Didn't really know who he was, don't follow racing to much degree. From reading the articles seems like he was really talented driver, and he started his own airline.
There's a movie about his life and his long time rivalry with friend, James Hunt. I think the movie is called Rush and it may even be on Netflix. It was a really interesting behind the scenes look. I used to follow racing a lot when I was a kid, but as racing became more robotic, I lost interest in it.