Former champion driver Jacky Ickx will celebrate his contemporary, the late Chris Amon, at a special function during the New Zealand Grand Prix meeting at Manfeild in February.

Ickx will revive memories of the halcyon days when he and Amon were team-mates at Ferrari in 1968.

Amon died two weeks after his 73rd birthday in August with the Manfeild circuit subsequently renamed after the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hour winner.

Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon chief executive Julie Keane confirmed Ickx as the keynote speaker at the prize-giving dinner for the Castrol Toyota Racing Series.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Kiwis to meet and hear personally from one of the greats of the Amon period of Formula One,” Keane said.

Belgian ace Ickx enjoyed a highly decorative career that included six wins in the Le Mans 24 Hour race, eight F1 grand prix wins, and a win alongside Allan Moffat in the 1977 Bathurst 1000.

Both Ickx and Amon followed similar pathways into grand prix racing where they had been plucked from relative obscurity and fast-tracked to the best teams of the day.

The Amon family is also pleased one of the great characters of Amon’s international years will be with them at the Grand Prix weekend.

“We are delighted that Jacky will be attending the first New Zealand Grand Prix on the re-named Manfeild circuit,” widow Tish Amon said.

“My husband and Jacky were team-mates at Ferrari in 1968 and for us it is an honour that one of Chris’ contemporaries is travelling so far to join us for this special event.”

Ticket details will be announced soon for the Chris Amon Celebration dinner held over the NZ Grand Prix weekend from February 11-12.