John Surtees - racing legend and still the only man to win the World Championship on both two and four wheels, visited Lola Cars International this week in his role as Chairman of the UK franchise company for the A1 Grand Prix series.
The 1964 World Champion, who is still active in competing at various historic motor racing events, also took the chance to learn more about Lola’s current projects including the all-new Lola B05/40 LMP2 sportscar and the B05/30 Formula 3 challenger.
Surtees and Lola have been inexorably linked for over 40 years, during which time he has competed in many Lola designs. He is probably most synonymous with Lola T70, in which he took the inaugural Can Am title in 1966 with wins at St Jovite, Las Vegas and Riverside. It was that year that he first formed Team Surtees as part of a deal with Lola to promote the T70 in the US.
“The Lola T70 was a good drivers car,” he remembered. “ And you could drive it very hard and it was also great fun. I’ve always tried to develop a car to where it gives a reasonably consistent message.”
Team Surtees went on to race in Formula One between 1970 and 1978 running drivers such as Mike Hailwood, Carlos Pace and Alan Jones.
As well as sportscars, Surtees also competed in Lola Formula 1 cars throughout the 1960’s, firstly in the Bowmaker Racing Lola Mk4 Climax and then the Lola built Honda RA300 in which he won the 1967 Italian Grand Prix, the first ever win for a Japanese constructor.Surtees is working closely with Tony Clements on the UK A1 GP team which was launched in London on September 30.
A1 Grand Prix brings together the worlds of business and motorsport and the people heading the three new teams announced in South African mirror that. For Australia it is 1980 F1 World Champion, Alan Jones, and successful Formula 3 team boss, Alan Docking. For Canada it is the Chairman of Regent Mercantile Bancorp, J Jay Laski. For Malaysia it is Malaysia’s only Formula 1 and USA Champ Car Series driver, Alex Yoong. While Portugal had already announced its participation, the identities of the major sporting stars representing its seat holders was still a secret. These have now been revealed at the South African launch and are world class footballer Luis Figo and current Manchester United coach, Carlos Queiros.
