INTERVIEW: ROB WIDDOWS
I’s been 50 years since Jackie Stewart’s last – and for many greatest – season. Since then he has moved from driver to team owner, knight of the realm and latterly charity campaigner. Along the way he’s become one of the first sporting ‘brand ambassadors’ as the face of Rolex, a paddock fixer instrumental in getting F1 commercial deals across the line, TV commentator and most recently bodyguard to Martin Brundle whose honour he defended at the Miami GP and in so doing becoming, at 83, a social media sensation. He is also the oldest living F1 race winner.
To celebrate that final 1973 championship year, his best of times worst of times season, JYS sits down with Motor Sport and casts his mind back half a century...
Motor Sport: At the end of 1972 you said you would focus entirely on Formula 1 for ’73, the stress of competing in so many other categories having taken its toll.
Yes, that’s true, I was exhausted, burned out by all the travelling, doing so many races as well as the world championship. At that time grand prix drivers weren’t paid a lot of money so, to make real money, we had to race in Can-Am, sports cars, touring cars, GT or Indianapolis. I
