Richard Burns

Richard Burns

Profile and Historical Standing
Richard Alexander Burns was born on 17 January 1971 in Reading, Berkshire, England, and passed away on 25 November 2005 at the age of just 34. He remains the only English driver in World Rally Championship (WRC) history to claim the Drivers' World Championship title, achieving the feat in 2001, and was the second British driver to do so following Colin McRae. Burns amassed 10 WRC rally victories throughout his career, all secured while driving for the Mitsubishi and Subaru works teams.

Early Career and Rise in British Rallying
Burns' passion for motorsport began at a very early age. At just eight years old, he was already behind the wheel of his father's Triumph 2000, practising in a field near his home. He joined the Under 17 Car Club at 11, earning the Driver of the Year accolade in 1984. In 1986, his father arranged a driving session in a Ford Escort at the Welsh Forest Rally School, cementing Burns' ambition to pursue a professional career. In 1990, he joined the Peugeot Challenge, piloting a Peugeot 205 GTI for his WRC debut at Rally GB. In 1993, driving for Subaru Rally Team UK, he captured the British Rally Championship title at the age of 22, becoming the youngest champion in the series' history.

Mitsubishi Era and Maiden WRC Victory
In 1996, Burns signed with the Mitsubishi Ralliart team, marking a crucial step onto the international stage. That same year, he took victory at Rally New Zealand; although the event was then part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), defeating Subaru works drivers Kenneth Eriksson and Piero Liatti firmly proved his credentials. In 1998, driving a Mitsubishi Carisma GT, he clinched his maiden WRC victory at the grueling Safari Rally in Kenya, wrapping up his first full WRC season sixth in the overall standings.

Subaru Era and Back-to-Back Runner-Up Finishes
In 1999, Burns moved to the Subaru World Rally Team, partnering with co-driver Robert Reid. That year, he scored three victories in Greece, Australia, and Great Britain, concluding the season as championship runner-up. In 2000, he took wins in Portugal, the Safari Rally, Argentina, and Great Britain. However, a mid-season retirement at Rally Finland handed the title initiative to eventual winner Marcus Grönholm, leaving Burns as runner-up for the second consecutive year. In its commentary at the time, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) remarked that Burns had been "the best rally driver in the world" over the preceding three seasons, yet remained "in McRae's public shadow".

2001: England's First World Champion
The 2001 campaign began on the back foot for Burns, failing to score points in both Monte Carlo and Sweden. However, in treacherous wet conditions at Rally Portugal, he fought back to finish fourth, steering his championship bid back on track. Successive runner-up finishes in Argentina and Cyprus saw him close in on the title lead, before taking his sole win of the season at Rally New Zealand. Heading into the season finale at Rally of Great Britain, Burns trailed McRae by two points and Tommi Mäkinen by one. With McRae crashing out on Friday and Mäkinen also retiring early, Burns required only a top-four finish to seal the crown. He crossed the line in third place, edging McRae by two points to become England's first-ever WRC World Champion. Upon crossing the finish line, his first words to co-driver Reid were: "You're the best in the world."

Peugeot Era and Career Conclusion
In 2002, Burns joined Peugeot on a deal reportedly worth £3.7 million per year. However, he was unable to add to his win tally across his two seasons with the French marque, despite leading the drivers' standings midway through 2003. In November 2003, while driving en route to Wales Rally GB, Burns suffered a sudden blackout and was later diagnosed with an astrocytoma, a form of brain tumour. Forced to withdraw from the event and the championship fight, he never raced competitively again.

2005 Passing and Memorial
Burns underwent surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and while his condition briefly improved, his health subsequently took a downturn. On 25 November 2005, surrounded by his family and partner Zoe Keen, he passed away in London—exactly four years to the day after clinching his World Championship. On 21 December 2005, a memorial service was held at St Luke's Church in London, where *Top Gear* host Jeremy Clarkson gave a reading of Rudyard Kipling's poem *If—*. Clarkson remarked after the service: "Most people who become world champions get a bit of an edge to them, but he never did. I always knew his day job was to drive round corners as fast as humanly possible, but to me, he was just Burnsy."

Career Legacy
Burns' driving style was celebrated for its surgical precision and composure. At his memorial, rally commentator Jon Desborough remarked: "Other drivers were driven by a desire to beat people. Richard just wanted to be perfect." In 2019, the FIA posthumously inducted Burns into the FIA Hall of Fame, with his sister Jo Burns accepting the honour on his behalf. The limited-edition Impreza RB5, created by Subaru in his tribute, remains a highly prized collector's car among enthusiasts today. Within the history of British rallying, Burns and McRae shared the most electrifying motorsport rivalry of their era, leaving behind a legacy forever captured in an unfinished chapter.