Jo Siffert Artwork
Wally Thomason pays tribute to Jo “Seppi” Siffert.
Born in Fribourg, Switzerland, and of limited financial means, the lean, friendly, almost frail-looking Siffert followed the footsteps of many driving greats by beginning his career racing motorcycles. He borrowed leathers and, relying on mechanical skills and nerve to become successful, won the Swiss 350 cc Championship in 1959, just two years after his initiation. In 1960, he switched to Formula Junior and later sports-racers, and shared the European FJr. title with Tony Maggs. Moving up to Formula 1 in 1962 with a purchased 1,500 cc Lotus 22, he was recognized as a real talent and offers eventually led to Rob Walker’s F1 Team and to the John Wyer 917 Porsches. A quiet man, he spoke volumes with his right foot, and his battles with Pedro Rodriguez in the 917’s won’t soon be forgotten. Rob Walker considered Siffert’s only flaw his inability to drive at anything less than his maximum.
