Three-time Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart completed a tribute lap around the 5.412-kilometre track of Bahrain International Circuit, held as part of the pre-race programme of the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
Sir Jackie, 85, wore a one-of-a-kind world champions’ helmet, featuring the signatures of all 20 living F1 World Champions, which is being auctioned to raise funds for his charity Race Against Dementia.
“I really enjoyed being back in the car,” Sir Jackie told the GDN after his lap in his 1973 Tyrell world championship car.
“It was a lovely drive around a very nice track.”
Sir Jackie thanked His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for his support, adding that ‘without him, this wouldn’t have happened.’
The lap was to celebrate 75 years of F1 and to support fundraising efforts for the Race Against Dementia charity.
His tribute lap in Bahrain also honoured the oldest-living world champion on the 60th anniversary of his F1 debut, racing in his 1973 Tyrrell over 50 years on from his last race.
HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister congratulated Sir Jackie as he completed his lap, joined by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, British Ambassador Alastair Long and other key BIC personnel.
“The illness of dementia has no cure, as we speak, and more old people die of it than any other illness in the world,” Sir Jackie added.
“One in three people born today will die of dementia unless we find a cure, and that’s why we are working so hard with researchers and doctors to further research in the field.”
Yesterday’s tribute lap follows last weekend’s ‘One Lap Challenge’ organised by the British Embassy in Bahrain and held at BIC, where more than 1,500 people walked, ran and scooted a lap of the Bahrain track, raising more than $50,000 (BD18,827) for the charity.
The cheque for the donation was handed over ahead of the lap by the British Ambassador and BIC chief executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The end of Sir Jackie’s tribute coincided with the start of the drivers’ parade yesterday, and the three-time champion wished them well as they entered the grid.
Sir Jackie founded Race Against Dementia in 2016, and its pioneering programmes, inspired by F1 teams and the speed and innovative approach they take, give researchers the tools, support and mindset to accelerate progress in dementia research.
Donations to Race Against Dementia can be made at raceagainstdementia.com, which will help fund and support the brightest research minds to find preventative treatments and cures for dementia.
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