Having met as teenagers at the Dino’s Café in their hometown of Helensburgh in Scotland, Helen became the stopwatch of Jackie’s life for over 60 years – her razor-sharp mind timing his laps to the millisecond with unfaltering accuracy.
Trackside at race weekends, Helen witnessed the terrible danger – and death – synonymous with Formula 1 at the time. With Jackie retiring from racing in 1973, Helen supported his successful campaigning for greater safety – on the racetrack and on the roads.
“Without me, he wouldn’t be World Champion!”
Despite leaving school at 15 with undiagnosed dyslexia, Jackie excelled in sport, first as an Olympic class shot and then – most famously – as a racing driver.In 1965, Jackie scored his first Grand Prix Championship at Monza, going on to achieve 27 Grand Prix victories and three Formula 1 Drivers World Championship crowns. Many consider Jackie as the leading driver of his era.
Establishing Paul Stewart Racing with his son in 1988, they went on to create Stewart Grand Prix, which was bought by Ford in 1999. Reigning champions, Red Bull Racing, shares its DNA with Stewart Grand Prix.
Today Jackie is involved in numerous charitable organisations, including Dyslexia Scotland, the Grand Prix Trust and the British Racing Drivers’ Club. Jackie was awarded the OBE in 1972 and became Sir Jackie Stewart in 2001.
Sir Jackie Stewart OBE
