THE LEGACY LEFT BY ENGLAND’S FIRST WORLD RALLY CHAMPION
November 25 is a day of conflicting emotions for British rally fans. Nineteen years ago this week, Richard Burns came out on top of the so-called ‘Battle of Britain’to win the World Rally Championship title he had missed out on the year before. But four years later to the very same day, Richard Burns finally lost his valiant two-year battle with a brain tumour.
Both fights were indicative of Burns’ dogged determination to succeed. On the stages, Burns was a fierce – and often underrated – competitor who pioneered a new style of world championship success. He absolutely had the talent and ability to win stages at a canter and win from the front, but was equally as prepared to assess the situation and realise when he was better off banking a
