Jacky Ickx: the Belgian benchmark

Belgium and Formula 1 have a long-standing relationship. Although no Belgian driver has ever won the world title, this flat country has nevertheless produced notable personalities such as Willy Mairesse, Thierry Boutsen, and, above all, Jacky Ickx.

When the lights go out at Spa-Francorchamps, most fans think of the roar of V6 engines and rain splashing on the asphalt. Yet the most enduring legacy of the Belgian Grand Prix belongs not to the circuit itself, but to a man who turned his love of speed into a crusade for safety: Jacky Ickx.

Born in Brussels, Ickx forged a reputation that extends far beyond the Formula 1 paddock. In 13 seasons, he competed in 113 Grand Prix races for prestigious teams such as Ferrari, Lotus, and Williams, finishing second in the world championship twice. However, the 1970 title fight was marked by tragedy. After Jochen Rindt's fatal accident at Monza, Ickx could have won the title by default, but he refused to take advantage of his rival's death, allowing the championship to go to Rindt posthumously. A similar fate awaited him the following year, cementing his status as the sport's most consistent runner-up.

Ickx's ambitions were never limited to single-seaters. Alongside his F1 exploits, he won six victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, earning him the nickname “Monsieur Le Mans,” and in 1983, he won the Paris-Dakar rally alongside French actor Claude Brasseur. His versatility made him a rare driver: capable of mastering the unforgiving corners of the Nürburgring, dominating the straights of Monza, and winning in the grueling deserts of Africa. The end of his F1 career was less glorious. After three years with the fledgling Williams team (1976-1978), he scored only a handful of points, and in his final season with Ligier, he scored just three championship points before leaving the starting grid. However, Ickx's influence did not end with his retirement from competition. In 1984, he was appointed race director of the Monaco Grand Prix, a role that propelled him into the center of a controversy that still resonates today. Heavy rain forced him to wave the red flag, interrupting the race just as the young Ayrton Senna was about to make a breakthrough. Critics accused Ickx of protecting Alain Prost, who was leading at the time, and FISA quickly removed him from his position. Undeterred, Ickx put his experience to good use. Together with Jackie Stewart, another safety pioneer, he pushed for reforms to rethink the approach to driver protection, ranging from improved barriers to stricter standards for circuits. Today, he remains a respected ambassador for motorsport, and his voice continues to be heard in debates about safety and the future of motor racing.

From narrowly avoiding accidents at the pinnacle of Formula 1 to triumphs in endurance racing, rally raids, and as an advocate, Jacky Ickx's story reminds us that a driver's greatest victory is measured not only in podium finishes, but also in the lives he helps save on the track.