Surtees the flying ace with a big heart
JOHN SURTEES was among the greatest all-rounders in the history of British sport, probably underestimated outside the world of motor racing in which he excelled on four and two wheels.
His family announced that he had died yesterday aged 83 after a short illness, his legend assured by virtue of being the only man to have won world championships in Formula One and on motorbikes.
After a career in the sport that brought tragedy as well as repeat triumphs — his son Henry was killed in a freak accident at Brands Hatch in 2009 — many of his admirers felt it scandalous that official recognition stopped at a CBE, not a knighthood.
Damon Hill was among the first to pay tribute via Twitter, saying: ‘Such a lovely man. We have lost a true motorsport legend.’
The official Formula One account described him as ‘an alltime great’, a sentiment backed by statements from teams such as Mercedes, Williams, Ferrari and Renault.
It was in a Ferrari that Surtees won the 1964 F1 title, only four years after winning the last of his four world championships on a 500cc motorbike.
The son of a south London motorcycle dealer and former sidecar champion, Surtees began racing at 15 and first competed nationally while serving an apprenticeship at bike manufacturers Vincent.
His first world title came when riding for MV Agusta in 1956 and he was among the pioneers of the technique that saw riders shifting their weight off the saddle. By the time he switched to four wheels in 1960 — having been asked to test at Goodwood — he had also become the first man to win the Senior TT at the Isle of Man TT races three years in succession.
After focusing on cars in 1960, he did not take long to make an impact, coming second in the British Grand Prix in his debut season with Lotus. When he won the F1 championship in 1964 — there were only 10 races in those days — he clinched the title in the last race in Mexico by finishing second, beating off challenges from Graham Hill and Jim Clark.
He was runner-up in the 1966 season behind Jack Brabham and then, tired of political infighting, walked away from the Italian team.
Evidently not a man to overstate his abilities, he nonetheless felt he could have won more world titles had he stayed with them.
Passionate about motor sport and with a fascination for engines stretching back to his days as a teenage apprentice, he launched his own team in 1970. He retired from competitive racing two years later, having won six out of his 111 Grand Prix.
The Surtees team folded in 1978 but he stayed involved in the sport, as well as riding bikes into his eighties.
Latterly, he devoted his energies to the charitable enterprise set up in memory of his son, who died while racing in Formula 2 when he was struck on the head by a wheel which had flown off another car.
His family issued a statement yesterday, saying: ‘John was a loving husband, father, brother and friend.
‘He was also one of the true greats of motorsport and continued to work tirelessly up until recently with The Henry Surtees Foundation and Buckmore Park Kart Circuit.
‘We deeply mourn the loss of such an incredible, kind and loving man as well as celebrate his amazing life.
‘He has set a very real example of someone who kept pushing himself at his peak and one who continued fighting until the very end.’