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I only found out this morning, and to be honest I'm bloody gutted!Unfortunately, 2001 WRC champion Richard Burns lost his battle with a long illness last night after being diagnosed with a brain tumour two years ago. He was 34 years old, and fought to the end. Sorry to say, but it makes me really angry that George Best will be all over the news for the next week when he had a second chance at life but chose to throw it away, when Richard Burns didn't stand a chance the first time around. R.I.P. mate.

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I am deeply saddened. A true annus horriblis for the world of motor racing.

Rest in Peace Richard.

I'm in shock! I thought he was getting better and started practicing…

I thought the same, but on the news here they said he has been in a coma for three days or so. Really deeply shocked when i heard it.

Today Great Britain lost a champion, a hero that will for ever be in racing history.

When Senna died I was only 7 years old and I prayed and asked god to create cars in heaven for him so don't worry richard a Subaru WRC will be idling when you arrive there , see you at the other side champ!

i hope they'll be good tracks on heaven , it's a very sad new, he was so young and had many time to live.

RIP

This really moved me. As johny wrote he was only 34 - just like Senna and died on my 33rd birthday. There is nothing comforting I can think of except that he'll be remembered as great driver who managed to reach the very top of motorsport racing.

I think that it takes immeasurably more skill to become rally champion that it takes for F1, or in another words – since F1 became so safe and quite easy to drive my admiration to rally drivers (crews) is much higher because they earn every penny the make and never calculate, get lazy, rely on tactics, superior car or help from teammate.

Yeah that is sad; I remember watching on Speed TV how he was in the hunt for the 2003 championship, but had to retire the race (forgot which one) because of passing out.

Sorry to awaken this thread but I was reading it and couldn't help from posting this pic.



And for what manchild noted.. rally has remained basically the same the the last decades. While however the public is grouped better for safety, the courses remain the same, missing a corner when driving up a mountain is rather dangerous.
Contrary to F1, I'm not against safety, but somehow I think that driving coutiously should be punished more.

Anyway, I for one miss you in rally. May you be well wherever you are...

cant say i have seen that pic of burns before, but it is a classic. rallying certainly lost out when he became ill, the battles between richard and colin were brilliant.