RIP JOHN SURTEES 1934–2017

John Surtees CBE, who passed away last month aged 83, was the only man ever to win world championships on two wheels and four, in an era fraught with danger. In fact, John won seven motorcycle world titles, with MV Agusta, as well as the Formula One driver’s championship in 1964, competing for that little-known Italian outft Ferrari. Surtees also fought back from career-threatening injuries, following an accident while racing at Mosport Park in Canada. His left side was pushed up by four and a half inches, the bottom of his spine knocked of, and he sufered internal bleeding. Friend and former team owner Tony Vandervell arranged for him to be fown home and John was mummifed during the fight to minimise his movement. Three months later, he was lowered back into a racing car dangling from the A-frame that teams used to install engines. They don’t make drivers like that any more...