Richard Burns

Richard Burns
Richard Burns
Born	Richard Alexander Burns; 17 January 1971 (age 55); Reading, Berkshire, England
Died	25 November 2005 (aged 34); St John's Wood, London, England
Occupation	Rally driver
Years active	1990–2003
Known for	2001 World Rally Championship winner; only English WRC champion

Richard Alexander Burns (17 January 1971 – 25 November 2005) was a distinguished English rally driver who captured the 2001 World Rally Championship, having previously finished as runner-up in both 1999 and 2000. He played a key role in Mitsubishi's manufacturers' championship triumph in 1998 and later contributed to Peugeot's title in 2002. Throughout his career, his co-driver was Robert Reid. Burns remains the sole English driver to have claimed the World Rally Championship title.

Early Career

Hailing from Reading, Berkshire, Burns began behind the wheel at age eight and joined the Under 17 Car Club by eleven, where he earned the Driver of the Year accolade in 1984. After attending the Welsh Forest Rally School in 1986, he became a member of Craven Motor Club. His potential caught the eye of David Williams, who supported his formative stages. In 1988, Burns started competing with a Talbot Sunbeam but soon borrowed more powerful vehicles to advance through rallies such as the Panaround and Cambrian.

Burns claimed victory in the Peugeot Challenge in 1990 driving a Peugeot 205 GTI, which led to his World Rally Championship debut at that year’s RAC Rally. The following year, he partnered with Robert Reid for the first time, finishing 16th in their inaugural WRC event together. In 1992, backed by Prodrive, Burns secured the National Championship title piloting a Group N Subaru Legacy and assisted Colin McRae with gravel pace notes. That same year, he won the Severn Valley Rally outright despite competing in a less powerful car.

In 1993, Burns joined Subaru Rally Team UK for the British Rally Championship alongside Alister McRae. He won four rounds that season, becoming the youngest ever BRC champion. Remaining with Subaru through 1994 and 1995, he also competed in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, gaining valuable international exposure. At the conclusion of 1995, Burns achieved third place at the RAC Rally behind teammates Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae, who secured that year's WRC crown.

1996–1998: Mitsubishi Era

Burns moved to Mitsubishi Ralliart on the international stage in 1996 and triumphed at Rally New Zealand, which was then part of both the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and FIA 2-Litre World Rally Cup. He notably outperformed factory Subaru drivers such as Kenneth Eriksson and Piero Liatti, bolstering his reputation. During 1997, competing with Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution models III, IV, and V—marketed as Carisma GT—he steadily improved with five fourth-place finishes plus a runner-up spot at the Safari Rally, ending seventh overall.

In 1998, Burns earned his first WRC victory at the demanding Safari Rally and followed this with another win at Rally GB during his final event for Mitsubishi. This latter success confirmed Tommi Mäkinen’s drivers' championship and secured Mitsubishi’s manufacturers' title.

1999–2001: Subaru Return

Burns rejoined Prodrive’s Subaru World Rally Team in 1999 under David Richards’ leadership, alongside Juha Kankkunen and Bruno Thiry. Taking over from Colin McRae, he achieved a personal best second place in the drivers’ standings while aiding Subaru to finish runner-up among constructors behind Toyota Team Europe. A mix-up over team orders cost him victory at Rally Argentina. Despite limited familiarity with some events, Burns impressed by finishing second at the 1000 Lakes Rally.

In 2000, Burns emerged as a strong contender for the championship but suffered a mid-season crash at Rally Finland that allowed Peugeot’s Marcus Grönholm to gain an advantage. Nonetheless, Burns bounced back impressively by winning the season finale at the Rally of Great Britain.

The following year began slowly with no points from Monte Carlo or Sweden; however, he gained momentum with a fourth place in Portugal and second-place finishes in Argentina and Cyprus behind Colin McRae. Burns secured his sole victory of that season in New Zealand and followed it up with second place in Australia, narrowing McRae’s lead to two points. Benefiting from rivals’ difficulties during the final round in Great Britain, Burns finished third overall to clinch the World Rally Championship title with 44 points—the lowest tally recorded under the post-1997 scoring system—becoming the first Englishman to claim this honor. To mark this achievement, Subaru released a special UK edition Impreza named RB5.

After this triumph, contractual negotiations concluded with Peugeot successfully acquiring Burns for their team in 2002.

2002–2003: Peugeot Comeback

For the 2002 season, Burns made a return to Peugeot. Although Peugeot was regarded as the top team, Burns found it difficult to keep pace with his teammates Marcus Grönholm on gravel and Gilles Panizzi on tarmac. His tally of ten WRC wins remained static, and a second world championship title was not achieved. Initially victorious at the Rally Argentina, he was later disqualified because his 206 was underweight, handing the victory to Sainz. At Rally New Zealand, he was leading until a late-day two rollover forced him to retire. Throughout much of the 2003 campaign, Burns mounted a title bid relying on steady podium finishes rather than outright wins but ultimately decided against continuing with the 206 WRC.

During 2003, although Burns did not secure any victories, he achieved seven podium placements and led the championship standings for a significant portion of the season. Experiencing an extended winless period with Peugeot, he committed to rejoining Subaru for the 2004 season, where he would partner with Norway's Petter Solberg, the reigning 2003 champion. However, in November 2003, prior to the concluding Wales Rally GB, Burns experienced a blackout while driving alongside Ford's Markko Märtin. This incident led to his withdrawal from both the event and championship contention. Subsequent medical evaluation revealed an astrocytoma, a malignant brain tumor. Treatment throughout 2004 culminated in a "very successful" surgical procedure in April 2005. By August 2005, Burns hosted a fan day featuring his private vehicle collection but was unable to drive himself; instead, his co-driver Robert Reid took over driving duties.

WRC Victories

#	Event	Year	Co-driver	Vehicle
1	Safari Rally	1998	Robert Reid	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV
2	Rally of Great Britain	1998		Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V
3	Acropolis Rally	1999		Subaru Impreza WRC 99
4	Rally Australia
5	Rally of Great Britain
6	Safari Rally	2000
7	Rallye de Portugal			Subaru Impreza WRC 00
8	Rally Argentina
9	Rally of Great Britain
10	Rally New Zealand	2001		Subaru Impreza WRC 2001

Complete WRC Results

Year	Team	Car Model	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Championship Position	Points Scored
1990	Peugeot Talbot Sport	Peugeot 309 GTI	MON	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	NZL	ARG	FIN	AUS	ITA	IVO	GBR 28			–	0
1991	Peugeot Talbot Sport	Peugeot 309 GTI	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE ... [Table continues with consistent structure for subsequent years]

APRC Performance Overview

Year	Competitor	Vehicle	1	2	3	4	5	6	Overall APRC Standing	Points
1993	Richard Burns	Subaru Legacy 4WD Turbo	IDN	NZL	MYS	AUS	THA 2		?	?
1994	555 Subaru World Rally Team	Subaru Impreza 555	IDN Ret	NZL Ret	MYS 2	AUS 5	HKG 2	THA 2	3rd	45
1995	555 Subaru World Rally Team	Subaru Impreza 555	IDN	NZL Ret	MYS	AUS	HKG 3	THA 3
1996	Petronas Mitsubishi Ralliart	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III	THA Ret	IDN Ret	MYS 2	NZL 1	AUS 5	HKG 2	2nd	58
1997	Mitsubishi Ralliart	Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III	THA	CHN	NZL 4	MYS	IDN 4	AUS 4	6th	30

Personal background

In 2001, Burns made the decision to move from the United Kingdom to Andorra, reportedly motivated by tax considerations.

Passing

Richard Burns passed away on 25 November 2005, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of his triumph in the 2001 World Rally Championship. He died at the Wellington Hospital, London#St John's Wood location in London in St John’s Wood, London, at age 34, after entering a coma caused by a brain tumour. A commemorative service took place on 22 December 2005 at St Luke's Church, Chelsea, which included readings from BBC personalities Jeremy Clarkson and Steve Rider, alongside a tribute from photographer Colin McMaster. Burns was laid to rest at the church of St Peter and St Paul, Checkendon.

The British television program Top Gear dedicated an episode in his honor, with host Jeremy Clarkson highlighting the impact of Burns’s death. Burns had been featured twice on the show, where he advocated for rallying’s importance compared to Formula One and conducted a test drive in the Peugeot RC.

In 2006, Subaru paid tribute to Burns at the Castle Combe Circuit, assembling over fifty Subaru Impreza RB5 models on track, including RB5 No. 001 driven by his father, Alex Burns. The following year, Subaru launched a limited edition of the Impreza WRX STI, named the RB320. This edition boasted a 320 bhp Prodrive Performance Pack, suspension enhancements developed by Prodrive, a sports spring kit, and was exclusively available in obsidian black. Proceeds from this model supported the RB Foundation.

The RB Foundation was created at the 2006 Goodwood Festival of Speed with the mission to "inspire and assist individuals facing serious injury and illness." It also raises funds for the Michael Park Fund, which is dedicated to advancing safety within motorsport. Additionally, British band Travis dedicated their 2007 album The Boy with No Name to commemorate Burns’s legacy.

Richard Burns Trophy

Since 2006, the award for the top young competitor at the Wales Rally GB has been titled the Richard Burns Trophy to honor his legacy. This accolade is presented to the highest-ranking non-priority driver who is 25 years old or younger.

External links

Official Richard Burns Foundation website (archived)
Biography of Richard Burns at BBC.co.uk