Former team Alpine has reported that Jean-Pierre Jabouille, a former Renault driver and the first Formula 1 driver to triumph with turbocharged power, passed away on Thursday at the age of 80.
The Frenchman was a two-time Formula 1 champion, becoming the first driver in the history of the sport to triumph with a turbo engine in 1979 when he won his home race in Dijon for Renault.
Jabouille had a reputation as one of Formula 1’s unluckiest drivers during his career, finishing in the top 10 in only 10 of his 49 starts. He also became Renault’s first-ever race winner in the sport by winning two races and claiming six pole positions.
The Parisian racer competed in Formula 2 for a number of years in the 1970s while also competing in sports car racing in an effort to gain entry into Formula 1. He won the F2 championship in 1976 before receiving a factory drive from Renault in the second half of the following year.
Jean-Pierre Jabouille Net Worth At Time Of Death
Jean-Pierre Jabouille’s net worth at the of death is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million dollars. Renault, a Formula One team, hired Jabouille to create their new 1.5l turbocharged engine for 1977. The RS01 car made its début at the 1977 British Grand Prix, although initially the turbo engine—a first for Formula One—was fragile and had a lot of turbo lag, making it challenging to control on narrow courses.