The only man to win the World Championship on two and four wheels. Formed his own Formula 1 team, which also competed in Formula 2, amongst other series. Lived for a long time in Surrey. For many years, he ran a bike dealership and then a car dealership but also was involved in real estate. His son, Henry, followed him into racing; however, he suffered tragedy in 2009 when Henry was killed in a freak Formula 2 accident. This inspired Surtees to set up a foundation in Henry's name and John spent the remainder of his life raising money and awareness for this and other charities. A regular attendee of historic events, riding both motorcycles and driving cars, almost right up to his death, John also ran the British entry for the A1 GP series for a while. Awarded an OBE in 2008, and then a CBE in 2016. Surtees was the son of Jack Surtees, who raced motorcycles and sidecars for a while as well as owning a motorcycle shop, which fired John's interest in the sport. John died after a short respiratory illness in 2017, although John had suffered with problems with his lungs for over 50 years, as he often had to spend winters overseas, and it was believed to be a legacy of his motorcycling days.

Biography last updated 2 Jul 2017