Jack Brabham won the 1966 Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship in a Brabham BT19 bearing his own name.
Brabham’s achievement is unique in Formula 1 championship history. He founded Motor Racing Developments with Ron Tauranac, and the Brabham team entered the world championship under his surname. In 1966, Brabham won four Grands Prix and consistently scored points with the Repco-powered BT19.
The title was especially significant because Brabham was both the driver and the constructor behind the successful car. He had previously won championships in 1959 and 1960 driving for Cooper, so 1966 became his third and final drivers’ title.
A common mix-up is confusing the 1966 constructors’ champion with a driver who merely drove for a famous team. Brabham won the drivers’ championship while his own constructor also took the constructors’ championship, making the accomplishment exceptionally distinctive.