Born in the Paris suburbs shortly after World War II, Jean-Pierre Jarier grew up in a family that operated a small hotel. While studying economics after school, he discovered the Montlhery racing circuit near Paris and soon took up motorcycle racing.
| Nationality | French |
|---|---|
| Born | Jean-Pierre Jacques Jarier 10 July 1946 Charenton-le-Pont, France |
At 21, Jarier convinced his mother to sell her Peugeot road car to fund his purchase of a Renault 8 Gordini, a popular and affordable car that helped many young French drivers, including Jean-Pierre Jabouille, Jean-Luc Therier, and Michel Leclere, enter the world of racing. Jarier transitioned from motorcycles to cars, advancing to Formula 2 by 1971 with the Shell Arnold team. He made his mark at the London Trophy at Crystal Palace, finishing second in one of the heats. He also achieved third-place finishes in Albi and Vallelunga and participated in a few Formula One races, debuting in Monza with Shell Arnold.
In 1972, financial constraints limited his participation in races, but his talent shone through when he raced. By 1973, he was picked up by the March-BMW team and won the Formula 2 championship dominantly. He raced intermittently in Formula One with March before joining the Shadow team in 1974, where he secured a third place in Monaco and a fifth in Sweden. In 1975, he was leading the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix until his car failed. That year was marred by poor reliability, squandering the car’s speed, and by 1976, the Shadow team was in decline after losing UOP’s sponsorship.
Jarier moved to the newly formed ATS team in 1977 but faced another year of unreliable cars. After leaving mid-season, he temporarily replaced the late Ronnie Peterson at Lotus for the final two races, taking pole position in Canada and leading until an oil leak ended his race. This performance secured him a two-year stint with Tyrrell, where he earned several third-place finishes.
In 1981, he filled in for the injured Jean-Pierre Jabouille at Ligier before moving to Osella in 1982, where he finished fourth at the notable non-FOCA race in Imola. His final Formula One opportunity came in 1983 with Ligier, but the car underperformed, and he left the F1 grid after over a decade and more than 136 races without a victory.
Jarier continued competing in the French Touring Car Championship through the 1980s and later raced Porsches for a decade.
Jean-Pierre Jarier Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1971, 1973–1983 |
|---|---|
| Teams | March, Shadow, Ligier, ATS, Lotus, Tyrrell, Osella |
| Entries | 143 (135 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Career points | 31.5 |
| Pole positions | 3 |
| Fastest laps | 3 |
| First entry | 1971 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1983 South African Grand Prix |
Sources: Wikipedia.com
