Bruce McLaren’s Spirit Lives On

“From dirt floor to state of the art: McLaren celebrate 60 years in F1”, The Guardian headline reads, with all thanks to its founder New Zealander Bruce McLaren.

“What is perhaps most striking about this anniversary is not only how far the team have come but how revered McLaren remains despite his death in 1970,” sports writer Giles Richards reports.

“The New Zealander was killed aged just 32 when he crashed while testing his team’s M8D sportscar at Goodwood. It was just seven years since he had formed McLaren on 2 September 1963 and only four years after they made their F1 debut at Monaco, while McLaren himself had claimed their first F1 win at Spa in 1968.

“What is remarkable about this period is just how far this team had come in such a short time, a tribute to McLaren’s leadership, his character and his ability to inspire everyone around him. He is remembered fondly and with great respect by [former mechanic and fellow New Zealander Howden Ganley] who was the third person to join the team at their workshop only months after McLaren had founded it.”

Original article by Giles Richards, The Guardian, September 2, 2023.