Rickard Rydell

CHAMPION 1998

Rickard Rydell was one of a crop of drivers who had progressed up the single-seater ladder, only to run out of finance. He was a top racer in F3 in the UK and in Japan, and he claimed victory in the prestigious Macau F3 street race.

Rydell was also quick in Formula 3000. He’d raced in the British championship in 1990 before returning to F3, and also competed in the category in Japan. But the Swede’s dreams of a seat in F1 simply didn’t materialise.

Salvation came for Rydell when Volvo decided to join the British Touring Car Championship with its wacky 850 estate machine in 1994. It wanted a native at the controls and Rickard fitted the bill perfectly, and so he was teamed with Jan Lammers for the firm’s maiden assault at the top level.

It was the start of a seven-year association with the British series that would bring him the ultimate reward in 1998. He took 21 race wins, and was committed to Volvo for all but one of those seasons.

His final year was in 2000 at the wheel of a Prodrive-run Ford Mondeo, alongside Alain Menu and Anthony Reid. Rydell, who was christened the ‘Smiling Assassin’ by his rivals, finished third in the standings in what would be his final season, before later racing in the World Touring Car Championship and in sportscars.