The only Englishman to ever win the World Rally Championship
In short: In 2001, Richard Burns achieved a feat no other English driver has matched. After a season of intense competition against rivals like Colin McRae and Tommi Mäkinen, he secured the title with a gritty performance, proving that precision and resilience could conquer the world's most grueling rally stages.
Richard Alexander Burns's journey to the summit of rallying began in a field in Oxfordshire, where he first drove his father's Triumph 2000 at age eight. By age eleven, he was already a standout in the Under 17 Car Club. His professional ascent was marked by rapid success, including becoming the youngest British Rally Championship champion in 1993 while driving for Subaru. Throughout his career, he maintained a constant partnership with his co-driver, Robert Reid, whom he famously praised as "the best in the world" upon clinching his title.
The 2001 World Rally Championship was a dramatic, high-stakes battle. Burns's campaign started poorly, yielding no points in the first two rounds. However, he found his rhythm with a victory in New Zealand and consistent podium finishes. The championship culminated in a four-way decider during the final round in Great Britain. While his primary rivals, including McRae and Mäkinen, suffered retirements, Burns secured third place to claim the title. Remarkably, he achieved this with 44 points, the lowest total since the modern points system was introduced in 1997.
Tragedy struck during the 2003 season. While traveling to the Wales Rally GB, Burns suffered a blackout and was subsequently diagnosed with an astrocytoma, a malignant brain tumor. Despite successful surgery in April 2005, his condition worsened. On 25 November 2005—exactly four years after his championship victory—Burns passed away in a London hospital at the age of 34. His legacy lives on through special edition cars like the Subaru RB5 and the RB Foundation, honoring a driver who defined an era of motorsport excellence.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Richard Burns
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