Besides Romain Grosjean, the only Frenchman ever to race a black-and-gold Lotus was Jean-Pierre Jarier in 1978 when the ex-Shadow driver replaced the late Ronnie Peterson after the Super Swede tragically lost his life at Monza.

Behind the wheel of the JPS Lotus 1979, Jarier proved extremely fast and was challenging for a podium finish at Watkins Glen only to retire with three laps to go.

One week later, the Frenchman lined up on pole at Montreal and took a strong getaway to open a comfortable gap at the front. But Jarier’s enduring bad luck would eventually strike again when he was forced to withdraw with no oil pressure on Lap 49.

Pierre Van Vliet

Pierre Van Vliet is a respected and authoritative figure in F1 news circles and brings a wealth of information to F1i.com

Recent Posts

Monaco Speed Trap: Who is the fastest of them all?

It’s the most iconic and challenging track in Grand Prix racing, with as many pitfalls…

54 minutes ago

Bearman rues Monaco setback and ‘strangest crash I’ve ever had’

A bewildered Oliver Bearman has admitted that his crash in Saturday’s final practice session in…

2 hours ago

Hadjar hails ‘good comeback’ in Monaco qualifying after Friday bust

Less than 24 hours after Monaco’s unforgiving barriers left him battered and short on confidence,…

3 hours ago

Monaco GP: Saturday's action in pictures

Saturday's qualifying at the Monaco GP will go down as one of the most tense…

13 hours ago

Verstappen says Monaco making him ‘feel like myself again’

Max Verstappen left Saturday’s Monaco Grand Prix qualifying with an unusually upbeat assessment, saying the…

14 hours ago

Norris: Monaco qualifying ‘a reality check’ for struggling McLaren

Lando Norris concluded his Saturday in Monaco with a visibly hardened outlook on McLaren’s current…

14 hours ago