Richard Burns

Richard Alexander Burns

Richard Burns in 2003.
Personal information
Nationality	British
Born	(1971-01-17)17 January 1971 Reading, United Kingdom
Died	25 November 2005(2005-11-25) (aged 34)
World Rally Championship record
Active years	1990–2003
Co-driver	Robert Reid
Teams	Subaru, Mitsubishi, Peugeot
Rallies	104
Championships	1 (2001)
Rally wins	10
Podiums	34
Stage wins	277
Total points	351
First rally	1990 RAC Rally
First win	1998 Safari Rally
Last win	2001 Rally New Zealand
Last rally	2003 Rally Catalunya

Richard Alexander Burns (17 January 1971 – 25 November 2005) was a British rally driver who won the 2001 World Rally Championship, having previously finished runner-up in the series in 1999 and 2000. Born in Reading, Berkshire, he also helped Mitsubishi to the world manufacturers' title in 1998, and Peugeot in 2002. His co-driver in his whole career was Robert Reid. Burns was known by his smooth, methodical driving style, which was unusual for such a young driver of his generation. He was the patron for the Under 17 Car Club, of which he was an ex-Member.

He started driving in a field near his house at the age of eight, in his father's old Triumph 2000. At eleven Burns joined the Under 17 Car Club, where he became driver of the year in 1984. Just two years later his father arranged a trip to Jan Churchill's Welsh Forest Rally School near Newtown, Powys where Burns drove a Ford Escort for the day, and from that moment on he knew what he wanted to do. He badgered his father into letting him join the Craven Motor Club in his home town Reading where his talent was spotted by rally enthusiast David Williams. In 1988 he entered his first rallies in his own Talbot Sunbeam. The car was too basic to make much impression and in 1989 he had to borrow other competitors cars to progress. To this end he rallied the stages of Panaround, Bagshot, Mid-Wales, Millbrook, Severn Valley, Kayel Graphics and the Cambrian Rally as these were all rallies which included stages used on more prestigious events.