Charismatic François Cevert

Despite his brief stint in Formula 1, François Cevert left his mark on motorsport with his class, his presence, his elegance, and above all his talent behind the wheel. “The Prince” was destined to become the first French F1 world champion before his tragic death, aged just 29, during the United States Grand Prix on October 6, 1973.

Jean-Louis Moncet, a journalist who spent decades in the paddocks, rubbed shoulders with Cevert during their respective debuts. “François’ charisma… Frankly…,” marvels the journalist who regularly spoke with the driver. “When he arrived somewhere, he took all the spotlight. In the various restaurants we went to, he was always at the center. It was intimidating, but I was captivated by his way of reporting on races.” 

“The Americans adored him,”  Jean-Louis Moncet recalls. ”  He had  French charm, steely blue eyes, he was always very friendly, very smiley with a good dose of humor. He readily played the game of radio and television. François was the star par excellence.”  For the journalist, a character like François Cevert was a blessing, allowing  “to have a driver in tune with the times”  in order to transcend F1, which had until then been in obscurity in the French media landscape.

On this subject, Moncet recalls a particular moment testifying to Cevert’s aura in the early 1970s:  “When he arrived at the Racing Car Show with Brigitte Bardot on his arm, there was still a certain silence in the audience,” laughs the journalist. An anecdote that does not surprise Henri Pescarolo, who recalls that  “he was so handsome that, inevitably, he was always very well accompanied.”