Courtesy of Rolex, I got the opportunity to ask F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart during the weekend of
the Goodwood revival about his relation to Goodwood and to Rolex.
The three-time WDC joined the Rolex family of Testimonees in 1968, so this year marks the
50
th
anniversary of their partnership: “My admiration for the brand continues to grow every
single year because of the people involved and the quality of the product!”
This year, Sir Jackie drove the 1957 Cooper T43, the 1966 Eagle-Weslake T1G and the 1960
Ferrari 250 GT SWB/C in the Rob Walker and Dan Gurney tributes.
Afterwards, he said: “It was an absolute privilege to have the opportunity to drive around this
magical circuit once again, especially in memory of motoring legends.” Reflecting on the
event’s milestone, Sir Jackie continued: “Seeing Goodwood Revival celebrate its 20th
anniversary has been particularly nostalgic; the Duke of Richmond has established an
extraordinarily unique and successful event, honoring the heritage of our sport and the
beautiful cars that time will never forget. As I mark my 50th year as part of the Rolex family, it is
a pleasure to be here and enjoy the special environment of the Rolex Drivers’ Club – which
feels like a second home to me.”
I also was able to ask two more questions to him concerning his abilities as a driver in that period of time:
TSS: The Nürburgring Nordschleife was always a circuit where you were in a different class to all the
other drivers. As it was a particularly dangerous circuit, and in light of your constant battle for more safety on the race tracks,how did you deal
with this contradiction? How did you overcome the potential danger and focus 100% on driving?
JS: Mind management. I never drove the Nürburgring faster than I needed to drive, so I was very seldom on the limit. I held the lap record
several times, but with 160 corners per lap and over 14 miles – it would have been unwise to be on the absolute limit.
TSS: You tested a number of current F1 cars at the end of `77 / early `78 in Paul Ricard, France. Did you do it purely for fun? Did you ever
seriously consider a comeback after your retirement at the end of ‘73?
JS: I never considered a comeback – I did it as I wanted to feel what the latest technology was like to drive.
Thank you Sir Jackie and Rolex for this opportunity!
Pure