Beverley Lyons
RACING legend Sir Jackie Stewart has suffered cracked ribs, broken wrists, shoulder injuries and skin cancer, yet he claims an operation he had during the early weeks of lockdown was the most painful experience he’d ever suffered.
Three time Formula One champion Sir Jackie, 81, from Milton in Dunbartonshire has been spending isolation at his idyllic home in Switzerland with his dementia stricken wife Lady Helen and her two dedicated neuro nurses.
Having won 99 Grand Prix as well as Formula 1 races in 1969, 1971 and 1973 he is nicknamed The Flying Scot and is regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of motorsport.
As the last surviving Formula 1 world champion from the 60s, he has encountered his fair share of accidents and had his knee and hip replaced through the passage of time, however an operation to his right foot just weeks before his birthday this month put him in need a pit stop.
He said of the injury: “Well it’s sensitive, put it that way. My right foot did a lot of work in its day. When men were men, we had to wear very light shoes and then we had two pedals for the right foot and only one pedal for the left foot so the left foot is in great shape. The right foot has been abused and it’s amazing. If you look at my hands here you see that is the big toe. Let’s assume that’s these are the other four. The doctor cut them all in two pieces and put them all together in the right place. That was three weeks ago and they said it would take seven days before I could walk properly. It’s painful - The most painful thing I’ve had ever because your weight is all in your foot.”
He laughed: “I’m a married man. I’m used to pain.”
Jackie also took the opportunity during his In The Pink podcast interview to express his fears over Formula 1 taking place without a British Grand Prix.
He said: “I hope that doesn't happen. That should not be allowed. That's why you've got to have quality and you've got to have integrity and you've got to remember history as well. It would be a mistake. In any case it would be said to have no spectators there. But not to have a British Grand Prix when you consider that Britain started Formula 1 grand prix racing, it was the first time ever there was a world championship Formula 1 race, and it's had such a strong history with tremendous attendances always, to lose that I think would be a disaster for motor sport. I think if they're not careful, that could be the beginning of not such a good time.”