RIP Tom Walkinshaw

[Ardius]

http://adamcooperf1.com/2010/12/12/tom-walkinshaw-1946-2010/

Former Benetton, Ligier and Arrows team boss Tom Wakinshaw died this morning at the age of 64. The Scot, who had endured a long battle with cancer, made his last visit to an F1 paddock at Silverstone in July.

Walkinshaw was a successful touring car driver in his own right when he started Tom Walkinshaw Racing, in the late seventies. He built the company into a motor sport and engineering empire, most famously finding success with Jaguar. He won the European Touring Car Championship in 1984 and after moving into sportscars Jaguar won Le Mans in 1988 and 1990, and the World Championship in 1987, ’88 and ’91.

Walkinshaw was invited to run Benetton in 1991 and brought his sportscar designer Ross Brawn with him. He was also instrumental in bringing Michael Schumacher to the team after his sensational debut with Jordan at Spa that year.

He continued to run the engineering side of Benetton until 1994, when Schumacher won the World Championship, although the team’s commercial boss Flavio Briatore had a higher public profile.

However that year the team was embroiled in several controversies, and as a result Walkinshaw was ousted. He ended up running Ligier briefly, before moving to Arrows.

He had high hopes of building up the team and convinced Damon Hill to join in 1997. Hill came close to winning that year’s Hungarian GP, eventually finishing second. Despite some high profile sponsors the team ran out of funding, and folded in the middle of the 2002 season, in large part because of the high costs of customer engines at that time.

The TWR empire also collapsed, but Walkinshaw maintained a foothold in engineering and racing, most notably in Australia.

Although his off track deals sometimes attacted criticism, Walkinshaw was hugely respected by the drivers who worked with him, and he will be remembered as a true racer.

Rest in piece Tom, you made your mark even if you never achieved F1 glory, Jaguar's victories at Le Mans won't be forgotten! You may have done some stupid things and probably provided the best example of mismanagement in F1, but even so, I will always remember the close victory at Hungary 1997 and those bright Orange Arrows cars popping up in the points on surprise occasions.

 

[Hun200kmh]

And JAGUAR's rebirth as a racing brand before that. I'll never forget the Group A cars I saw racing at Estoril. They were ... well, Beautiful!

 

[Clark]

RIP TWR have been the force behind countless championship winning teams across many disciplines.

 

[Tommi]

Another motorsport legend lost. TWR has been responsible for some amazing machines over the years.

R.I.P Tom Walkinshaw

 

[GilesGuthrie]

I was sad when I heard this. I met him several times, and my wife and I were his guests at the Canadian Grand Prix qualifying day, when we were there on honeymoon.

Joe Saward published a nice obituary on his blog. It was through the Silverstone/BRDC contraversy that I met him, and even though he had an awful lot on his plate, he always took the time to answer a young man's motorsport questions.

 

[lbsf1]

RIP Tom.

 

[Old Boone]

Sad news. RIP.

 

[KobayashiFan]

Tom Walkinshaw achieved many great things that we'll remember him for. RIP.

 

[G.T.Ace]

Rest in peace and my condolences to his family and friends.

 

[zippyuk]

R.I.P Tom

 

[boiltheocean]

Very sad news. R.I.P Tom.

 

[Spacegoat]

R.I.P Tom, Motorsport will miss you.

 

[ranhammerR34]

RIP Tom Walkinshaw. A legend is heading to motorsport heaven. --- Randy

 

[lildomplaya]

R.I.P. Tom W.

 

[Prince.M5]

I just got to know who is Tom Walkinshaw earlier this year.. This is indeed a very sad news for the motorsports family. Condolences to all of his family members and friends.

R.I.P. Tom Walkinshaw

 

[Mike Rotch]

RIP

 

[Paulie]

I can't believe he's dead! RIP Tom Walkinshaw.

 

[Furinkazen]

Rip.

 

[RTSolvalou]

R.I.P. Tom.

 

[Jay]

Very popular man of racing here in Australia, RIP Tom Walkinshaw.

 

[Ozmondo]

Mrs worked at arrows when he was boss, she saw this last night and upset her a bit. I remember her telling me stories of how he would cane a Clio v6 prototype to work through the oxford back roads.

Sad news for motorsport

 

[Furinkazen]

 

[Pupik]

R.I.P. Tom...taking the good fight to the dominant Porsche 962s of the time was one of the great achievements in sports-car racing.

 

[wfooshee]

Sad news indeed.

Let's not forget IMSA. The '88 LeMans win was preceded in '88 with a win at the Daytona 24 hours, at which yours truly was present.

 

[Clark]

 

[Lee]

My girlfriend's Dad worked with him during the Benneton years, very sad news indeed.