Jackie Stewart

Sir Jackie Stewart is one of the towering figures of Formula 1, a three-time World Champion whose brilliance behind the wheel was matched only by his transformative campaign for driver safety. Born in Milton, Scotland, in 1939, he became known as the Flying Scot and reshaped the sport both as a competitor and as a crusader for change.

Stewart won his three titles in 1969, 1971 and 1973, the first with Matra and the latter two with Tyrrell, the team built around him by Ken Tyrrell. He amassed 27 Grand Prix wins, a record that stood for years, along with 43 podiums and 17 pole positions in just 100 starts, an extraordinary strike rate. He retired at the close of the 1973 season after the death of teammate Francois Cevert.

Appalled by the carnage of his era, Stewart led the fight for circuit safety, barriers, medical facilities and seat belts, saving countless lives. He later returned as a team owner with Stewart Grand Prix in the late 1990s, and remains one of motorsport's most influential ambassadors.

Stewart drove with a smooth, economical precision, conserving the car and his energy while remaining searingly fast, an approach that produced one of the great win rates in F1 history. Yet his greatest legacy lies beyond the results: his relentless safety advocacy at a time when drivers died with grim regularity changed the sport forever. He stands as both a champion and a humanitarian whose influence endures across every era of Formula 1 that followed.