Sir Jackie Stewart forgets names and shares dementia fears in heartbreaking interview

Sir Jackie Stewart admitted he 'forgets people's names' when he opened up about dementia in a heartbreaking interview. The three-time F1 champion believes he could end up with the disease, accepting he had "everything it takes".

Stewart's wife, Lady Helen, continues to battle the disease at home after being diagnosed nearly a decade ago. Stewart said, "You know, I could easily get it. I got all the stuff for it. I sometimes forget people's names and I'm not as sharp as I used to be. If I got it, I got it. I'm still fully operational.

"I'm not saying I have it. But I'll probably get it. Dementia is the leading cause of death in the UK. For anyone born today, one of three will die of dementia. Stewart continues to stay active and remains a regular visitor to the F1 paddock thanks to his work with Rolex.

However, health issues are not far off for the 84-year-old, who suffered a mini-stroke six weeks ago. The incident happened while he was attending Crown Prince Hussein's wedding in Jordan.

Campaigning for a cure for dementia has become one of Stewart's biggest goals outside of running. Lady Helen was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia during an assessment in 2014.

The check-up was booked because Lady Helen suffered a strange car accident with no other traffic on the road. She now receives round-the-clock care from seven neuroscience nurses at their homes in Britain and Switzerland.

Sir Jackie has even fitted his home with sensors to ensure his safety when he walks around at night. Opening up on Lady Helen's diagnosis, Stewart reveals impotence as doctors explained there was no cure.

Stewart explained, "The hardest part was being told there was nothing we could do about it. I didn't know anything about dementia until Helen was diagnosed. And when I asked them, 'When can we do something about it?'

The former Tyrell F1 star has since founded the Race Against Dementia charity which helps fund research into a cure. The group claims that a new person will develop the disease every three seconds.