman won two races in Formula One, including his home race in Dijon in 1979 for Renault
- After retiring from driving, he took over as CEO of Peugeot Sport
Jean-Pierre Jabouille, the first Formula One driver to win with turbocharged power, died on Thursday at the age of 80, according to former team Alpine, following multiple reports in French media.
The Frenchman won two races in Formula One, including his home race in Dijon in 1979 for Renault, making him the sport’s first driver to win with a turbo engine.
Unlucky driver
Jean-Pierre Jabouille was a racing legend.|PHOTO: Grand Prix 247|
During his time in Formula One, Jabouille earned a reputation as one of the sport’s unluckiest drivers, finishing only 10 of 49 races, winning two races, and taking six pole positions, becoming Renault’s first Formula One race winner.
In the 1970s, the Parisian racer spent several years in Formula 2, combining it with sportscar racing as he sought a way into Formula 1. He won the F2 title in 1976 before being given a factory drive with Renault in the second half of the following year.
He made his Formula 1 debut relatively late in his career, with Frank Williams Racing in 1974 for a one-off appearance in France, though he did not qualify for the race.
When he was able to cross the finish line, his race finishes were strong, and the fast but unreliable turbocharged Renault powered him to pole position ahead of teammate René Arnoux in Dijon in 1979, before he took a comfortable victory ahead of Gilles Villeneuve.
A year later, he won again in Austria, edging Williams’ Alan Jones by less than a second at the line. Still, a severe accident in Canada after his suspension expired left him with a broken leg just after signing a deal to race for Ligier in 1981.
His Formula One career would not fully recover after that, with him taking a break from racing for several years before returning to sportscars in the mid-1980s to assist Peugeot in developing its Le Mans program.
Already a two-time podium finisher at the legendary 24-hour race, he took two more P3 finishes in the Peugeot 905 around the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1992 and 1993, racing into his 50s.
Life after retirement
After retiring from driving, he took over as CEO of Peugeot Sport.|PHOTO: Getty Images|
After retiring from driving, he took over as CEO of Peugeot Sport. Still, he left the team a year later, in 1995, after unsuccessful engine partnerships with Jordan and McLaren in Formula 1, before co-founding the JB Racing sportscar team.
In a statement, Alpine said: “BWT Alpine F1 Team is deeply saddened to learn of Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s passing. A talented engineer, a pioneer in our sport, and a modest racing driver. Jean-Pierre excelled in racing.”
“We’d like to extend our most sincere condolences to his family and close friends.”
“Merci pour tout, Jean-Pierre.”
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