It’s not every day you meet a Formula 1 legend, so when I got word Jacky Ickx was going to be in town the prospect of an interview was simply too good to pass up.
His racing resume speaks for itself. Ickx raced in Formula 1 from 1966 to 1979, claiming eight Grand Prix victories and second place in the World Drivers’ Championship twice, before turning his attention to longer format racing and becoming a six-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, two-time winner of the World Endurance Championships, and winner of the Paris-Dakar.
Despite officially becoming an octogenarian in January, he bounds down the stairs of the Chopard boutique in Sydney and grips my palm with the vigour of a man who knows the importance of a firm handshake.
Ickx is nominally in Australia at the invitation of the other brand he’s an ambassador for — Genesis Motors — yet Chopard is never far from his mind. The Swiss watch & jewellery firm is a family-owned business, and as the best family-owned businesses so often do, has counted Ickx as one of their close confidants since he drove the 1989 edition of the 1000 Miglia with Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich.
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The former F1 driver had been on something of a worldwide tour with Genesis Motors in recent weeks, kicking off with his participation in the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia where he drove a special Genesis GV80 Desert Edition (named GV80 in honour of Ickx’s birthday).
In total, Ickx and his team drove some 6,000 kilometres during Dakar 2025: from Bisha to Shubaytah, with Ickx behind the wheel for all but a handful of the largest dunes.
“Driving is the best way to see a country. From abroad, we print an idea of other countries in our mind and everyone repeats them, but when you go for yourself there’s a huge difference in reality.”
Despite being one of the most famous people to ever race on four wheels, the Belgian legend saves his deepest respects for those who choose to complete the challenge on two.
“The motorcycle is definitely the hardest way to race Dakar, because the riders are alone on their bike,” he tells me. “It’s very, very physical, but the Dakar has always been demanding. That’s what makes its reputation so strong — it’s a challenge for everyone.”
Ickx is no armchair pundit when it comes to the Dakar Rally, having raced it multiple times — including with his daughter — and even winning the 1983 edition behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Despite his success, there’s a thoughtfulness that borders on philosophical — surely borne from competing and winning in so many different areas of motorsport.
“I raced Dakar many times in the past, back when the race was three weeks, not two, and in Africa. We would race between 10,000km and 14,000km: this is the kind of racing that makes you realise who you are. You cannot cheat. There are no shortcuts.
“It’s too late for you to be a racer,” he advises gently, as though I’d be disappointed he didn’t think I was Dakar-winning material, “but it’s a valuable experience because it gives you an opportunity to know who you are.
“That’s the charm of life,” he continues, “to have challenges. I don’t compete anymore because I know I already had my time, but I still live in the present. I’m a racing advisor for Genesis, I’m an ambassador, and it gives me the chance to meet many people, which makes my life very interesting.
“What remains of the future for me — which will be reasonably short compared to the life I’ve already lived — is a privilege. I’m not sitting at home waiting for the telephone to ring.”
His next project is to assist Genesis Motors in preparing to race in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) for the 2026 season. Unveiled a few months ago, the Genesis GMR-001 Hyper racer will compete against the likes of BMW, Cadillac, Porsche, Aston Martin and others, hoping to become the first Korean automaker to ascend the top step of the podium.
“It’s a giant project that we’re building from scratch,” he explains. “It’s like climbing a mountain because the challenge is to beat past winners like Porsche, Toyota, and Ferrari. These brands have a tradition in these races, so it’s not going to be easy to beat them.
“The only place that’s important is first. Because when you’re second, you’re the first of the losers.”
In his role as an advisor, the World Endurance Championship project is an ongoing one, but his next adventure inside a racecar is at the 1000 Miglia — alongside Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele once again. His family’s brand has supported the race for more than three decades and Ickx often joins him — somewhat surprisingly — as the navigator.
“Karl-Friedrich does the race because he loves to drive old cars and I do it because I like to discover Italy from the road, so we’re both very happy. He’s a very good driver, I have the road book, and it’s a fantastic experience each time.”
His place at Mr. Scheufele’s side has also presented the opportunity to collaborate on the design of seven watches within Chopard’s racing-inspired Mille Miglia collection. With a well-practised motion, Ickx pulls back the sleeve of his FIA-branded jacket and shows me his latest special edition, executed in the same trademark blue-and-white combo as the helmet he wore throughout the 1970s while racing.
“It’s a little narcissistic, but my favourite piece is my watch. The nature of racing means timing plays a very important role in competition, which is why accurate chronographs are my favourite. We don’t discuss laps in minutes anymore, we discuss them in 100ths of seconds.”
The age of the gentleman racer — where stars like Paul Newman and Gene Hackman raced at Le Mans and Daytona Beach — might be fading into memory, yet Ickx remains one of the true gentlemen of motorsports.
With an efficient nod, Chopard’s Australia Manager waves the proverbial chequered flag on our time together and Ickx stands, shaking my hand with the same vice-like grip he demonstrated earlier.
“I’ve only been to Australia three times in my life,” he tells me as I thank him for his time, “but every time I come here I’m so impressed by the kindness of the people I meet.”
A tremendous racer, and an even more tremendous class act for sure.
