Harborough author pens Jacky Ickx biography which the racing driver says he will ‘treasure forever’

An author from Harborough has published an biography on Belgian racing driver Jacky Ickx which the sportsman says he will ‘treasure forever’.

Jon Saltinstall’s second book ‘Jacky Ickx: His Authorized Competition History’ is a collaboration with the driver, who had previously declined to do a biography for more than 30 years.

It is Jon’s second book, his first covering the sporting career of racing driver Niki Lauda. It went on to be runner-up in the RAC Book of the Year Awards 2020.

Dad-of-two Jon said: “I managed to persuade Jacky to collaborate on the project with me so it's a fully authorised competition history detailing his entire career. No mean feat given that he did about 575 races overall. And quite a coup as he has declined to do an autobiography for over three decades; unusually for an elite sportsman, he doesn't like talking about his own achievements but prefers to reflect on the people behind the scenes who make it all possible.

“It's also the first book about him that's fully in English. Surprisingly for a guy with such an eclectic and successful career, there's only half a dozen books about him - mostly in French or German.”

And the racing driver, who has won Le Mans six times and twice been runner up in the Formula One championship – was equally as delighted with the book.

He said: “It must require a genuine passion for motorsport to tackle a subject as vast as my career with such precision and so exhaustively. Honestly, to the best of my knowledge, no one but Jon Saltinstall has had the guts to undertake such a mammoth task before. Indeed, Jacky Ickx: His Authorised Competition History isn’t a typical biography; it’s a true encyclopaedia about my sporting life.

“During the process of fact-checking Jon’s draft, I carefully searched my memory to make sure everything was as accurate as possible. But I didn’t have to change anything. Jon’s research was impeccable and I couldn’t have chosen better words than his. Thank you, Jon, for your tremendous effort. This is a book I will treasure.”

The book costs £95. Click here for more details or to buy.