John Surtees

John Surtees holds a distinction no one else in motorsport history can claim: he is the only man to have won World Championships on both two wheels and four. Born in Surrey in 1934, he conquered Grand Prix motorcycle racing before transferring his extraordinary talent to Formula 1 and winning the 1964 World Championship with Ferrari.

Before his car career, Surtees won seven motorcycle world titles in the 350cc and 500cc classes, dominating on the MV Agusta. Switching to four wheels, he reached the pinnacle of F1 with Ferrari, clinching the 1964 drivers' crown in a dramatic Mexican Grand Prix finale. He recorded 6 Grand Prix wins, 24 podiums and 8 pole positions across 112 starts, driving for teams including Ferrari, Cooper, Honda and the eponymous Surtees outfit he later founded.

Surtees went on to build and run his own Formula 1 team in the 1970s. Revered across both branches of motorsport, he remained a beloved elder statesman until his death in 2017.

Surtees combined fierce competitiveness with deep mechanical understanding, a rare engineer-driver who could set up a car as well as drive it on the limit. His ability to master two utterly different disciplines at the highest level remains unmatched and is unlikely ever to be repeated. Whether on an MV Agusta or in a Ferrari, he raced with bravery and precision, and his unique double championship secures him a singular place in the pantheon of motorsport.