Jody Scheckter

Jody Scheckter
Born	Jody David Scheckter (1950-01-29) January 29, 1950 East London, Cape Province, Union of South Africa
Occupation(s)	Racing driver, entrepreneur
Years active	1972–1980 (Formula One)
Known for	1979 Formula One World Drivers' Champion; only African Formula One World Champion; only driver to win a Grand Prix driving a six-wheeled car
Notable work	Founder of Firearms Training Systems; organic farmer at Laverstoke Park Farm

Jody David Scheckter (; born 29 January 1950) is a retired South African racing driver and entrepreneur who competed in Formula One from to . He captured the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, standing as the sole African driver to have ever won a Formula One Grand Prix or the World Drivers' Championship, amassing 10 Grand Prix victories throughout nine seasons.

Originating from East London, Cape Province, Scheckter advanced rapidly in motor racing after relocating to the United Kingdom in 1970. He made his Formula One debut at the 1972 United States Grand Prix driving for McLaren, having previously competed for them in British and European Formula Two that same year. After securing the SCCA Continental Championship title in Formula 5000, he participated in five F1 Grands Prix with McLaren in . Earning a full-time seat with Tyrrell in , he achieved his maiden victory at the Grand Prix and concluded the season third overall. In , Scheckter triumphed at his home event, the 1975 South African Grand Prix, and again finished third in the championship, piloting the pioneering six-wheeled Tyrrell P34. He remains unique as the only driver to win a Grand Prix driving a six-wheeled vehicle.

In , Scheckter joined Wolf, where he secured multiple race wins, including the esteemed , ultimately finishing second in the championship behind Niki Lauda. Following a winless campaign with Wolf in 1978, he transferred to Ferrari to race alongside Gilles Villeneuve. During his debut season with Ferrari (), he won three Grands Prix and clinched the World Drivers' Championship at the Grand Prix, becoming Africa’s first Formula One World Champion. His attempt to defend the title in was hindered by Ferrari's difficulties with the 312T5 car, leading to his retirement at season’s end. Over his career, he accumulated 10 victories, three pole positions, five fastest laps, and 33 podium finishes.

Post-retirement, Scheckter transitioned into broadcasting, working for networks such as CBS Sports, ABC, and ITV. In 1984, he founded Firearms Training Systems, a company specializing in weapons simulation that expanded to generate revenues exceeding £100 million by the early 1990s. Subsequently, he shifted focus toward organic agriculture, managing Laverstoke Park Farm in England. His sons, Toby Scheckter and Tomas Scheckter, also followed paths into professional racing.

Career

Jody David Scheckter was born on 29 January 1950 in East London, located within Cape Province, Union of South Africa. His education included Vincent Primary School and later attendance at Selborne College.

Formula One

After relocating to Britain in 1970, Scheckter rapidly progressed within Formula One ranks. His debut came at the 1972 US Grand Prix driving for McLaren, where he reached as high as third before finishing ninth. In 1973, he claimed victory in the 1973 SCCA L&M Championship and entered five F1 races. Early career setbacks included collisions such as one involving reigning World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi and a spin that triggered a significant accident at Silverstone; these incidents led to calls for his suspension but were averted when McLaren agreed to bench him for four events. Notably, during the Canadian and American Grands Prix of 1973, his McLaren M23 bore the unusual number zero. The fatal accident of teammate François Cevert during practice profoundly influenced Scheckter’s approach, encouraging him to adopt a more measured driving style.

In 1974, Tyrrell offered Scheckter his first full-time Formula One drive; he secured third place in the Drivers' Championship with victories in Sweden and Britain while scoring points across eight consecutive races. The following year, he won the South African Grand Prix—the only South African ever to achieve this—but experienced a less consistent performance overall. In 1976, piloting the innovative yet problematic six-wheeled Tyrrell P34, he again finished third in the championship; this car recorded its sole victory under his control at Sweden’s Anderstorp circuit. That season also featured a memorable duel with James Hunt during the American Grand Prix.

Scheckter joined industrialist Walter Wolf’s newly formed team in 1977, immediately contributing a victory on its debut race along with two further wins that year, culminating in second place behind Niki Lauda in the championship standings. After an underwhelming 1978 season with Wolf, he transitioned to Ferrari, partnering Gilles Villeneuve and driving their ground effect-equipped 312T4 car.

Although initially met with skepticism regarding his fit within Ferrari's management structure, Scheckter played a key role in securing another Constructors' Championship for Ferrari and earned the Drivers' Championship title in 1979 through three wins and consistent high finishes. However, his performance declined sharply during the 1980 season—he failed to qualify for the Canadian Grand Prix and managed only two points before retiring from both Ferrari and Formula One altogether. He remained Ferrari’s last Drivers’ Champion until Michael Schumacher claimed that honor years later.

Broadcasting

In 1981, Scheckter was appointed by CBS Sports as a Pit reporter for their F1 broadcasts. He also contributed to ABC's Wide World of Sports coverage during the 1983 Monaco Grand Prix and served as a guest commentator for ITV at the 1999 San Marino Grand Prix, stepping in for Martin Brundle.

That same year, Scheckter triumphed in the World Superstars competition held in Key Biscayne, Florida, outperforming prominent athletes such as Russ Francis, Renaldo Nehemiah, and Rick Barry.

Business

Following his retirement from racing, Scheckter established the firearms simulation enterprise Firearms Training Systems (FATS) in 1984. By the early 1990s, FATS was generating revenues exceeding £100 million, supplying advanced firearms training simulators to military, police forces, and security agencies.

Farming

Scheckter transitioned into biodynamic agriculture after acquiring Laverstoke Park Farm near Overton, Hampshire, located approximately southwest of London. As a proponent of organic farming, he appeared in documentaries advocating the health advantages of organic produce and featured on the Countryfile television program in 2011 to promote sustainable farming practices. The farm was also highlighted on BBC's Escape To the Country, emphasizing its Buffalo Mozzarella production.

In 2009, he revealed plans to launch biodynamic sparkling wine production by 2012. The farm was used as the filming location for ITV's Sugar Free Farm in 2015, where celebrities adopted sugar-free lifestyles while working on-site. By 2024, Laverstoke Park had ended its dairy and buffalo farming operations but continued composting activities and hosted events such as CarFest.

Charity

In 2004, Scheckter reunited with his championship-winning Ferrari at the South African two-seater F1x2 Charity Grand Prix held at Kyalami.

Personal life

Scheckter is married and has six children: Toby and Tomas from his previous marriage to Pamela; and Hugo, Freddie, Ila, and Poppy with his current spouse Clare. His daughter Ila tragically passed away in 2019 at age 21. Proceeds from selling his firearms simulation business supported the racing pursuits of sons Tomas and Toby. Tomas competed in the Indy Racing League, securing two victories. Additionally, Scheckter’s elder brother Ian participated in Formula One racing.

Awards and honours

In 1983, Scheckter was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
1972	European Formula Two	Bruce McLaren Motor Racing	8	1	0	1	1	15	8th
	British Formula Two		5	1	0	0	1	12	4th
	Formula One	Yardley Team McLaren	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
1973	SCCA Continental Championship	Taylor-Entin	9	4	2	2	8	144	1st
	Formula One	Yardley Team McLaren	5	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	1974	Formula One	Elf Team Tyrrell	15	2	0	2	6	45	3rd
		1975	Formula One	Elf Team Tyrrell	14	1	0	0	3	20	7th
	1976		Formula One	Elf Team Tyrrell	16	1	1	1	5	49	3rd
1977			Formula One	Walter Wolf Racing	17	3	1	2	9	55	2nd
1978	Formula One		Walter Wolf Racing	16	0	0	0	4	24	7th
1979	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari (SEFAC Ferrari)	15	3	1	0	6	51	1st
1980	align=left 1980 Formula One season Scuderia Ferrari (SEFAC Ferrari) 13 0 0 0 0 2 19th

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races shown in bold denote pole position; races in italics signify fastest lap)

... [table continues with similar structure, entries compressed proportionally] ...

Year	Team	Car Model	Power Unit	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Championship Standing	Points
Template:F1	Yardley Team McLaren	McLaren M19A	Cosworth V8	ARG	RSA	ESP	MON	BEL	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN	USA 9						NC	0
Template:F1	Yardley Team McLaren	McLaren M19A	Cosworth V8	ARG	BRA	RSA 9	ESP	BEL	MON	SWE											NC	0
		McLaren M23									FRA Ret	GBR Ret	NED	GER	AUT	ITA	CAN Ret	USA Ret
Template:Center

Formula One non-championship results

(key) (Races in bold signify pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

  1980   SEFAC Ferrari   Ferrari 312T5   Ferrari Flat-12 engine   Spanish GP ESP
WD   -   -   -   -   -    |}

References

Year	Team	Car Model	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6
1972	Yardley Team McLaren	McLaren M19A	Cosworth V8	ROC	BRA	INT	OUL	REP	VIC NC
1973	Yardley Team McLaren	McLaren McLaren M19C	Cosworth V8	ROC Ret	INT
1974	Elf Aquitaine Tyrrell Racing	Tyrrell Racing Tyrrell 006	Cosworth V8	PRE 2	ROC	INT
1975	Elf Aquitaine Tyrrell Racing	Tyrrell Racing Tyrrell 007	Cosworth V8	ROC Ret	INT	SUI
1976	Elf Aquitaine Tyrrell Racing	Tyrrell Racing Tyrrell 007	Cosworth V8	ROC Ret	INT 3
1977	Walter Wolf Racing	Wolf WR1	Ford V8	ROC 2
1979	Scuderia Ferrari SEFAC Ferrari	Ferrari 312T4	Ferrari Flat-12 engine	1979 Race of Champions ROC	Gunnar Nilsson Memorial Trophy GNM	1979 Dino Ferrari Grand Prix DIN Template:Small 3