Colin McRae

Colin Steele McRae, (5 August 1968 – 15 September 2007) was a British rally driver from Scotland.

In 1986, driving a Talbot Sunbeam, McRae entered the Scottish Rally Championship with Ian Grindrod, his father's co-driver, as his co-driver, and soon made a name for himself with his speed and exciting style of driving.

His driving style drew many comparisons to Finnish ex-World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen, whom McRae had always idolised.

His first WRC event was the 1987 Swedish Rally in a Vauxhall Nova where he finished 36th overall, and again two years later, driving the Sierra and finishing 15th overall.

In 1988 he took the Scottish Rally Championship series crown in his Vauxhall Nova.

His next car was a Ford Sierra XR 4x4.

In 1989, he finished 5th overall at Rally New Zealand in a rear wheel drive Sierra Cosworth.

In 1990 McRae achieved sixth place in that year's RAC Rally, despite several accidents.

He was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion, and in 1995 became the first British driver to win the World Rally Championship Drivers' title.

At 27, McRae was the youngest ever World Champion, a record that stood until 2022.

In 1991, McRae turned professional as he was signed by Prodrive boss David Richards to his Subaru team in the British Rally Championship for an annual wage of approximately £10,000.

McRae was British Rally Champion in both 1991 and 1992, soon graduating to the Subaru factory team at World Rally Championship level.

In 1992, McRae made his debut in the British Touring Car Championship, with a one-off appearance for the Prodrive-run BMW factory team at the Knockhill round, where he collided with Matt Neal.

Race officials found McRae to have caused an avoidable collision and subsequently disqualified him.

On his promotion for 1993, McRae initially drove the Prodrive-built Group A Subaru Legacy alongside Finns Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola and Markku Alén.

McRae then won his first WRC rally in the car at that year's Rally New Zealand.

McRae's performances with the Subaru World Rally Team enabled the team to win the World Rally Championship Manufacturers' title three times in succession in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

McRae moved to the principality of Monaco in 1995, partly through his friendship with David Coulthard.

However, as his young family grew up, he spent more time back at his home in Lanarkshire.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to motorsport in 1996.

In 1996, McRae was appointed a Member of the British Empire for services to motorsports in the Birthday Honours list.

McRae began his competitive career in motorsport riding trial bikes at an early age, despite being more interested in four-wheeled machines rather than two-wheel bikes.

He became the Scottish schoolboy motocross champion at the age of thirteen.

At the age of sixteen, through the Coltness Car Club, McRae found autotesting, obtained a Mini Cooper and started competing.

A year later, he began to negotiate with another club member to use a borrowed Hillman Avenger GT for the Kames Stages, a single-venue stage rally not far from McRae's home.

McRae finished the event thirteenth; first in his class although he had run most of the event in a higher position.

After four years with the Ford Motor Co. team, where McRae won nine events, he moved to Citroën World Rally Team in 2003 where, despite not winning an event, he helped them win their first manufacturers' title.

With 25 victories in the WRC, McRae held the record for the most wins in the series at the time of his retirement from full time rallying in 2003.

A record since beaten.

McRae was killed in a helicopter crash in 2007 near his home.

His son and two family friends were also killed.

McRae was born in Lanark, Scotland, to Jimmy and Margaret McRae.

Jimmy McRae was the five-time winner of the British Rally Championship.

McRae was the eldest of three brothers; his middle brother, Alister McRae, is also a rally car driver.

McRae's maternal uncle Hugh "Shug" Steele was also a former rally driver.

He attended Robert Owen Primary School and Lanark Grammar School and studied for a year at Coatbridge College.

He worked at Archie's Autos then at his father's plumbing and heating business as a technician.

McRae was married to Alison (née Hamilton), whom he met aged 19 when she acted as his co-driver, and had two children, Hollie and Johnny.

The couple bought the 17th century Jerviswood House.

McRae's nephew, Max McRae, is also a motorsport racer.