OJ Inspiration: François Cevert, talented "pintón" pilot
There are pilots who despite being "cute" have talent. François had a lot of both.
Before James Hunt, Formula 1 had François Cevert in its ranks, a true Playboy of the category. His life was directed towards music - a great pianist capable of writing and composing great pieces of music. However, fate had prepared another path for him.
Jean Pierre Beltoise, her sister's husband, gave her a fever for speed. Already at the age of 16, François, encouraged himself to the steering wheels of some kart borrowed through the streets of Paris, swearing to his sister that one day he would be world champion of Formula 1.
In 1969 François returned to Formula 2. That same year the category shared the stage on more than one occasion with his older sister, Formula 1. It was during one of these races where Cevert raised a tough fight to Jackie Stewart, reigning champion of the maximum at that time and main driver of the Tyrell team.
Outcome? Cevert, recommended by Jackie Stewart, signed for Tyrell and lived three years of apprenticeship alongside this incomparable teacher.
The final party was to be at the Watkins Glen circuit located in New York City. That day Jackie Stewart would reach his 100 great prizes and he would retire forever and give way to Cevert as a future promise of the formula 1 of the moment.
Jackie would let Cevert win ... "It's like passing the torch to my little brother ..." he said.
But on October 6 the tragedy came. In the pre-race qualifiers, François Cevert took to the track and attacked hard to set the best time, aware that pole could help him achieve victory ...
The afternoon was ending at the New York circuit. The qualifiers were coming to an end and the last riders retired to their bases to rest and eat something. Suddenly a fierce blow is heard that breaks the calm of the afternoon: "It's Cevert, shit is Cevert" ... "It's serious, very serious."
Stewart ran to the crash site. “I arrived and I was paralyzed by horror, there was smoke and steam everywhere… and there, still trapped by the seat belt, there was my teammate, my protégé, my friend, my little brother ... He was dead ".
The gods who lavished so many gifts on him had a unique destiny prepared for François Cervera that October 7, 1973. The following year, the apollo with deep blue eyes would have turned thirty.
François, as a source of inspiration for us, - hence our collection of shirts with his name (https://oldjeffrey.com/search?q=cevert) - always repeated the same phrase:
“I enjoy every moment of my life, it's almost incredible. There are very few things I should do that I don't like. At the moment, I am the happiest man in the world "