British · Lanark, Scotland · Born 5 August 1968 · Died 2007-09-15British rally driver who became the youngest ever World Rally Championship winner in 1995 at age 27, known for his spectacular aggressive driving style.
Colin Steele McRae was born on 5 August 1968 in Lanark, Scotland, the son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae, and began his competitive career on two wheels in trials riding, a pursuit his mother actively discouraged in favour of cars. McRae won back-to-back British Rally Championships in 1991 and 1992, and joined Subaru's factory World Rally Championship team, becoming known for a spectacular, flat-out driving style that made him one of the most exciting and popular drivers the sport has produced, along with a renowned ability to fix mechanical problems mid-stage, once famously repairing a damaged suspension link with a rock during the 1998 Rally Argentina. McRae won the 1995 World Rally Championship, becoming the first British and the first Scottish driver to claim the title, and at 27 became the youngest-ever WRC champion, a record that stood for 27 years until Kalle Rovanperä broke it in 2022. He helped Subaru win three consecutive manufacturers' titles between 1995 and 1997, and finished his career with 25 rally wins, then a series record. McRae was appointed MBE in 1996, and his enduring popularity helped inspire the best-selling Colin McRae Rally video game franchise. He died on 15 September 2007, at age 39, along with his five-year-old son Johnny and two family friends, when the helicopter he was piloting crashed near his home in Lanark.
Aggressive driving style and WRC Championship win
How They Played
Aggressive, spectacular, maximum attack approach
Lasting Impact
Iconic rally driver who inspired Colin McRae Rally video game series
Career Honours
- WRC Champion 1995
- WRC wins 25
- Subaru Impreza icon
British Athletes