John Surtees facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John SurteesCBE |
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Surtees signing autographs in his Ferrari at Brands Hatch in 1964
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| Nationality | British |
| Born | 11 February 1934 Tatsfield, Surrey, England |
| Died | 10 March 2017 (aged 83) St George's Hospital, Tooting, London, England |
John Surtees (born February 11, 1934 – died March 10, 2017) was an amazing British racer. He is famous for being the only person ever to win World Championships in both motorcycle racing and Formula One car racing. He won four 500cc motorcycle World Championships between 1956 and 1960. Then, he became the Formula One World Champion in 1964. Later, he even started his own racing team, the Surtees Racing Organisation.
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Motorcycle Racing Champion
John Surtees grew up around motorcycles. His dad sold motorcycles in south London and was also a good dirt track racer. When John was just 14, he helped his dad win a race in a sidecar. But they were not allowed to keep the win because John was too young!
At 16, John started working as a learner at the Vincent motorcycle factory. He became well-known in 1951 when he raced against famous rider Geoff Duke.
In 1955, John got to ride for the official Norton team. He ended the year by beating the world champion at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Because Norton was having money problems, John joined the MV Agusta factory team. There, people called him figlio del vento, which means "son of the wind," because he was so fast!
In 1956, John won the 500cc world championship. This was MV Agusta's first big win in that class. After some other teams left racing in 1957, John and MV Agusta won almost every race. From 1958 to 1960, he won 32 out of 39 races! He was also the first person to win the tough Senior TT race at the Isle of Man TT three years in a row.
Formula One Car Racing Star
In 1960, at age 26, John Surtees decided to race cars full-time. He made his Formula One debut with Team Lotus. He quickly showed he was good, finishing second in only his second Formula One race. In his third race, he started from the very front (called "pole position").
After racing for other teams, he joined the famous Ferrari racing team in 1963. He then won the Formula One World Championship for Ferrari in 1964.
The 1966 season brought new, bigger engines to Formula One. John raced Ferrari's new car and finished a close second at Silverstone. A few weeks later, he won the Belgian Grand Prix. He also won three races in the first ever Can-Am racing season, becoming champion.
In 1966, John joined Honda. He finished third in his first race with them in South Africa. Later, at the Italian Grand Prix, he used the air current behind Jack Brabham's car (called "slipstreaming") to win by a tiny amount.
In 1970, John Surtees started his own racing team, the Surtees Racing Organisation. He spent nine seasons building and racing his own cars in different series like Formula One. He stopped racing professionally in 1972. His team closed down at the end of 1978.
Life After Racing
After retiring from racing, John Surtees had a motorcycle shop and a Honda car dealership. He still loved motorcycles and often took part in events with his collection of old racing bikes. He also remained involved in car racing, leading the British A1 Grand Prix team from 2005 to 2007.
John's son, Henry Surtees, also became a racing driver. Sadly, Henry passed away while racing in 2009.
John Surtees received many honors for his amazing career. In 1996, he was added to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was named a Grand Prix "Legend." He was also given special awards by the Queen of England, becoming a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016. In 2013, he received the Segrave Trophy for being the only person to win world titles on two and four wheels. He also received an honorary degree from Oxford Brookes University in 2015.
Personal Life and Passing
John Surtees was married twice. He had three children with his second wife, Jane Sparrow: Leonora, Edwina, and Henry.
John Surtees passed away on March 10, 2017, at the age of 83, due to breathing problems. He was buried next to his son Henry.
Images for kids
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Surtees (left) and Mauro Forghieri in 1965
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1965-05-23 07b John Surtees, Ferrari 330P2.jpg
Surtees at the 1965 1000 km Nürburgring
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Surtees and Yoshio Nakamura at the 1968 Dutch Grand Prix
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Surtees at the 1969 Dutch Grand Prix
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Surtees at the wheel of the Surtees TS7
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John Surtees in 2011
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John Surtees and his second wife Janis Sheara
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See also
In Spanish: John Surtees para niños
