RACING DRIVERS from South Africa

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary South African Racing Drivers of all time. This list of famous South African Racing Drivers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of South African Racing Drivers.

1. Jody Scheckter (b. 1950)

With an HPI of 68.46, Jody Scheckter is the most famous South African Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 45 different languages on wikipedia.

Jody David Scheckter (; born 29 January 1950) is a South African former racing driver and businessman who competed in Formula One from 1972 to 1980. Scheckter won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1979 with Ferrari, and remains the only African driver to have won a Formula One Grand Prix or the World Drivers' Championship; he won 10 Grands Prix across nine seasons. Born and raised in East London, Cape Province, Scheckter rapidly ascended through the ranks of motor racing upon moving to the United Kingdom in 1970. His Formula One debut came two years later at the 1972 United States Grand Prix, driving for McLaren, whom he had raced for that year in British and European Formula Two. Amongst winning the SCCA Continental Championship in Formula 5000, Scheckter entered a further five Grands Prix in 1973 with McLaren. Scheckter earned a full-time drive with Tyrrell the following season, taking his maiden win at the Swedish Grand Prix and finishing third in the championship. Scheckter won his home Grand Prix in South Africa in 1975 and placed third in the standings again in 1976, driving the six-wheeled P34; he remains the only driver to win a Grand Prix on six wheels. Moving to Wolf in 1977, Scheckter took several race wins—including the Monaco Grand Prix—as he finished runner-up to Niki Lauda in the standings. After a winless season for Wolf in 1978, Scheckter moved to Ferrari to partner Gilles Villeneuve. Winning three Grands Prix in his first season for Ferrari, Scheckter clinched the title with his victory at the Italian Grand Prix, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion from Africa. He was unable to defend his title in 1980 as Ferrari struggled with the 312T5, retiring at the end of the season having achieved 10 race wins, three pole positions, five fastest laps and 33 podiums in Formula One. Upon retiring from motor racing, Scheckter worked as a broadcaster for CBS, ABC and ITV. He founded a weapons simulation business in 1984 called Firearms Training Systems, whose revenue eclipsed £100 million by the early 1990s. Scheckter then moved into organic farming, owning Laverstoke Park Farm in England. His sons Toby and Tomas are both racing drivers.

2. Gordon Murray (b. 1946)

With an HPI of 59.16, Gordon Murray is the 2nd most famous South African Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Ian Gordon Murray (born 18 June 1946) is a South African and British former (Formula One) racing car designer, renowned firstly as lead designer for both the Brabham and McLaren Formula 1 racing teams, during 1969–1986 and 1987–1991 respectively, then as designer of high-end, high-performance sports cars and a variety of other innovative automotive projects. After leaving McLaren, Murray founded the Gordon Murray Design consultancy and, in 2017, the low-volume specialist car manufacturing company Gordon Murray Automotive, both now incorporated into the Gordon Murray Group.

3. Ian Scheckter (b. 1947)

With an HPI of 55.31, Ian Scheckter is the 3rd most famous South African Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Ian Scheckter (born 22 August 1947) is a South African former racing driver. He participated in 20 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 30 March 1974. He scored no championship points.

4. Peter de Klerk (1935 - 2015)

With an HPI of 54.30, Peter de Klerk is the 4th most famous South African Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Peter David de Klerk (16 March 1935 – 11 July 2015) was a racing driver from South Africa. He participated in four Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 28 December 1963. He scored no championship points.

5. Jackie Pretorius (1934 - 2009)

With an HPI of 54.19, Jackie Pretorius is the 5th most famous South African Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Jacobus "Jackie" Pretorius (22 November 1934 – 30 March 2009) was a racing driver from South Africa. He participated in four Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 1 January 1965, and scoring no championship points. Pretorius competed in Formula One at national level in his home country of South Africa, enjoying some success throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. After racing a Lotus and a Lola, he won two races in 1971 driving a Brabham. Jackie Pretorius died in Johannesburg aged 74, on 30 March 2009, after being in a coma for three weeks. He was attacked in his home early on a Friday morning by burglars. His wife Shirley died in a similar incident in the same house several years earlier.

6. Neville Lederle (1938 - 2019)

With an HPI of 53.64, Neville Lederle is the 6th most famous South African Racing Driver.  Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Neville Lederle (25 September 1938 – 17 May 2019) was a racing driver from South Africa. He participated in two World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, scoring a single championship point.

7. Tony Maggs (1937 - 2009)

With an HPI of 53.54, Tony Maggs is the 7th most famous South African Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Anthony Francis O'Connell Maggs (9 February 1937 – 2 June 2009) was a South African racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1961 to 1965. Maggs participated in 27 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting at the 1961 British Grand Prix. He achieved three podiums, and scored a total of 26 championship points. He was the first South African to take part in a Formula One Grand Prix.

8. Doug Serrurier (1920 - 2006)

With an HPI of 53.42, Doug Serrurier is the 8th most famous South African Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Louis Douglas Serrurier (9 December 1920 – 4 June 2006) was a racing driver and racing car constructor from South Africa. He participated in three Formula One World Championship Grands Prix in the 1960s, only racing in the South African Grand Prix event, debuting on 29 December 1962. He scored no championship points.

9. Eddie Keizan (1944 - 2016)

With an HPI of 51.89, Eddie Keizan is the 9th most famous South African Racing Driver.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Eddie Keizan (12 September 1944 – 21 May 2016) was a South African racing driver. He raced in three World Championship Formula One Grands Prix during the 1970s, debuting on 3 March 1973. He scored no championship points. Keizan was born in Johannesburg. After success in South Africa driving saloons and sports cars, Keizan moved into Formula 5000 where he won the national championship. He participated in the South African Formula One championships as well, including three World Championship South African Grands Prix, twice with a Tyrrell owned by Alex Blignaut – this car had been previously raced by Jackie Stewart. For the third of his three attempts, Keizan drove a Lotus 72, entered by local outfit Team Gunston. After Formula One, Keizan raced in touring cars and also concentrated on his business interests, including a successful alloy wheels company, TSW Alloy Wheels formally known as Tiger Sports Wheels.

10. Paddy Driver (b. 1934)

With an HPI of 51.71, Paddy Driver is the 10th most famous South African Racing Driver.  Her biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Ernest Gould "Paddy" Driver (born 13 May 1934) is a South African former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and a racing driver.