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Jacky Ickx, was born on 1 January 1945 in Brussels. His father Jacques Ickx, a motorsport journalist, no doubt awoke his interest in fast vehicles. His first successes came in motocross and Formula 2 racing – becoming Formula 2 European champion in 1967. One year later, Ferrari put him on the Formula 1 grid while he was in his early twenties. His expertise of wet-weather driving was apparent on numerous occasions, including in Rouen where he landed his first Grand Prix victory. Ickx would win eight Grands Prix for Ferrari, Brabham and Lotus. Porsche congratulated Jacky Ickx on his 80th birthday this week.
“After his career in Formula 1, Ickx shifted his focus to endurance races,” Porsche said. “In his first year at Porsche in 1976, he picked up three victories in the World Championship for Makes and four in the World Sportscar Championship. Ickx also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ford GT40 in 1969 and repeated this triumph for Porsche in 1977, 1981 and 1982. The race in June 1977 not only saw him mount one of the best recoveries from a trailing position in motorsport history; it is also considered one of the most incredible races in his career. The sports car manufacturer from Zuffenhausen entered two Porsche 936 models.
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“The car driven by Ickx and Henri Pescarolo suffered an engine failure after three hours, forcing them to retire from the race. The then 32-year-old was assigned as a replacement driver for Jürgen Barth and Hurley Haywood in the second Porsche 936. Due to technical issues, the team was trailing by several laps. Ickx took to the wheel. He caught up, recovered the lost laps and drove to the limit – ultimately leading Porsche to the overall victory,” Porsche said.
In 1979, Ickx won the North American CanAm series. In 1981 and 1982, he assisted with the development of the Porsche 956 at Weissach. [The 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona is at 1:40 p.m. ET on Jan. 25 – AutoCrat] “His tips from the perspective of a racing driver were incorporated into aspects including the development and configuration of the cockpit and monocoque. In 1983, he took part in the Paris-Dakar Rally in a Mercedes-Benz. After winning, he was able to convince Porsche to participate in the desert rally. He entered the rally as a Porsche driver in 1984 and in the following two years, ending his career with a second place in 1986 in a Porsche 959,” Porsche said.
“His commitment to Porsche in the 1970s and 1980s was invaluable, as was his contribution to the brand’s racing success at this time. One of the aspects that distinguished his career was his versatility: Ickx shone in endurance races as well as in sprint formats, in wet weather and with a wide range of vehicle types in the world’s most challenging races. To this day, the father of five is closely associated with Porsche and represents the brand values. Ickx is not only a welcome guest at Porsche events, but also a contemporary witness, valued partner and test driver. For example, he was present alongside the Porsche Heritage and Museum team for the recommissioning of the 959 Paris-Dakar, in which he and Claude Brasseur took second place in 1986,” Porsche said.
Milestones – F1, Can Am and Le Mans Winner Jacky Ickx
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Jacky Ickx, was born on 1 January 1945 in Brussels. His father Jacques Ickx, a motorsport journalist, no doubt awoke his interest in fast vehicles. His first successes came in motocross and Formula 2 racing – becoming Formula 2 European champion in 1967. One year later, Ferrari put him on the Formula 1 grid while he was in his early twenties. His expertise of wet-weather driving was apparent on numerous occasions, including in Rouen where he landed his first Grand Prix victory. Ickx would win eight Grands Prix for Ferrari, Brabham and Lotus. Porsche congratulated Jacky Ickx on his 80th birthday this week.
“After his career in Formula 1, Ickx shifted his focus to endurance races,” Porsche said. “In his first year at Porsche in 1976, he picked up three victories in the World Championship for Makes and four in the World Sportscar Championship. Ickx also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ford GT40 in 1969 and repeated this triumph for Porsche in 1977, 1981 and 1982. The race in June 1977 not only saw him mount one of the best recoveries from a trailing position in motorsport history; it is also considered one of the most incredible races in his career. The sports car manufacturer from Zuffenhausen entered two Porsche 936 models.
Click for more.
“The car driven by Ickx and Henri Pescarolo suffered an engine failure after three hours, forcing them to retire from the race. The then 32-year-old was assigned as a replacement driver for Jürgen Barth and Hurley Haywood in the second Porsche 936. Due to technical issues, the team was trailing by several laps. Ickx took to the wheel. He caught up, recovered the lost laps and drove to the limit – ultimately leading Porsche to the overall victory,” Porsche said.
In 1979, Ickx won the North American CanAm series. In 1981 and 1982, he assisted with the development of the Porsche 956 at Weissach. [The 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona is at 1:40 p.m. ET on Jan. 25 – AutoCrat] “His tips from the perspective of a racing driver were incorporated into aspects including the development and configuration of the cockpit and monocoque. In 1983, he took part in the Paris-Dakar Rally in a Mercedes-Benz. After winning, he was able to convince Porsche to participate in the desert rally. He entered the rally as a Porsche driver in 1984 and in the following two years, ending his career with a second place in 1986 in a Porsche 959,” Porsche said.
“His commitment to Porsche in the 1970s and 1980s was invaluable, as was his contribution to the brand’s racing success at this time. One of the aspects that distinguished his career was his versatility: Ickx shone in endurance races as well as in sprint formats, in wet weather and with a wide range of vehicle types in the world’s most challenging races. To this day, the father of five is closely associated with Porsche and represents the brand values. Ickx is not only a welcome guest at Porsche events, but also a contemporary witness, valued partner and test driver. For example, he was present alongside the Porsche Heritage and Museum team for the recommissioning of the 959 Paris-Dakar, in which he and Claude Brasseur took second place in 1986,” Porsche said.