 We are not only welcoming a new year on January 1 2026, but the birthdays of two of our notable Grand Prix Drivers Club members, Jacky Ickx and Hans Joachim Stuck.
Jacky (81) was born in 1945 and was the son of one of Belgium’s famous motor sport journalistsÂ
It was Ken Tyrrell who first noticed his talent, a year after Ken had discovered and signed Jackie Stewart, and Jacky took part in his first F1 Grand Prix in 1966 in an F2 Matra MS5-Cosworth in the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring and contested no fewer than 116 Formula 1 starts, his last being with a Ligier in 1979.
Hans Joachim Stuck, born in 1951, had an even stronger motor racing lineage, as his father raced for Auto Union against great rivals Mercedes-Benz in the 1930s. He too moved into Formula 2 and in 1974 drove in his first Formula 1 GP in a factory March. His links with March continued until he joined the Martini Brabham team, followed by a season with Shadow and his final F1 season with the German ATS Wheels team.
Both Jacky and Joachim have been involved with the Grand Prix Drivers Club for many years, and the Club wish them both a Happy Birthday and continued good health in 2026.