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.

In 1979, Ickx won the North American CanAm series. In 1981 and 1982, he assisted with the development of the Porsche 956 at Weissach. “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.