24h Le Mans
From the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Belgium and France, the Ardennes mountains and the Sarthe region, enjoy this in-depth interview of Jacky Ickx. In this seventh installment, the Belgian champion describes his exploration of Africa, and how much he enjoys his annual visits to Le Mans.
During the first half of the 1980s, Jacky's career was influenced both by the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Africa.
In 1981, he competed in his first Paris-Dakar cross-country rally and scored his fifth win at Le Mans, surpassing the record held by his fellow countryman Olivier Gendebien. In 1983, he won Paris-Dakar along with French actor Claude Brasseur, and became the first driver to clinch three consecutive pole positions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 1985, he competed at Paris-Dakar and his final 24 Hours of Le Mans as a factory Porsche driver.
In addition to his win in 1983 at Paris-Dakar, he made it into the top 10 six other times (1982, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990 and 1992) in 14 participations. For more than three decades, Africa has never been far from Jacky Ickx's heart, thanks most notably to his lovely wife Khadja Nin, a singer from Burundi.
"In motorsports, Africa was sort of unchartered territory," explains Jacky Ickx. "In Africa, if you're a racing driver, there is no being on the fence, you either love it or hate it. There you discover other aspects of this planet, and especially of other people. Africa also helps you get to know yourself because with a race like Dakar, you cannot cut corners at any time, and it is in living through challenging situations like in Africa that you discover yourself, not when things are easy."
During this conversation, Jacky Ickx shared thoughts on his prestigious career as well as his philosophy of life, within which Africa holds an irreplaceable place.
"As far as I'm concerned, I believe my discovery of Africa is the most interesting part of my existence. Africa is revelatory. It puts you in your place. When you become a bit introspective and you're a realist, you occupy on this Earth a different place than the one you thought before. I think you have a broader view of the world, each according to one's own experience."
In addition to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and cross-country rally, Jacky Ickx's career also included Formula 1, Formula 2, the Challenge CanAm and the Bathurst 1000 km, the big motorsports event in Australia. In July of 2017, Jacky Ickx will once again take the wheel in a new context. He will compete in the VW Fun Cup 25 Hours at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. For this single marque competition utilizing as a foundation the Volkswagen New Beetle, he has formed a unique family driver line-up with his five children, three daughters and two sons, aged 22 to 44. Vanina has participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times. She achieved her best result in 2011, with a seventh place finish at the wheel of a Lola-Aston Martin.
But before that, he will attend the 85th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 17th and 18th:
"Now I come to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a mission as I am a consultant for the Volkswagen group," concludes Jacky Ickx, who in 2000 became an honory citizen of the city of Le Mans. "As a result, I take part in certain events as required. Porsche and I share an exceptional 10-year history. And if I was able to become the driver to win the most endurance races, though the record will be beaten one day or another, it's also because I was with a team like Porsche. We share a great fondness for each other. Even though these days I've taken a step back, coming to Le Mans always gives me a great deal of happiness."
Click below for the previous installments in this interview series:
Jacky Ickx interview series (1) - The road to the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans
Jacky Ickx interview series (2) - 1969 and the walk to victory
Jacky Ickx interview series (3) - The Ferrari years
Jacky Ickx interview series (4) - 1977 and the (nearly) impossible win
Jacky Ickx interview series (5) - Teammates and team work
Jacky Ickx interview series (6) - Monsieur Le Mans...and Monsieur Le Mans!
PHOTO (Archives/ACO): On Sunday, June 16, 1985, Jacky Ickx finished his last 24 Hours of Le Mans in 10th place with the Porsche 962 C, along with German driver Jochen Mass.
VIDEO: In 2000, Jacky Ickx took the wheel once again of the 1969 Ford GT40, and became an honory citizen of the city of Le Mans.
