Jo Siffert

Jo Siffert, known to family and friends as Seppi, was a Swiss racing driver born in Fribourg on 7 July 1936. He began on two wheels, winning the Swiss 350 cc motorcycle championship in 1959, then moved to cars and reached Formula One as a privateer in 1962. Over ten seasons, to 1971, he won two World Championship Grands Prix: the 1968 British Grand Prix for the Rob Walker Racing Team, regarded as the last victory by a genuine privateer, and the 1971 Austrian Grand Prix for BRM. He was also a leading Porsche sports car driver, winning the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring. He died on 24 October 1971 in a crash and fire at Brands Hatch; the failings in rescue prompted safety reforms.