Jean-Pierre Jaussaud 1937-2021

The double winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans - in 1978 on Renault -Alpine and in 1980 on Rondeau - left us on July 22, at the age of 84. As Stirling Moss was the “uncrowned champion”, the friendly Normand will go down in legend as “the one who never raced in F1”. He would have deserved it though.

Published 26/07/2021 à 11:30

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When AUTOhebdo was born in 1976, Jean-Pierre Jaussaud was already nicknamed “Papy”. Because as he approached his forties, the Caennais continued to face the young guns of the F2 in the hope of reaching the Grail: this steering wheel F1 who always refused him. As affectionate as it is, this nickname was a little unfair, because we have never met a pilot as young in spirit as Jean-Pierre. Born on June 3, 1937, this son of a wholesale grocer discovered motorsport in the 1950s, when the F1 came to perform in Caen, on the Circuit de la Prairie. In France, nothing exists to help young people get started. We prefer to send them to Algeria… Twenty-nine months later, Jean-Pierre can finally start in karting, his 78 kg forcing him to develop a way of driving which would make him one of the finest stylists of his generation.

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