© Cahier Archive/F1-photo.com

Jim Clark, born in Scotland on this day in 1936, was one of the undisputed all-time legends of motorsport.

He was a two-time Formula One world champion in 1963 and 1965. By the time he died he had won more Grand Prix races (25) and more pole positions (33) than anyone before him. He's pictured here at the Belgian GP in 1962, which he won.

Clark also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on three occasions. He was the first Formula One driver to be victorious in the Indianapolis 500, in 1965.

Sadly Clark was killed in a racing accident at Hockenheim on April 7 1968, just a month after he had turned 32. He was competing in a Formula Two race when his Lotus 48 veered off and crashed into trees. He suffered a broken neck and skull fracture in the crash. CLark passed away before reaching the hospital. His gravestone in Chirnside lists him as 'Farmer' ahead of 'World Champion Motor Racing Driver'.

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

Red Bull seeking wider operating window for 2025 car

Red Bull Racing is setting its sights on rectifying a key flaw in its car…

2 hours ago

Mercedes reveal origin of Hamilton’s struggles in 2024

Mercedes has shed light on the difficulties Lewis Hamilton faced during the 2024 Formula 1…

4 hours ago

Schumacher: Briatore had ‘other things in mind’ than Doohan

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has heavily criticized Alpine’s decision to promote Jack Doohan to…

6 hours ago

A forgotten French driver's best result in F1

French F1 driver Jean-Christophe Boullion was born on this day in 1969, in Saint Brieuc. …

7 hours ago

Rosberg shuts down Extreme E racing operation

Rosberg X Racing, the Extreme E team founded by 2016 F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg,…

8 hours ago

Leclerc ‘very proud’ of Ferrari execution in 2024

Charles Leclerc has highlighted Ferrari’s exceptional execution as the defining feature of their 2024 Formula…

9 hours ago