Formula One legend Sir Jackie Stewart set to drive 1969 championship car in Scotland in Race for Dementia bid

Three-time Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart will drive his 1969 Matra MS-80 02 for the first time in Scotland this June.

The legendary car will make its Scottish debut at Thirstane Castle on June 18 and 19, as part of the Sir Jackie Stewart Classic presented by Rolex.

The Matra powered the ‘Flying Scot’ to his first world championship in 1969, in Monza.

Attendees will get to see the Matra MS-80 02 up close and personal, and hear its Cosworth engine roar as the Scot drives it in a parade packed full of star cars on both days.

The event will showcase over 1,000 classic and modern sports cars, including his two other championship-winning cars – the Tyrrell 003 and Tyrrell 006.

The Tyrrell 003 was made for the 1971 Formula One season and debuted at the Spanish Grand Prix – where Sir Jackie won the race driving it, meanwhile the Tyrrell 006 drove Sir Jackie to the Drivers’ Championship in the 1973 Formula One season – securing his third and final title.

The Formula One legend said: “This will be a world-class event at Thirlestane Castle showcasing Scotland’s exceptional motorsports heritage in our own country. I am delighted the Thirlestane team have chosen to support Race Against Dementia in this way and feel proud and privileged to be a part of this great initiative.”

The event is being held in aid of Race Against Dementia – a charity founded by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, driven to raise money to fund breakthrough and innovative research to find a cure for the disease.

He will also take the stage a few days prior, on June 16, at the Borders Book Festival at Harmony Garden in Melrose to talk about both his racing career and life after F1, in aid of his dementia charity.

The event is part of the national Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022 campaign, celebrating the wealth of stories inspired by, written or created in Scotland.

The condition affects over 50 million people across the globe – including Sir Jackie’s wife Helen – and the latest research predicts that, of everyone born today, one in three will suffer from dementia.