John Surtees

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John Surtees (Ferrari) at the British Grand Prix 1964

John Surtees (born February 11 1934) is a British racing driver, and the only one to have become World Champion on both two and four wheels.

Born in Tatsfield, Surrey, Surtees won seven world titles in motorcycle racing, winning the 350cc championship from 1958 to 1960, and the 500cc championship in 1956 and 1958 through 1960.

Surtees switched from motorcycles to cars, full time in 1960 making his Formula 1 debut racing for Lotus in the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. He moved to Ferrari and won the world championship for the Italian team in 1964.

Surtees parted company with Ferrari during the 1966 season, citing excessive pressure as a factor, leaving Jack Brabham to take the Drivers' Championship.

He later formed his own race team, Surtees Racing Organization, which raced in Formula One during the 1970s.

In 1996, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Surtees' Formula One statistics

  • Number of Grand Prix starts: 112
  • Number of Finishes: 52
  • Number of Finishes on podium: 24
  • Number of Finishes in points: 40
  • Number of Retirements: 60
  • Number of Wins: 6 (Germany 1963 and 1964, Italy 1964 and 1967, Belgium 1966 and Mexico 1966)
  • Number of Pole positions: 8
  • Number of Fastest laps: 11
  • Number of Doubles (Pole position & Win): 4
  • Number of Triples (Pole position, Win & Fastest lap): 3
  • Seasons: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972
  • Points: 180
  • Teams: Bowmaker-Yeoman Racing Team, Cooper Car Company, Honda Racing, North American Racing Team, Owen Racing Organisation, Rob Walker Team Surtees, Scuderia Ferrari, Team Lotus, Team Surtees and Yeoman Credit Racing Team.

External links