Colin McRae
Colin Steele McRae, MBE (5 August 1968 – 15 September 2007) was a British rally driver from Scotland. 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.
Colin McRae at the X Games XIII in 2007 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Born | 5 August 1968 Lanark, Scotland |
| Died | 15 September 2007 (aged 39) Lanark, Scotland |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1987–2003, 2005–2006 |
| Co-driver | Derek Ringer Nicky Grist |
| Teams | Subaru, Citroën, Ford, Škoda |
| Rallies | 146 |
| Championships | 1 (1995) |
| Rally wins | 25 |
| Podiums | 42 |
| Stage wins | 460 |
| Total points | 626 |
| First rally | 1987 Swedish Rally |
| First win | 1993 Rally New Zealand |
| Last win | 2002 Safari Rally |
| Last rally | 2006 Rally of Turkey |
At 27, McRae was the youngest ever World Champion, a record that stood until 2022. 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. 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. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to motorsport in 1996. 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.