“Johnny I’ve known for years, because I was at Benetton when he was there, even when he was a young driver when he broke his feet. I’ve known him for a long, long time, so it was very emotional. The next day at the factory, Jackie organised champagne for everybody, so basically it was a half day. We got to lunch time, we’d had champagne and not a lot happened after that! It was a long celebration.”
Rubens Barrichello, Stewart Grand Prix driver: “As soon as we put the car on the track it was amazing. For me, one of the highlights was leading the Brazilian Grand Prix. [Claiming pole position and finishing third at] Magny-Cours was also a good time. The Nurburgring was fantastic for the team, but it was a disappointment [for me] because I [stayed] on slicks. Eventually I won in 2000 [at Hockenheim] with Ferrari because of that, but at the Nurburgring it didn’t work. If it wasn’t for that I was going to win. But still, to be part of the Stewart family, such a nice family, hard-working, with Paul, Mark, and with Jackie, obviously, was phenomenal. That ’99 season gave me a really good chance… It was when I opened the eyes of probably everyone, so I’m so thankful.”
David Tremayne, F1 journalist: “I had this thing with Jackie about clothes. I was wearing Tommy Hilfiger shirts and the like in those days. At Monza, I went to the Stewart team and he said, ‘Oh, ladies and gentleman look, a journalist!’ I said to him, ‘I tell you what, when you guys win a race, I will wear a Tommy Hilfiger shirt and a pair of your tartan trousers’. Anyway, Jackie’s on the podium at the Nurburgring, he’s holding up the plate, then he looks down at me and just points.
“When I was driving back from Heathrow after the race, he phoned and said, ‘David, it’s Jackie, I’d like you to go and see my tailor!’ It was Doug Hayward, this famous guy in Mount Street, and I got fitted for a pair of these tartan trousers, which still fit, funnily enough. Then I had a picture with Paul and Jackie, wearing our tartan trousers – it must have been in Malaysia. But I thought it was wonderful that Johnny won.”
