Derek Bell at 80

Save being among the world’s greatest racing drivers, what do Jacky Ickx, Stefan Bellof, Ronnie Peterson, Jo Siffert, Hans Stuck, Mike Hailwood, James Hunt, Henri Pescarolo and Bob Wollek all have in common? At one time or more over the course of their racing lives, they had the good fortune to call themselves Derek Bell’s teammate.

Know a man by the company he keeps. If you want a true estimation of just how good was Derek Reginald Bell behind the wheel of a racing car, don’t look at his five wins at Le Mans, nor his three at the Daytona 24 Hours. Ignore the fact he is a double World Sportscar Champion and a former works Ferrari Formula 1 driver. Just look the people with whom he shared seat time.