French F1 driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille, the man who delivered to Renault its very first Grand Prix win, has passed away at the age of 80.
A two-time winner in Formula 1, Jabouille started 49 Grands Prix over the course of a career that spanned five years.
The Frenchman enjoyed his F1 debut with Tyrrell in 1975 with a one-off entry at the French GP at Paul Ricard.
Two years later, he spearheaded Renault's entry into F1, the French manufacturer pioneering the turbo engine technology that would become widespread within two seasons.
Jabouille qualified Renault's RS01 – nicknamed the yellow tea pot – 21st at the 1977 British GP at Silverstone before undertaking three more races that season.
Thanks to his engineering skills, Jabouille was instrumental in helping the Régie develop its trail-blazing F1 machine.
Team and driver's memorable 'jour de gloire' would come in 1979 when Jabouille triumphed on home soil at Dijon, a race famous for the fierce battle that opposed his Renault teammate René Arnoux and Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve for the runner-up spot.
Jabouille added a second F1 win to his track record in F1 a year later in Austria. But a crash following a suspension failure at the Canadian GP in Montreal left the Frenchman with severe fractures to both legs.
A move to Ligier where he partnered his brother-in-law Jacques Laffite resulted in mediocre results as he struggled to recover from his injuries, a state of affairs that eventually forced him to call it a day on his career in F1.
Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali paid tribute on Thursday evening to Jabouille.
"I am saddened by the news that Jean-Pierre Jabouille has passed away," said the Italian. "He gave so much to motorsport and F1 and we cherish his memory and achievements.
"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time."
The Alpine team also paid homage to a man described as "a humble racing driver, brilliant engineer, and a pioneer of our sport”, along with being "a true racer".
"He spearheaded Renault’s journey into F1 in 1977 with his resilient and dare to do attitude," stated Alpine. "He was Renault’s first Grand Prix winner in 1979, a landmark moment in Renault’s journey in Formula 1.
"His determination and dedication to succeed inspired many, and these values remain central to the current team in its now blue colours of Alpine.
"We are where we are today because of Jean-Pierre and his legacy lives on. We’d like to extend our most sincere condolences to his family and close friends."
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
