Chris Amon Passes Away at 73

Photo: Ford Performance

Former Formula One driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Chris Amon has died at the age of 73.

Amon, widely regarded as one of the best drivers to never win a F1 race, was well-known in the sports car racing world, having claimed victory at Le Mans in 1966 alongside Bruce McLaren in a Ford GT40.

The Le Mans win was the first for the American manufacturer and was celebrated this year on the 50th anniversary.

“At the time I was probably more interested in F1 than sports car racing,” Amon said in reflection ahead of this year’s race.

“It’s been said that I was an unlucky F1 driver because I should have won a lot of races but the fact is many of my contemporaries were killed in F1 so I think I’m lucky to still be around.

“There’s no question that winning Le Mans with Ford was a very special moment in my career.”

Amon, who made 96 Grand Prix starts from 1963 to 1976, retired in his native New Zealand where he remained active in the sport.

He helped re-design Taupo Motorsports Park, supported the Toyota Racing Series and made occasional starts in historic racing.

A family statement read: “Chris battled cancer in recent years but retained not only a close interest in Formula One – and his very wide range of favorite topics – but also his wonderful sense of humor, complete with infectious chuckle.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John