Jarier spent much of his career in lesser machinery like this
Ligier JS21/ (LAT archive)
Congrats to former Formula 1 and sports car racer Jean-Pierre Jarier, who turns 66 today.
The Frenchman took a while to land a regular place in F1 after starring in F3 in 1970. He got his first grand prix stat in 1971 and made a few one-off starts in '73 before becoming a regular from 1973-'83. However, he never managed to land a fully competitive ride, moving from March, Shadow, Penske, Ligier, ATS, Lotus, Tyrrell and Osella in the course of his 134 grand prix starts, although he did at least get to the podium three times.
While focusing on open-wheels, Jarier had a smattering of success in sports cars in the 1970s and '80s. He won two races in an Alfa Romeo T33 teamed with fellow F1 racer Arturo Merzario, and took second place at the Le Mans 24 Hours with Vern Schuppan in a Mirage.
After retiring from F1 after the '83 season, ran the French GT series in the 1990s while also landing work in movies as a stunt driver, most notably John Frankenheimer's Ronin.