McRae’s love of motorsport started at the age of seven, when he discovered off-road motorbikes and then swapped two wheels for four. He was inspired by his father, Jimmy, 77, who was a five-time British Rally Champion.
McRae, like his father before him, dominated the British Rally Championship and won titles in 1991 and 1992. His first full season in the WRC came in 1993, and his first victory on the world stage happened at Rally New Zealand that same year.
He won a total of 25 World Championship races, but the highlight was winning the World Rally Championship title, alongside co-driver, Derek Ringer.
The 1995 season was heightened by an intense rivalry with his Spanish team-mate, Carlos Sainz. Team orders at the penultimate round in Spain meant tensions were extremely high, and when they got to the last round in the UK the pair were on equal points – winner takes all.
McRae needed to beat Sainz in order to be crowned champion and even two punctures did not stop him from achieving his dream. His father, Jimmy, was at the final stage at Clocaenog in Wales.
“I was at the end of the last stage biting my finger nails and my wife and the whole family were there, it was such a relief to see him coming down the last hundred yards of the stage and we knew that he won the rally and I was in tears,” said Jimmy McRae.