Farewell, my friend
The passing of Jean-Pierre Jabouille, this 2 February 2023, has saddened all of us. Philippe Alliot (picture above, between Jabouille and Baldi at the 24 Hours of Le Mans), was his team mate and his close friend, and sent us this beautiful and emotional speech he wrote and read at his funeral.
Jean-Pierre,
Or should I call you Captain Flame? The nickname, David Halliday and me had given you, when we drove under your command in GT.
All the ones that had the honour of crossing your trajectory, will share my point of vue, and my jealousy. You were a whole character, and infinitely endearing, a free man who lived his passion his whole life. You need courage to be yourself, and you never had any fear. You were free, because you took the right not to give your friendship in two minutes, like you would produce a fast lap on a track. No, long practice sessions were needed and human fine tuning, before succeeding.
The one who obtained your trust then discovered a friend, exceptional in kindness and attention. I remember our first encounters. You were not easy on me, but I had nothing to oppose because your critics were always justified and well explained. Between the lines, I understood the following: “You are as much an idiot as you are fast… but, you are very fast, indeed!” And, instead of taking it badly, I smiled inside.
And then one day, without you saying a word, I understood how much you liked that “dunce” that I was. This was one of the most beautiful trophies that I could dream of, because I knew its exceptional value.
The following scene happened at the 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans, during qualifying. I had put our Peugeot 905 on pole, but went back into the pits and required another set of new tires, convinced I could beat the track record… and I destroyed the car!
I feared my return to the box and your terrible reaction, but instead of that, you didn’t blame me. You preferred to mobilise the team and look further, the race, with a dominating car. What a lesson! Our two characters, although so opposed, had succeeded to attract one other, to the point where they became inseparables. It proves the rough edges offer the best grip, doesn’t it?
Jean Pierre, you succeeded to make from your passion a job, but also your legend. You’ll always remain the first driver to win at the wheel of a French car, powered by a turbo engine. It couldn’t have been differently, as you so much had invested yourself in this crazy project.
Now, when saying goodbye, my thoughts go to your two sons, Pierre and Victor, who made you so proud.
Farewell, my friend. I’ll always value the chance I had to have been your friend.
Amen.