F1 team owner 'banned drivers from having sex'

Ken Tyrrell with Denise van Outen and Tora Takagi 1998 — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 Stories

F1 team owner 'banned drivers from having sex'

Strict rules were put in place

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 21 December 2023 12:57

An F1 journalist has claimed that Ken Tyrrell, founder of the eponymous team, provided strict rules on his drivers' appearance at races, and has stated that Valtteri Bottas would not have got on well with the late team owner.

Tyrrell participated in the sport between 1968-1998, winning three drivers' championships with Sir Jackie Stewart and one constructors' world championship.

As well as Stewart, the team boasted a huge array of stars, including Sky Sports F1's Martin Brundle, former world champion Jody Scheckter, Jean Alesi and Jos Verstappen, before their entry was taken over by BAR Racing and then into the modern day, Mercedes.

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Tyrrell himself is often praised for the discovery of Stewart, one of the most legendary F1 drivers of all-time.

Ken Tyrrell was key figure in Formula 1 in the 70s, 80s and 90s

Tyrrell racing won the 1971 constructors' world championship

Sir Jackie Stewart won three world championships with Tyrrell Racing

Tyrrell's strict rules

Now F1 journalist Roger Benoit has revealed that it was Stewart himself who spilt all of these secrets on Tyrrell's unusual leadership style.

"Sir Jackie Stewart once told me that the drivers were not allowed to make love the night before the GP, but Tyrrell also had other quirks," Benoit told Blick.

"If a driver came to the racetrack unshaven or wearing shorts, he would send him back to the hotel. Under Tyrrell, Valtteri Bottas would have been sent back a few times.

“Once I was having dinner in Anderstorp with Martin Brundle, who drove for Tyrrell at the start of his career. At 10pm sharp Tyrrell came over to us and told Brundle he had to go to sleep now.”

Mercedes Formula 1 Martin Brundle Valtteri Bottas Jos Verstappen Jody Scheckter