Racing driver "Formula 1" Bruce McLaren: biography, accomplishments and interesting facts

Every fan of Motorsport mentally is own lists of pilots are world class. One of them is entitled as “safe, experienced and qualified driver; unsinkable”. Bruce McLaren (Bruce McLaren) headed a list like that many. Therefore, shock in addition to grief, after his sudden death at Goodwood while testing the new car McLaren Can-Am, was particularly strong. Even more ironically cruel was the fact that he deliberately decided not to participate in the two races for McLaren at Indianapolis and returned to England to pursue, as usual, a test of immaculately prepared cars Can-Am.

The Pilot, who was only 33, with its timeless, joyful, young appearance, I would easily forget that of all the world class drivers he was, with the exception of his friend Jack Brabham, the most experienced of all, from the point of view of the duration of participation in the competition.

McLaren Bruce: the biography of a racer

30.08.37 was Born in Auckland, New Zealand, in the family to Les and Ruth McLaren. At the age of 16 he was already the holder of a license, participating in his first mountain race on an Austin 7. His father, an engineer and motorcycle racer, encouraged him and was his biggest supporter.

Bruce Leslie McLaren, especially when he was tired, visibly limping. This was the result of disease, known as disease Legge-pertise that suddenly affects a previously healthy nine-year-old boys and attracts them to the bed in the orthopedic ward of the hospital for up to two years. After the restoration of hip joint no longer works as before and it hurts sometimes.

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Looking back, it becomes clear that exceptional sense of humor Bruce, firmness, patience and mischief originated, or at least crystallized during this long period.

The hospital

One case is worth to remember about it. Bruce had always been a leader and during his stay at the clinic was led by their peers, enclosed in a four-wheeled wheelchair, in a secret night raids down the winding, smooth, sloping paths. Steering was, of course, miserable, and, of course, there have been numerous assaults on beds. An important part of this story is that all the team members and its leader has returned to our beds not caught and unharmed.

Of Great importance in his early life were his parents. Their support and the parents clearly helped to develop a Mature, joyful acceptance of Bruce's life of UPS and downs, his compassion, kindness, interest in others and his huge determination to succeed.

Ticket to Europe

It is appropriate to add an objective and genetic factors inherited trait. Bruce was the first recipient of the scholarship Association of new Zealand international Grand Prix «the Racer in Europe”. This allowed the young pilot to come to the Old world, but on arrival he remained almost to himself. 20-year-old Bruce McLaren with his friend Colin Binienda in the role of mechanics came on English soil in 1958. Jack Brabham, John and Charles Cooper has replaced so necessary to him then the father and two kiwi moved in with him in the Studio to literally build your own racing car, "Formula-2" Cooper.

It wasn't long before Bruce McLaren, racing driver, "Formula 2" with their successful performances forced the enthusiasts to look at the racing program to find out who this little and very young, the representative of the Commonwealth. But everyone was surprised the competition in 1958 at the Grand Prix of Germany, which combined F1 and F2 race at the Nurburgring. The ending of this episode is best commented on Jack Brabham: “I don't know. Several Arabs arrived with three wrenches and a spare wheel only in order to fill the participants list, and then they won the damn race”.

Start at ‘.”

In total Bruce came in fifth and was the first of the F2 cars, standing on the podium beside Tony Brooks, who on the same day won the race "Formula 1" in “Vanwall”. Then he started his real racing career, Bruce McLaren.

Biography of the racer changed dramatically when in the same 1958 team “Shot”, which was characterized by its ability to find talented pilots, offered Bruce to drive in his F2 Cooper, and that friendship and educational experience played a big role. Perfectionism McLaren began to manifest itself in many ways. Late Noddy Groman and Mike Barney were friends, and the meticulous mechanics of Cooper. An hour before the start of the Bruce approached them with a small list in hand and said, ‘Noddy and Mike, you have filled it to the brim with oil?” of Mechanics, not even soizvolit to answer, gave him the death stare. If they didn't even look at him, then McLaren could not open the filler cap to look inside.

Navigation «Cooper»

The following year, he, along with Jack Brabham and Mastana Gregory joined the team "Cooper". Few people know that Bruce McLaren was trained in engineering College and in subsequent years did not have two other drivers which would be more time involved in testing,the design and preparation of cars than he and Brabham. It was a period of the most important and happy hard work.

Also it was a time when the leaders in the sport began to realize that although it was important to have the maximum power of the engine, the lap time can be shortened and chassis tuning. Ken Tyrrell was here a pioneer, and he always had a high opinion of Bruce in this regard. As explained it's the Tyrrell, one of the most difficult things which must be ensured when testing the driver is to drive with constant speed, round and round, and then the opportunity to talk about the behavior of the car, etc. It is here laid the Foundation for the subsequent formation of the whole field of Motorsport.

Experience and stability

At the end of 1959 Bruce McLaren at the age of 22 became the youngest driver ever to win a world championship race "Formula 1" - Grand Prix of USA at “Sebring”. For "Cooper" 1959 was the first of the two successive Golden years, as the team won the manufacturers championship, and in 1960 Jack retained the title of world champion, and 23-year-old Bruce took second place in the standings pilots. McLaren has won a total of four Grand Prix: USA (1959), Argentina (1960), Monte Carlo (1962) and Belgium (1968). An indication of its experience and stability for many years is that in the cumulative rating of all the Championships he finished fifth behind Graham hill, Fangio, Jim Clark and his friend Brabham.

He stayed in the team "Cooper" until 1966, succeeding Bradham on the driver's seat of No. 1 when Jack left her in 1962 to build their own sports cars. During this time McLaren began resistant versatile expansion in all sectors of motorsports, including sports cars. He enjoyed it and gained a lot of friends in the United States. In 1966 he won the 24-hour race in Le Mans with Chris Amon in a 7-liter “the Ford mark IIA” and in the following year, 12-hour at Sebring with Mario Andretti on “the Ford mark IV”.

Its a team

Another important stage was reached in 1963–64 years, because he wanted to secede and have their team. For the "Formula" Tasman he had two of his own specially built 2.5-liter Cooper. The late Timmy Mayer spent his first European season in the Formula 3, speaking for the kennel of Ken Tyrrell, and Bruce, are extremely impressed by his talent, invited the young pilot to join him on the opposite side of the globe. This was to be a kind of rehearsal, as John Cooper was also quite impressed to sign a contract with the young American next season as a co-pilot and McLaren in the first place. Although Bruce won the championship, the new team is back in mourning over the tragic death of Timmy during practice before the last race of this series. For Teddy Mayer, Manager of the deceased brother, and mechanic Tyler Alexander, however, it was the beginning of their long follow-up work and, ultimately, the creation of the company McLaren Racing Ltd. in 1966, with Teddy Mayer as partner. From this point the McLaren was manifested another quality. He was a shrewd businessman and hard-working leader.

Bruce McLaren remained a driver of world-class, but more and more his maturity allowed him calmly to what the other was faster than him, and that his future lies in the field of design, construction and development. Then was built the Formula 1 cars of McLaren and Bruce won the 1968 Belgian Spa on its own McLaren-Ford, and then in the same year, the pilot of his team Denny Hulme won the Grand Prix of Italy and Canada.

Tragic end

All that time in the minds of Bruce and Teddy Mayer had been planned, which was to lead to the top of his career – Canadian-American Cup for sports cars group 7. The Company McLaren Racing Ltd. received the support of sponsors, Chevrolet, Goodyear, Reynolds and Gulf and created a car that won five of six races in the 1967 series, four of six in 1968 and all 11 in 1969. It's superior dominance in the series gave many awards and Bruce Leslie McLaren, whose biography is so suddenly and tragically interrupted, for this extraordinary achievement was to receive the Seagrave Trophy by the Royal automobile club. But this was not to happen.

Bruce McLaren, whose death occurred June 2, 1970 on the Lavant straight track “Goodwood" just before the turn of Woodcote, was testing a new M8D when at full speed separated the back of the car. The loss of aerodynamic downforce destabilized the car, which started to spin, went off the track and hit the guardrail.

Personal life

Bruce married Patti Bricett four years after they met at a party in Timaru, where he arrived at the local competitions. 20 Nov 1965 they had a daughter Amanda.

Interesting facts

• In Auckland by the name of McClaren named school, Park, industrial Park, street and a room in the school where he studied.
• In 1990, Bruce was inducted into the Hall of fame of New Zealand, 1991 – Hall of fame international motorsports and in 1995, Hall of fame motorsports America.
• McLaren won his first Grand Prix in the United States at Sebring in 1959
• Leftthe winner in the race “24 hours of Le Mans" in 1966.
• He came first in the 12-hour race at Sebring in 1967
• Bruce became champion of Can-Am in 1967 and 1969.