Pilot and manager
The world of Formula 1 is in mourning for the passing of Alan Reeswho died on September 6 in England at the age of 86. More than for his career as a driver, the Welshman’s name is known above all for what he did at a managerial level: in fact, he was the co-founder of two very well-known British teams that remained in the Circus for a long time, such as March and the Arrows.
The early years in F1
Born in 1938, Rees approached the world of racing in the 1960s, taking part in three GPs. Two of these, however, were at the wheel of Formula 2 single-seaters, with his only real F1 race dating back to the GP of Great Britain 1967where he crossed the finish line in ninth position. After his experience on the track, Rees began his career as a manager, always in the world of competitions in 1969the year in which together with other British enthusiasts such as Max Mosley, Graham Cooker and Robin Herd he founded the Marcha team named after the initials of their names.
From March to Shadow
Already in 1970 the team surprised the competition by finishing 3rd in the Constructors’ World Championship (the best placing in its history) and winning the Spanish Grand Prix with Jackie Stewart. It should be noted, however, that the Scotsman triumphed at the wheel of a Tyrrell, which that year participated in the world championship with March chassis. Consequently, the real victories of March dated back to the 1975 Austrian GP, with the memorable success of Vittorio Brambilla, and the 1976 Italian GP with Ronnie Peterson. The British team, with some interruptions and a brief parenthesis under the name of Leyton House, remained in F1 until 1992, but already in 1973 Rees left March to become Team Principal of another British team like the Shadow.
The Creation of Arrows
An adventure that ended in 1977, before dedicating himself the following year to the foundation of the Arrows along with other former Shadow members and Italian financier Franco d’Ambrosio. The team, once again based on the initials of the founders, remained in Formula One continuously until 2002 (under the name Footwork Arrows from 1991 to 1996), achieving a total of 8 podiums and a pole position with Riccardo Patrese in the 1981 US GP West. What would have been the team’s first and only victory slipped away in the 1997 Hungarian GP, when reigning champion Damon Hill (surprisingly joining Arrows after winning the title with Williams) lost ground to Jacques Villeneuve in the closing laps with a gearbox failure, finishing 2nd at the finish line. Following financial problems, Arrows folded during the championship in 2002.
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