On Tuesday, September 8, Grand Prix Drivers Club Swedish member Stefan Johansson celebrated his 70th birthday.
Stefan came to the UK and started racing an Argo in Formula 3, switched to a Chevron and then to a March. He was sufficiently successful to be drafted into the Shadow Formula 1 team in 1980 for the two South American rounds in Argentina and Brazil but failed to qualify in either Grand Prix. In 1984, driving for Ken Tyrrell, he took 4th place in the Italian Grand Prix and received a tremendous break by being brought into Scuderia Ferrari in 1985 with the 156/85. He had a good season that included two second places, so he continued with Ferrari in 1986, but this proved to be a disastrous season for him with a number of mechanical retirements.
He then had a good season with McLaren, a poor one with Ligier, before his final three seasons with Monytron Onyx, A.G.S and finally Footwork Arrows.
He went on to race in sports and GT cars, and in 1983 he shared the Sorga SA racing team Porsche 956 to finish second at the 1000 kms sports car races at Silverstone and Nürburgring and won at Mugello with the Joest Racing 956
Away from racing, he designed and produced a series of hand-made chronograph watches, the Vaxjo range, which are now serious collector’s items.
The Grand Prix Drivers’ Club members send greetings to Stefan on his birthday.