{"id":186749,"date":"2017-01-27T10:59:24","date_gmt":"2017-01-27T10:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/opinion\/an-extraordinary-astounding-driver\/"},"modified":"2021-07-07T12:43:10","modified_gmt":"2021-07-07T11:43:10","slug":"extraordinary-astounding-driver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.motorsportmagazine.com\/articles\/single-seaters\/f1\/extraordinary-astounding-driver\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAn extraordinary, astounding driver\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fast, and one of Porsche’s best \u2013 Jo Siffert in the words of his peers<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Joseph Siffert<\/h2>\n

Born:\u00a0<\/strong>7th July 1936, Fribourg, Fribourg Canton<\/p>\n

Died:<\/strong>\u00a024th October 1971 (Aged 35), Brands Hatch, Kent (GB), Rothmans F1 victory race<\/p>\n

Nationality<\/strong>: Swiss<\/p>\n

\n

When Porsche people of a certain vintage are asked to name the best driver they raced with, the answer is often the same, albeit with one variation.<\/p>\n

Seppi or Jo.<\/p>\n

Swiss Siffert\u2019s<\/a> Grand Prix record tells little of the full picture. Yet he beat Jim Clark, by a tenth, in the Mediterranean Grand Prix in 1964<\/a>. He battled with Clark and John Surtees, both in their pomp, at Siracusa the following year until his engine gave up. Joseph Siffert’s day,<\/a> according to Jenks.<\/p>\n

Three years later, driving Rob Walker\u2019s privateer Lotus 49B he held off Chris Amon at Brands Hatch for his first Grand Prix victory<\/a>. Then in 1971 he mastered the \u00d6sterreichring<\/a>, just a month after his team-mate, friend, foe and rival Pedro Rodriguez\u00a0was killed at the Norisring.<\/p>\n

It was in sports cars that Siffert found real success. Never a winner outright at Le Mans, he and Hans Herrmann finished first and<\/em> second at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona<\/a>. The same year<\/a> he won the Sebring 12 Hours and the N\u00fcrburgring 1000kms.<\/p>\n

Peter Falk, who knows his onions and ran Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, and co. during his career, lists Siffert clear of them all. \u201cAn extraordinary, astounding driver\u201d, he writes in his new book 33 years of Porsche. <\/em>\u201cHe was recognised as the fastest man in the Porsche team, regardless of the car. He was phenomenally fast and he never complained. A relaxed man, an excellent team player.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJo was the safest and most reliable,\u201d his often partner Kurt Ahrens<\/a> believes. They scored the first win for the Porsche 917 together during the Austrian Grand Prix of 1969<\/a>. An important win, as they were warned: \u201cFerdinand Piec told me and Seppi to do our best because Porsche\u2019s fame was in the balance.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Seppi was an enigma, and some would disagree with Ahrens and Falk\u2019s assessment of his measured mentality. “If there is a car in front, Seppi has to pass it,\u201d John Wyer said.<\/p>\n

Derek Bell<\/a> told Alan Henry in A racing life<\/em>, \u201cSiffert was a head-down charging racing driver, always extremely competitive. Pedro was much more controlled than Jo. He drove purely by the seat of his pants and was a truly great racing driver for all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian Redman, who raced more than most with Siffert, told Motor Sport<\/em>: \u201cIf he had a fault as a racing driver it was that he only had one speed \u2013 flat out!\u201d<\/p>\n