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Podiums for ‘Uncle Ken’

11. Sep 2020 
by Ziv Knoll
3339 views

Following his exploits at Lotus end of 1978, French racing car driver Jean-Pierre Jarier was hired by Ken Tyrrell for the 1979 season. A year that started very well indeed for the fast Frenchman in the Tyrrell-Cosworth 009 (picture above).

At the wheel of this pretty single-seater, which was in fact a copy of the Lotus 79, he qualified on the second row in Argentina before capturing a podium finish in South-Africa (3rd after starting in 9th position, picture of the podium below).

He then finished the next two races in the points, (6th at Long Beach and 5th in Spain), before netting a fine 5th position in the French Grand Prix at Dijon, where Arnoux and Villeneuve fighted their legendary battle and where Jabouille sealed his and Renault’s first victory.

Jean-Pierre Jarier succeeded to get another podium at the following Grand Prix at Silverstone behind Clay Regazzoni, who took Williams’ first ever Grand Prix victory, and René Arnoux in a Renault.

The Frenchman took another point for a fine sixth place at Monza in September, and he totalled 14 points (10th overall) in the final championship standings.

1979 was his best Formula 1 year in terms of points accumulated, but Jarier should have won a few Grand Prix in his long career, but luck was not on his side when the possibility occurred.

Source: DR

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