Seppi, the racer
Jo Siffert (1936-1971) was a Swiss racing driver. Affectionately known as “Seppi” to his friends, he won two Formula One Grand Prix and stood six times on the podium. Sadly, he suffered a fatal accident in a non-championship F1 race at Brands Hatch in 1971.
While Siffert’s status in F1 grew slowly, his fame came as a leading driver for the Porsche factory team in endurance. In 1968 for example, Siffert and Hans Herrmann won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in a Porsche 907.
Later on, Siffert’s driving displays in the Porsche 917 earned him several major wins in Europe. On top of it, in 1970, he teamed up with Brian Redman to drive a Porsche 908/3 to victory in the prestigious Targa Florio.
Picture above: Jo Siffert in his Porsche 917, entered by John Wyer for the factory, at Daytona in 1970 (finished second).
His looks, his sunglasses, his Heuer watch, his red and white helmet, combined with his phenomenal speed aboard the Gulf-livered Porsche 917, gave him legendary status and it is said that even actor Steve McQueen, for his film “Le Mans”, wanted to ‘look like Siffert, a real racer’ (picture below, at Le Mans in 1970).
