Three time motorcycling champion John Surtees Motor Racing's Fearless John
Born on February 11th, 1934, in London, UK, to a three-time motorcycling champion Jack, John Surtees’ family circumstances motivated the Englishman’s early fling with motorcycles. In addition to his professional cycling engagements, Jack also ran a motorcycle outlet in South London. By the age of 11, young John was jaunting around in his own motorcycle, which he could both steer and repair with considerable dexterity. The young Londoner abandoned school education at 16 to take up an engineering apprenticeship at a motorcycle manufacturing plant. In 1955 John Surtees enlisted himself with the Norton works motorcycling squad with whom he raced his way to 68 triumphs from 76 appearances. Over the next four years, he went on to clinch a remarkable seven motorbike world championship titles paired with the renowned Italian MV Augusta squad.
The Englishman’s advancement in the single-seater arena mirrored his quick rise to stardom in the world of motorcycling. By 1959 the now well-known motorcyclist was on the shopping list of many eager Formula One talent-hawking bosses. Surtees made an instant impression during his debutant single-seater race when he powered his F3 Cooper to a spot just shortly behind the legendary Jim Clark’s Lotus at Goodwood. Convinced of Surtees’ great potential, Lotus premier Colin Chapman swiftly enrolled the Englishman onto his squad’s payroll for the 1960 Formula One campaign. Surtees’ proved every bit worth the gamble when he ended runner-up at the season’s British Grand Prix as well as putting on a superb performance in Portugal. The Englishman’s mounting successes inevitably made him a much sought-after Formula One property and at the close of the 1960 run, Surtees bid goodbye to his motorcycling career to concentrate fully on a future in single-seaters.
Turning down Colin Champan’s offer to be paired alongside Jim Clark at Lotus, Surtees alternatively chose to join hands with Cooper for the 1961 campaign and with Lola for the 1962 run. Yet neither of the spells yielded much meaningful success, but Surtees’ undiminished determination and raw ability ensured he was still hot property in the Formula One market. Sure enough, in 1963 the ex MV Augusta hero was offered to pilot the renowned Italian Ferrari F1 squad. Enzo Ferrari (who had formerly supervised a motorcycle racing squad) was a huge fan of the skill and commitment Surtees had displayed as a bike racer, and enlisted the Englishman to spearhead the Ferrari 1963 Formula One campaign.
Surtees promptly vindicated Enzo Ferrari’s trust in spectacular style when he narrowly beat Jim Clark’s Lotus in a thrilling battle around the winding Nurburgring curves to seal his very initial championship victory at the German Grand Prix. The following year, the Englishman further endeared himself to Italian fans (who affectionately labelled him “Fearless John”) and the Formula One body at large after clinching another remarkable triumph at Nurburgring, this time defeating fellow countryman, Graham Hill’s BRM (British Racing Motors) machine to the first spot. Surtees’ concluded his brilliant 1964 run with a World Championship title to his name after Jim Clark and Graham Hill, the other major contenders for the ultimate trophy, were brought down on the points table by varying strokes of bad luck.
In 1965, when Enzo Ferrari’s F1 machine was no longer the superior vehicle on track, Surtees decided to part ways with the squad after racing to one of his most memorable triumphs at the Belgian event as the year’s Formula One run neared its close. Surtees walked away from Ferrari, never to win another driving title in the future despite going on to seize victory at three more F1 championship events. The Englishman spent the 1966 season with Cooper before setting out on a two-year spell with Honda. After a less than rewarding 1969 campaign with BRM, Surtees set up his own squad, the Team Surtees. Over its nine year stint at Formula One, the Team Surtees enjoyed only marginal success, with John Surtees relieving himself of driving duties in 1973 to focus singularly on the management aspect of his enterprise. Surtees bid his final farewell to Formula One in 1978 due to ill health (the consequence of a 1965 mishap). The Englishman thereafter concentrated on his obligations as a family man and has since embarked on various business ventures.
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