This page pays tribute to Manfred Giet.

Here is what he tells us about Jacky Ickx:
“During my already long career (35 years) as a motorsport photographer, I had the chance to know two completely different eras. From the good-natured amateurism of the 60s-70s to the mid-1980s. Then motorsport took on a resolutely professional orientation, at which point the sport unfortunately became nothing more than an accessory. As a result, I also had the opportunity to work with two generations of pilots.
Among those, someone has always fascinated me: Jacky Ickx. Not out of chauvinism, but by his immense talent and charisma.
In my eyes, Jacky Ickx is part of this small elite of so-called “eclectic” pilots who have marked a mythical era and that nostalgics recall willingly, given the often soporific events taking place now. In all categories, Jacky Ickx has always found his pace very quickly, which allows him to figure very well within the gallery of the most illustrious drivers. The late Franco Lini, former race director of the prestigious Scuderia Ferrari who later became a journalist, told me one day: “of all the drivers I have worked with, Jacky was obviously the most talented of his generation. Unfortunately, he did not always arrive in the right team at the right time!
It is true that this last reflection perfectly sums up why he was not crowned World Champion in F1. In categories as diverse as hill climb, tourism, proto sports, Canam, rally, raids rallies, F2 or F1, Jacky Ickx has been a spearhead for decades, often giving a new dimension to motorsport. And from a human point of view, Jacky has always been what was commonly called at the time a gentleman driver, that is to say a driver with extraordinary charisma and perfectly knowing how to dissociate sport and private life. The only regret that one can finally express towards him is that he was unfortunately never crowned World Champion in F1 and this because of the vagaries of motor racing at the time which, compared to now, was very often an adventure.
Every time I meet Jacky, his first words are always: “How are you? But you don’t change, it’s great.” And me to answer him: “but you don’t either, and it’s much better that way.” Come on Jacky, good luck to you during your well-deserved retirement but how much missed by your many fans around the world.”
Manfred Giet – 2004