"He was like a young fighting cock": When Jackie Stewart fondly described his friend and F1 teammate Francois Cevert

Former 3-time F1 world champion Jackie Stewart remembered his friend and former teammate Francois Cevert in his documentary released in 2001. He described Cevert as a young fighting cock with a confident personality.

F1 has always been a dangerous sport. Over the years, many drivers have lost their lives in horrific crashes, raising questions about safety standards. One such incident, that shook the core of motorsport, happened with Francois Cevert.

The Frenchman made his debut in 1970 for Tyrrell Racing, replacing Johnny Servoz-Gavin. He joined an experienced world champion, Jackie Stewart, as a teammate. The duo bonded early, and Stewart would often guide Cevert into improving his craft for racing.

In his 2001 documentary named 'The Flying Scot,' Jackie Stewart described Cevert's personality and praised his talents outside of racing. In the documentary, he said:

"When Francois Cevert came along, he was different. He was like a young fighting cock. He was so confident. Terrific pair of eyes, very deep and blue eyes, amazingly expressive. He was a good musician, played classical music, and was a great pianist. He had so many skills, and he used to pull up girls. He was almost too good-looking to be a racing driver."

However, Francois Cevert lost his life in 1973. During the qualifying session of the United States Grand Prix, his car hit the side barrier of the Watkins Glen circuit and took a flip in the air before falling upside down across the track. Cevert died on the spot as his body was disfigured.

Meanwhile, Stewart, who had clinched his third championship that season, was supposed to retire from F1 after the race. However, he was taken aback by the accident and withdrew from the race, also his 100th career Grand Prix, to announce early retirement.

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Jackie Stewart wants to see more women joining F1

Former 3-time F1 champion, Jackie Stewart (Image Source: Getty)

Jackie Stewart is a firm believer in the fact that more women should be given an opportunity to join F1. Talking to Racingnews356 on a podcast, he said:

"Karting has become so popular and so available, still very expensive. Whether it's women today, because we need to have women in Formula 1, in my mind. We should have women in Formula 1. There is no reason why a woman can't be in Formula 1. Not at all. Nothing to do with physique or anything else, but they don't go karting as much as boys do."

Currently, female racers have a separate competition called the F1 Academy, managed by Susie Wolff. The female-centric tournament was inaugurated in 2023 and featured five teams competing in seven race weekends.

In 2024, Abbi Pulling won the championship, whereas Prema Racing secured the constructors title.