Jean-Pierre Jabouille passed away at the age of 80.

Auto Racing General

Jean-Pierre Jabouille passed away at the age of 80.

French racing driver and engineer Jean-Pierre Jabouille has passed away at the age of 80.

The Frenchman played a key role in Renault's entry into F1 back in 1977 and won Renault's maiden Formula One victory in 1979.

Frenchman Jabouille made 49 starts across an F1 career that began with Williams in 1974 and ended with Ligier in 1981 – via spells at 
Surtees, Tyrrell, and the aforementioned Renault.

Despite Jabouille becoming the first French driver to win at home in 30 years, the 1979 race is widely remembered for the thrilling 
battle for second place between Renault's Rene Arnoux and Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve.

Jabouille broke his leg in a crash in Canada in 1980 and retired after three races with Ligier in 1981. His second win had come at 
Austria's Oesterreichring in 1980.