“Quite seriously, I've never felt anything like the same about racing ever since. I nearly packed it up.”
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Jody Scheckter
Jody David Scheckter is a South African former racing driver and businessman who competed in Formula One from 1972 to 1980. Scheckter won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1979 with Ferrari, and remains the only African driver to have won a Formula One Grand Prix or the World Drivers' Championship; he won 10 Grands Prix across nine seasons.
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business · South African racing driver (born 1950) · Formula One driver · racing automobile driver · businessperson · farmer · also Jody Scheckter, Jody David Scheckter, Scheckter
Born 29 January 1950 · Q172775
37 published statements · 0 followers
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2026· 9 entries
“[Gilles] was the fastest driver in the history of motor racing. .. But more important for me is that he was the most genuine person I have ever known.”
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“In a situation like that I know I would have been scared stiff. But I am sure that when Gilles felt his Ferrari take off, his last thought was anger, plain and simple, because he knew that he had spoiled that one perfect lap.”
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“His death has deprived us of a great champion - one that I loved very much. My past is scarred with grief; parents, brother, son. My life is full of sad memories. I look back and see the faces of my loved ones, and among them I see him.”
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“His death signified the passing of a certain approach. He was the last person who had the totally un-inhibited joy of driving a racing car.”
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“The kids were just 8 and 10 years old and seemed to be doing much better than I expected. That first night they both went upstairs to bed, and later I went up to check on them. They were asleep. When I saw Melanie I started crying. She had a picture of her dad with her. She was holding it in her arms.”
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“I think Gilles was the perfect racing driver … He had the best talent of all of us.”
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“His car control was extraordinary, even compared with the many talented drivers I have had the opportunity to drive against over the years. … [He drove a] Grand Prix car to the absolute limit of its ability.”
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“One or two drivers were dying every year, I’d won the championship and the magic was gone.”
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2024· 4 entries
autoweek: 10 F1, Other Race Cars Being Auctioned from Jody Scheckter’s Collection
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Road & Track: F1 Champ Jody Scheckter's Collection Including Championship-Winning Ferrari 312 T4 Goes to Auction
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At the South African Jewish Board of Deputies' 120th anniversary gala dinner, he was honoured among 100 remarkable Jewish South Africans who have contributed to South Africa
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The farm ceased dairy production and buffalo farming with operations at the compost plant not affected and the farm would continue to host carfest
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2023· 2 entries
Planet F1: Jody Scheckter: South African GP return thwarted by ‘greed’ at Kyalami
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Planet F1: Jody Scheckter criticises ‘obvious’ Ferrari mistakes under pressure in 2022
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2021· 1 entry
Ferrari: Unsung Heroes: Jody Scheckter
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2019· 1 entry
Scheckter's daughter Ila died on 17 October 2019, at age 21.
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2015· 1 entry
The farm was the setting for ITV's Sugar Free Farm where a group of celebrities had to go sugar free for two weeks whilst working on the farm
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2005· 1 entry
On the Visionhealth DVD and TV documentaries "Asthma: An Integrated Approach", "Arthritis: An Integrated Approach" and "Diabetes: An Integrated Approach"
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2004· 1 entry
Scheckter was reunited with his championship-winning Ferrari at the South African two-seater F1x2 Charity Grand Prix at Kyalami in South Africa
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1984· 2 entries
Called Firearms Training Systems (FATS), whose revenue eclipsed £100 million by the early 1990s
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Called Firearms Training Systems, whose revenue eclipsed £100 million by the early 1990s
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1983· 1 entry
Was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
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1982· 2 entries
“Behind the wheel of a racing car he was fearfully quick, never stopped trying, and could extricate himself from the most precarious situations with deft brilliance.”
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“Gilles was a totally uncomplicated non-political guy with no hangups whatsoever. He was totally and completely honest. If we were testing .. and the car was rubbish, he'd come in and say 'Look, the car's rubbish … I don't mind driving the car, don't get me wrong, I'll drive it all day .. and I love every minute of it, but I thought that you ought to know the car's rubbish.' … The Old Man (Enzo Ferrari) loved him for this.”
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1981· 2 entries
CBS Sports hired Scheckter as a Pit reporter for its F1 coverage
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“He also never drove anywhere at anything less than an absolutely flat-out pace, be it on the road or the track...”
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1980· 1 entry
As Ferrari struggled with the 312T5, retiring at the end of the season having achieved 10 race wins, three pole positions, five fastest laps and 33 podiums in Formula One
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1979· 3 entries
With Ferrari, and remains the only African driver to have won a Formula One Grand Prix or the World Drivers' Championship; he won 10 Grands Prix across nine seasons
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“I was at home in Monaco that Sunday. A friend of mine called from Zolder and said 'Gilles has had a big accident, and it doesn't look good at all.' So I phoned Joann, and shot up to her place very quickly. From then on it was chaos and disaster. You don't want to think about it.”
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“It was terrible when Gilles died. I cried that day and the next one too, even though I had to race... ...and I remember the feeling that we were all starting equal, from now. Villeneuve was gone. We all knew he had talent beyond our reach.”
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1978· 1 entry
Scheckter moved to Ferrari to partner Gilles Villeneuve
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1977· 1 entry
Scheckter took several race wins—including the Monaco Grand Prix—as he finished runner-up to Niki Lauda in the standings
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1975· 1 entry
And placed third in the standings again in 1976, driving the six-wheeled P34; he remains the only driver to win a Grand Prix on six wheels
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1972· 1 entry
With McLaren, where he ran as high as third place before spinning and finishing ninth
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1950· 2 entries
Born 1950-01-29.
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“I will drive flat out all the time … I love racing.”
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