Colin McRae

1. Who is he?

Born on August 5, 1968 in Lanark (United Kingdom) and died on September 15, 2007 in Lanark following a helicopter accident, Colin McRae was Scottish. He was the 1995 world rally champion.

2. Course

Colin McRae grew up in a family dedicated to motorsport. Motivated by the example of his father Jimmy, five-time British rally champion, the young Scot started in the discipline very early and imitated his ancestor. At just 23 years old, David Richards, boss of Prodrive, hired him to compete in national events with Subaru. It didn't take long for him to stand out and obtained his ticket for the World Cup in 1993. From his first full season, he stood out with his spectacular driving style. A victory in New Zealand gives a glimpse of a bright future. The supreme consecration came in 1995. Initially in difficulty, the blue and yellow Impreza n°5 gained momentum in the summer to the point of causing an internal clash on the land of Carlos Sainz, the teammate. In Catalonia, Colin McRae does not respect his boss's order to let the Spaniard slip away to victory. David Richards threatens him with expulsion to make him comply, with success. A few weeks later, he crushed Carlos Sainz, this time in front of his family, at the RAC. At 25, he became the youngest world rally champion, a record which still stands in 2021. The rest will be marked by the fight against the other cult Japanese brand of the 90's, Mitsubishi. Tommi Mäkinen will constantly have the advantage over Colin McRae, who is content with the places of honor before signing for Ford in 1999. Initially unreliable, the new Focus WRC rarely gives him time to distinguish himself. We had to wait until 2001 to see the Scotsman again in a position to challenge for the coronation. Alas, yet another outing in the background shatters his last chances at the RAC. Victorious in Kenya the following year, he began a decline that his podium at Monte-Carlo (3rd) in 2003 with Citroën did not counteract. Not retained by Guy Fréquelin at the end of the season, he contented himself with freelancing for Skoda in 2005. It was then that he discovered an interest in rally raids, with two high-end Dakars for Nissan, concluded by as many abandonments. He even tried his hand at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2004 with a Ferrari 550 Maranello from the Prodrive team (3rd in GTS). While he was preparing to attempt a final comeback in the WRC in 2008, he was killed in a helicopter crash in September 2007 in the company of his son and two family friends.

3. AUTOhebdo’s opinion

How can you not love Colin McRae? The Scot's aura still exceeds his list of achievements today, certainly extensive but since largely beaten by Sébastien Loeb and Ogier. Colin McRae made the rally “sexy” and captivating thanks to his sense of attack, his corners tackled across and his extremely inside trajectories. So yes, it often ended badly; moreover, he very quickly acquired the nickname “McCrash”. But he became a name known beyond the world of motorsport thanks to his contribution to a series of successful video games published by Codemasters, endeavoring to faithfully transcribe the world of this endearing weirdo.

Colin McRae's career results

Colin McRae's career highlights

August 8, 1993: First WRC success with the Subaru Legacy RS of the Prodrive team in New Zealand. © DPPI

November 22, 1995: The joy of the Prodrive team during the final RAC podium, where McRae-Ringer became world champions. © LAT Photographic / Newspress

April 21, 2002: Colin McRae, this is above all a nice compilation of racing accidents, fortunately without consequences for the crew; like here in Cyprus. © DPPI

January 7, 2004: Colin McRae also won four stages of the Paris-Dakar in two editions. © DPPI

June 10, 2004: Beautiful car (Ferrari 550 Maranello) and great result (3rd in GTS) for Colin McRae during his discovery of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. © DPPI