Jacky Ickx and Mario Andretti. Quite simply, two of the greatest racing drivers in motor racing history. Even their names, which carry the resonance of Grand Prix wins from a golden era, heroic sports car feats and more, are dripping with style and class.
As far as we’re aware, these two have never been interviewed together before, and yet these giants of racing formed a bond 40 years ago as team-mates at Ferrari racing in both Formula 1 and sports cars. When they joined us for our inaugural Motor Sport Hall of Fame event in February we had the perfect opportunity to reunite them – and get them talking about the Prancing Horse. The result is the cover story for the June issue of Motor Sport.
Editor-in-chief Nigel Roebuck was handed this enviable task, but it wasn’t exactly smooth running. He was made to sweat. Nigel had arranged to meet the pair in Signor Sassi, a favourite Italian restaurant, on the day of the Hall of Fame in London. Andretti had arrived from the States safe and sound the night before, but Ickx wouldn’t be so lucky.
Jacky spends much of his time in Mali these days, but he’d told us flying in from Africa would not be a problem. As it turned out, it wasn’t. But taking the short connecting trip from Brussels would be – his flight was cancelled. Typical!
I got the message in the morning and started to sweat. Jacky was one of our star guests for this special night and now I had images of him failing to make it (the message I got was that his flight was cancelled and I had images of him stranded in Africa!). But with characteristic coolness, Jacky came through for us. He jumped on the Eurostar, came straight to the restaurant and being a true gent was full of apologies (even though it wasn’t his fault, of course). Phew! The Hall of Fame was saved and I’d still get my future cover story.
Following the entertaining lunch, Nigel met up with Andretti again in Bahrain at the Grand Prix and Ickx at the Goodwood press day, topping up the material he’d already got from the two of them together. The result was 19,000 words of transcription from his Dictaphone – and he hates transcribing! I know, it’s hard to complain when you’re listening back to gems from such heroes, but we have to hand it to Nigel this month: he’s put in the hours…
Aside from Ickx and Andretti, there is an eclectic mix of stories in the new issue, from just about every era. Highlights for me include Anthony Rowlinson’s terrific interview with design genius John Barnard, Bruno Giacomelli talking to Paul Fearnley – and the photos of outlandish second-generation Can-Am cars in Gordon Kirby’s retrospective. The stars that passed through that series in the 1970s and early ’80s – including Jones, Villeneuve, Tambay, Rosberg and that man Ickx – has bestowed cult status on the era. So right up our street, then.
This will be great! I just watched Speed Merchants again the other day. Man I’m excited…
Can’t wait for my issue. Just hope the mail planes to Australia don’t stop off in Iceland any more…..
Mario, The Speed Merchants is an excellent film for sure!
I’m definitely looking forward to this issue!
well, this is going to be very interesting. in 1972 both teamed up to win all endurance races for the championship in the States, being Daytona 6Hrs, Watkins Glen 6 Hrs, Sebring 12 Hrs, and in Europe they won the 1000 kms. of Brands-Hatch, all with ferrari 312 PB. both also won F1 races with the Ferrari 312 B001. so I am very much interested in their thoughts and looking for the interview.
Fantastic, well done.
Andretti is a wonderful story teller and is CV speaks from himself, Ickx, well, only the most complete and versatile driver from all times. Those two together with Mr. Encyclopedia/ N. Roebuck for sure will bring a fantastic article.
“Speed Merchants”… a classic that I see each year religiously.
I remember seeing Ick and Andretti in 1972 driving their 312PB. Beautiful car. Hard to fathom today that Ferrari line up for the 1972 Sportcars Championship was Ickx, Andretti, Peterson, Reutemann, Regazzoni, Redman,…So sad they skipped Le Mans that year, Andretti may have won it.
Talking about “The Speed Merchants”: what about an in depth interview or “lunch with” Vic Elford. Great man, great driver.
Since the wonderful film “Speed Merchants” has been mentioned, how about a interview of Michael Keyser and how the film was produced?
For the editors of Motorsport
Just a suggestion if I may. Could you do an interview with David Hobbs. He has performed well in a large variety of formulae and is an entertaining cordial announcer for F1 in the states. As an aside, my future wife to be and I were in the paddock at Riverside Raceway in early seventies. We were sitting in the shade of a transporter trailer trying to stay cool in the ferocious Riverside heat and along walks David Hobbs “the Upper Boddington Flash”. He stops and says hello and starts into a regular conversation with us about racing and such with the casualness of acquainted friends. Such openness and interaction is something most of the readers probably agree, is in short supply among most drivers of true professional level for many decades. Maybe its something of the good old boy club that has permeated motor racing for so long. Anyway, Mr. Hobbs is one of the true gentleman of the sport and positive ambassador for it. Also, on the plus side of this encounter, my then future wife lent me half of the money to get a Lola FF. Lucky bastard! And we’re still married 35 years later
After reading the beautiful article on Jacky and Mario in the last issue of the magazine, I noticed that Andretti’s first race with Ferrari was Daytona 24 Hours in 1966, sharing a NART entry with Pedro Rodriguez, a private 365P2. In fact Ickx drove a Ferrari for the first time in the very same race! That was also a private car, an old 250 LM entered by Ecurie Francorchamps in yellow colors, co-driven by “Elde” (Leon Dernier) and “Beurlys” (Jean Blaton). Funny, isn’t it?
In fact, Mario’s first Ferrari drive was at Bridgehampton in September, 1965 aboard a NART Ferrari 330LM. It was only his second road race but it laid the groundwork for 1966 and beyond.
Why is Ickx in Mali ? Fascinating discussion.
Gonzalez is the longest living GP winner. Interview him before it is too late!
June issue was outstanding but arent they all. Bumped into Jack Sears after his super win in Cobra at Brands. Said better than GP
He grinned!
I’m a young Italian subscriber of the magazine.
I would like to say thank you to all, and especially Nigel for the interview with Mario and Jackie… great stuff from both of them.. Motor racing may have been better back then because of the great people involved like Mario and Jacky.
Fantastic when Ickx said that he unfortunatly never thanked a lot of the mechanics that have worked for him and how sorry he was about it.