From ReutersTributes have been pouring in for rally legend Colin McRae, who died along with his five-year-old son in a helicopter crash on Saturday. He was 39. McRae's agent, Jean-Eric Freudiger, has confirmed that Colin was piloting the Squirrel helicopter when it went down near his home in Scotland, killing all four people on board.
McRae became the first Briton to win the World Rally Championship in 1995 and was admired for his on-the-limit driving style and the personable, measured demeanor he showed when he wasn't behind the wheel. He was successful in other disciplines of motorsport too, a natural wheelman who took part in Le Mans, sports car racing, the Paris-Dakar and even piloted Martin Brundle's F1 car.
Speaking to the BBC, Nicky Grist, McRae's co-driver since 1997, said the rally world was in shock, commenting "he was such a great character, we used to drive to the max and push everything to the absolute limit. But when it came to socialising we had great fun also". Grist also pointed out that McRae had a great respect for flying, and once said that "you don't mess about in a helicopter".
David Coulthard described McRae as "fearless and flamboyant" whilst Sir Jackie Stewart said his passing was "a sad loss for Scotland, of a real hero and an immensely popular friend." Moto GP star Valentino Rossi dedicated his win at Sunday's Portugese GP to McRae.
Meanwhile, Dave Richards, McRae's old boss at Prodrive, said on Saturday "He was one of those people who had an extraordinary spirit that you just can't define. It's a terrible loss."
Colin McRae leaves a wife, Alison and daughter, Hollie.
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