Jack Brabham

Sir Jack Brabham April 2 1926 May 19 2014 was an Australian racing driver and engineer celebrated as one of the greatest pioneers in Formula 1 Born in Hurstville New South Wales Brabham began his career as a mechanic and quickly moved into racing making a name for himself in Australian motorsport before moving to Europe He won three Formula 1 World Championships 1959 1960 and 1966 and made history in 1966 as the only driver to win the championship in a car of his own construction the Brabham BT19 In 1961 Brabham cofounded the Brabham racing team with engineer Ron Tauranac creating a series of innovative cars that became highly competitive in Formula 1 Brabhams engineering expertise and pioneering spirit led to advancements in car design reliability and performance He retired from Formula 1 in 1970 but left a legacy as a driver team owner and engineer Brabham was knighted in 1979 for his contributions to motorsport and his influence continues through generations of racers including his sons who also became racing drivers