Johnny Servoz-Gavin
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Georges-Francis "Johnny" Servoz-Gavin (born 18 January 1942 in Grenoble, France - died on 29 May 2006 at the same place) was a motor racing driver in both sportscars and single seaters.
Johnny was a rising star, becoming French Formula Three Champion in 1966 and the European Formula 2 Champion in 1969, following in the footsteps of Jacky Ickx and Jean-Pierre Beltoise.
He started 12 F1 races, failing to qualify in one, between 1967 and 1970. Servoz-Gavin participated in 12 Grands Prix. He achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 9 championship points.
His best F1 year was 1968 and namely the 1968 Italian Grand Prix in which he finished second and scored six points, driving a Matra. Next year, he also scored with a sixth in the 1969 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park in Canada, which secured him a place in history as the only driver ever to score a WC point with a four-wheel-driven F1 car, the Matra MS84 4WD.
Driving a March, he finished fifth (yet last!) in the 1970 Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama. After failing to qualify for the 1970 Monaco Grand Prix he retired. Officially, Servoz-Gavin suffered an eye injury in an off-road event in the winter of 1969-70, and although it originally appeared that his eyesight was recovering, his eyesight deteriorated through the 1970 season, to the extent that he no longer felt safe in F1.
A man of good looks and high society, he was one of several French racing drivers incorrectly rumoured to be the unknown driver in Claude Lelouch's infamous 1977 short footage film C'était un rendez-vous.
[edit] Complete Formula One results
(key)
| Yr | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Team | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Matra | SAF |
MON Ret |
DUT |
BEL |
FRA |
GBR |
DEU |
CAN |
ITA |
USA |
MEX |
Matra | - | - | ||
| 1968 | Matra | SAF |
SPA |
MON Ret |
BEL 8 |
DUT 2 |
FRA Ret |
GBR |
DEU |
ITA 2 |
CAN Ret |
USA |
MEX Ret |
Cooper | 13 | 6 | |
| 1969 | Matra | SAF |
SPA |
MON |
DUT |
FRA |
GBR |
DEU |
ITA |
CAN 6 |
USA NC |
MEX 8 |
Matra | 17 | 1 | ||
| 1970 | March | SAF Ret |
SPA 5 |
MON DNQ |
BEL |
DUT |
FRA |
GBR |
DEU |
AUT |
ITA |
CAN |
USA |
MEX |
March | 20 | 2 |
| Preceded by Jean-Pierre Beltoise |
French Formula Three Championship Champion 1966 |
Succeeded by Henri Pescarolo |
| Preceded by Jean-Pierre Beltoise |
European Formula Two Champion 1969 |
Succeeded by Clay Regazzoni |
