Jacky Ickx had a busy Tuesday in Prague. Before receiving the Golden Steering Wheel in the evening, he had breakfast with Czech President Petr Pavel and got to see the Porsche 911 that Fesh Fesh intends to field in the 2027 Dakar Classic.

The Golden Steering Wheel, or the Zlatý volant, is awarded by media vote to the best Czech racers in the past year. Although Ickx is Belgian, he received one for his long-term contributions to international motorsports as part of a special category created for the award’s 50th anniversary.

Ickx is mainly known for his pavement racing career with his eight F1 race wins and six Le Mans victories, though his trip to Prague mainly revolved around his Dakar Rally pedigree. He won the race in 1983 and remains involved with the Dakar Classic as its ambassador, so he follows each stage with the race and awards medals to winners and finishers.

Pavel met Ickx for the first time during the 2025 Dakar Rally, which the president attended on a personal trip. A longtime racing fan with particular interest in Dakar, Pavel continued to meet with Czech teams in the months since and has also auctioned off photos from the race.

“It was at the Dakar that we met in person last year,” Pavel said about Ickx. “What I appreciate about him is that his strengths were never just speed, but also humility and respect for the rules. A great inspiration for all other motorists.”

Later in the day, Ickx met with Tomáš Vrátný to check out Fesh Fesh’s Porsche 911. Ickx raced a Porsche 953 at Dakar in 1984 followed by the 959 the next two years, finishing second in 1986.

Ickx signed his name on the Porsche’s cowl. Autogalerie Hranice began building the 911 in August, which will then compete in the 2027 Classic with Fesh Fesh. Incidentally, Vrátný and Fesh Fesh’s truck that they raced in the 2025 Dakar was christened by Pavel. The team skipped the 2026 Rally to focus on the 2027 edition.

Two-time Dakar Truck winner Martin Macík Jr. also received a Golden Steering Wheel as the best Czech racing personality of 2025, while František Šťastný posthumously received the motorcycle equivalent of the Golden Handlebar Award. Annother award, the Golden Steering Wheel Classic, was given to Ota Kuhn’s 1937 MG TA as the best car in the Czech Oldtimer Express vintage endurance race.

Featured image credit: Office of the President of the Czech Republic