The name of F1 diver Jacques Lafitte (born 1943) will always be connected to the light blue colour of the Ligier F1 cars. His friend Jean Pierre Jabouille arranged for him a race class at the Wingfield school. He ended in second place and the price was a Martini F3 car. After one year, he decided to race in the Formula France, which became F. Renault. In 1972 he became the champion followed by the France F3 title in 1973 in a BP sponsored Martini. BP puts him in a March F2; he won the race at the Salzburgring and a P03 in the championship. He got a call from Frank Williams to race his Iso Marlboro from the German GP onwards next to team mate Arturo Merzario. His best finish was a P15 in Canada. In 1975 Lafitte won the European F3 title( six wins) with the first F2 car built by Tico Martini. Williams wanted him to stay with the team and Jacques had Ambrozium as a personal sponsor. His best race was the German GP. Started from P15, he gradually climbed up to second place and collected valuable points for the team. Lafitte and Merzario were both sportscar drivers for the WKRT Alfa Romeo team. Together they won the races at Dijon, Monza and Spa. For the record, Jacques had only three sportscar experiences with a Ligier JS2 in Le Mans 24h.
The timing was right ! Since Matra had left the F1 circus, France had no F1 racing team anymore. Ex -driver Guy Ligier wanted to build his own racing car around a Matra V12 engine. Beltoise did some lobby work with tobacco giant Gitanes. And yes, in 1976 there is a dancing gipsy woman on a white and blue Ligier JS 5 Matra with Lafitte ( and unfortunately not Jean Pierre Beltoise) behind the wheel at Interlagos. The first year got off to a good start. The car looked a bit clumsy and initially had a ridiculously high airbox, but Jacques was on the podium twice (Austria, Belgium) and even started from pole position in Monza. The party was complete when he won the GP Sweden in 1977 in the JS7. Despite the aerodynamic troubles (and no ground effect yet) with the new JS9 during the 1978 season, Jacques had again two podium finishes (Spain, Germany) and ends on P8 in the championship.
For 1979, Guy Ligier had no Matra engine anymore, so he chose to use the Cosworth DFV and brought the firm SERA and his engineer Robert Choulet together with his own engineering team Gerard Ducarouge and Michel Beaujon to construct the beautiful JS11. And more: Patrick Depailler became the team mate of Jacques Lafitte. The season started in January in Buenos Aires. There were two blue French cars on the first row when the start was given. After a crash at the start, a second start was given. Lafitte had some wheelspin and he had to let go Depailler, Jarier and Watson. But in lap 11, he got back into the lead and wins. Fourteen days later in Brasil, it was again a French first row. From the start, no one could catch both the JS11 and for the first time it was a French one- two finish. On return to France, Lafitte and Ligier were treated as heroes. After these races, there were problems with the wings and the weight of the car, so Jacques got only three times on the podium and ended fourth in the championship. In 1980, with a strong Williams car in the competition, Lafitte only won the German GP (his team mate Pironi in Belgium), stood 4 times more on the podium, was again P04 in the overall standings. In 1981 with the JS 17 and a Matra engine again, the 38 year old Lafitte was a whole year in competition for the word champion place. He won two races (Austria and Canada) and scored 5 podium places. He hoped for a Peugeot Turbo deal for 1982, but the team had to continue with the old Matra engine. Apart from a P03 in Austria, there were no further successes, so Jacques accepted the offer from Williams to drive again for them.
Jacques had a miserable 1983. His team mate was Keke Rosberg, the car the FW08. Communication within the team was bad. His best results were a P04 in Brasil and Long Beach. He thought that 1984 would be better with the Honda Turbo engine in the car, but the engines kept breaking down despite the fact that both drivers could not use the necessary turbo pressure.
Guy Ligier welcomed Lafitte back in his team as his lost son. With the Ligier JS25-Renault he scored a P02 in Australia and a P03 in England and Germany and ended ninth in the championship of 1985. In 1986 he looked like he had found his youth again at the age of 42. In Rio de Janeiro he was third just in front of his team mate Arnoux. He also scored points in Monaco and Spa and was on route for a win in Detroit. A wrong tyre choice made him second behind winner Senna. And then, there was the big starting crash at Brands Hatch. Thierry Boutsen went off, ripping off a banner. Johansson tried to avoid this but hit Lafitte who smashed into the guard rails. His two legs were broken and this ended his F1 career
Jacques was back behind the wheel of a BMW M3 in the European Touring car championship in 1988 and in the DTM in 1990 until 1993 with BMW and Mercedes. In 1994 and 1995 he drove the Opel Vectra in the French Supertourisme Series. He also participated in the 24h Le Mans in 1990 (Joest Porsche 962), 1993 (Venturi), 1994 (Porsche Almeras) et 1996 (Bigazzi McLaren F1) and went for a drive in the Paris Dakar. After his career he worked for the TV. In November 2023 he will be 80 years old ! He remains a great champion.
