Hommage à un héros australien

Sir Jack Brabham was a unique Australian hero

The three-time Formula One world champion was a good driver but it was as* an engineer* that he showed his true genius

As = en tant que, comme
An engineer = un ingénieur

Monday’s news that Sir Jack Brabham has quietly passed away*, was no real surprise to people within* motor sport*. He had been dealing with kidney disease* for five years and that, along with deafness* from exposure to high-pitched* racing cars and macular degeneration that affected his eyesight*, had provided* its challenges.
To pass away = to die = mourir, décéder
Within = dans, à l’intérieur
Motor sport = les sports mécaniques
To deal with = avoir affaire à, traiter de, s’occuper de, se charger de
Kidney disease = une maladie rénale (kidney = rein)
Deafness = surdité
High-pitched = aigu
Eyesight = la vision
To provide = fournir

But Jack – as motor sport in Australia knew him – was as tough* as his legendary Brabham race cars, thoughtfully* designed and built machines that unlike* some of their rivals simply did not break. As recently as the last few weeks* he was attending* events, some featuring* the car he is best remembered for: the Repco-powered Brabham that took him to his third world title, in 1967.
Tough = solide, résistant, dur, coriace, robuste
Thoughtfully = judicieusement
Unlike = contrairement à
The last few weeks = ces dernières semaines
To attend = assister à
To feature = faire figurer, mettre en vedette

So the news of his death is sad but it is also an opportunity to reflect on achievements* that will never be repeated; he was a pioneer of Australian sport and engineering.
An achievement = exploit, réussite, accomplissement, réalisation

Back in the late 1950s, the UK and Europe were the global centres of motor sport; they probably still are. Arrivals from the colonies were viewed* with some amusement and, well, tolerated. When Jack arrived from Australia at the Cooper Car Company to take up* their offer of a car, he was shown a pile of tubes in a rack* and told to start building.
Were viewed = étaient vus
To take up = retenir, accepter
A rack = (ici) un porte-outils

He did, and before too long, the Coopers understood what they had unearthed*. Jack’s engineering nous* helped in the development of the Coopers, the first serious rear-engined* grand prix cars, with which he won his 1959 and 1960 world titles.
To unearth = découvrir, dénicher
Nous = du bon sens
Rear-engined = avec moteur à l’arrière

Unable to have greater input*, he went out on his own* in 1961 in partnership with a friend from Australia, Ron Tauranac. How typical! An already-established garage business became Brabham Cars and soon, Jack and Brabham cars were competing* in what was then the 1.5 litre Formula One.
Input = apport, contribution, énergie, consommation
He went out on his own = il s’est retiré, il est parti tout seul
Partnership = association
To compete = rivaliser, concurrencer

It was what happened next which defined Jack Brabham. With a big change coming to Formula One in 1966, doubling the engine size to three-litres, he pulled off* the almost impossible. With the traditional engine companies all talking big V12 powerhouses, Jack reasoned that* they’d probably have a hell of a time getting them sorted and reliable*. In the meantime, something a little smaller and reliable might just do the trick*.
To pull off = réaliser, mener à bien, réussir
A powerhouse = une centrale électrique
To reason that... = calculer que
Reliable = fiable
To do the trick = faire l’affaire

From that thought came the relationship with Repco, and a ground-up V8 engine designed and built in Australia. It was light* and reliable, not as powerful* as some of the ferocious V12s would be, but it was just the right thing at the right time.
Light = léger
Powerful = puissant

A four-race winning streak* paved the way* for his 1966 world title. The unthinkable had been achieved – a driver from Australia had not only won his third world title, this one was in a car he’d built himself. Imagine the logistics alone – engines being built on the opposite side of the world, and flown* backwards and forwards during development.
A streak = un éclair
To pave the way = baliser le chemin
To fly – I flew – flown = voler, faire le voyage en avion

Jack was a pretty damned good, albeit* sometimes under-rated* driver, but it was the engineering challenge which gave him the real satisfaction. The following year, his team-mate* Denny Hulme won the championship while Jack suffered from the unreliability* that comes with trying new things ‘on the run’.
Albeit = bien que
Under-rated = sous-évalué
A team-mate = co-équipier
Unreliability = manque de fiabilité

Eventually*, the rest – particularly with the arrival of the brilliant Ford Cosworth engine – caught up* and the Repco programme came to its end*. Brabham’s cars switched to* the ubiquitous* Ford and remained among the most competitive cars for some years.
Eventually = finalement
To catch up = se rattraper, combler son retard
To come to an end (= to draw to a close) = s’achever
To switch to = embrayer sur
Ubiquitous = omniprésent

Formula One in the late 1960s was very dangerous. Drivers died. Under pressure from his wife, Jack gave thought to quitting driving* at the end of 1969. Unable to replace his departing star driver Jochen Rindt, he went around one more time.
To quit + V-ing = arrêter de faire...

He won the opening race of the year and would eventually finish fifth in the championship, at the ripe old age of* 44. But a simple driving error cost him a win at Monaco, and then Rindt was killed in a needless* crash, driving a Lotus, in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix. This time Jack listened to his wife and at the end of the year hung up* his helmet* and walked away, returning to live on a farm and set up garage and car businesses back in Australia. In Jack’s case that was exactly half a lifetime* ago.
The ripe old age of = un âge avancé
Needless = gratuit, inutile, superflu
To hang up = raccrocher
A helmet = un casque
Half a lifetime = la moitié de sa vie

Given the enormity of Formula One 21st century-style, Jack’s achievement – winning in a car bearing* his own name (and with an Australian-built engine) – simply cannot be repeated. He owns a unique spot in motor sport history and Australia should be very, very proud.
To bear – I bore – borne  = porter

Chris Lambden
Monday 19 May 2014
theguardian.com

• Chris Lambden is managing editor of gpweek.com

Sir Jack Brabham was a unique Australian hero

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/may/19/sir-jack-brabham-tribute-australian-hero

Biography

This is the official Australian Biography All photographs are from Sir Jack's personal collection Sir Jack Brabham, OBE - "The Legend" Formula One World Drivers' Champion 1959, 1960 and 1966 Formula

http://www.jack-brabham-engines.com/biography.aspx

Site très intéressant sur le héros australien, les photos sont splendides!!!

Sir Jack Brabham, O.B.E. - The Official Web Site

Sir Jack Brabham AO, OBE, triple Formula 1 World Champion, has died at the age of 88. Sir Jack passed away peacefully at his Gold Coast, Australia, home on Monday morning. Formula 1 World Champion ...

http://www.jackbrabham.com/index.html

Le site officiel du champion, sa biographie et à nouveau une collection de photos...