Jean-Pierre Beltoise passed away today after suffering two strokes at his home in Dakar. Beltoise won the 1972 Monaco grand prix giving BRM their last win.
The Frenchman started, much like John Surtees, on motorcycles taking 11 national titles in three years. His racing career nearly ended with a huge crash at the Reims 12-hour race in a Rene Bonnet Sports car.
Beltoise entered Formula 1 in a V12 Matra and drove alongside Sir Jackie Stewart for Ken Tyrrell at the team. As drivers of that era did, Beltoise also raced in the 1971 race, 1000 km Buenos Aires, in which he was involved in an accident that killed Ignazio Giunti leaving Beltoise with a suspended racing license.
Beltoise married Francois Cevert’s sister Jacqueline and had two sons.
