John Dumfries, a 24 Hours of Le Mans winner in 1988 and former Formula One driver for Lotus, died today at age 62 after a short illness.
Written by Sam Stewart, Edited by Daniel Yi
Dumfries, officially the Marquess of Bute John Crichton-Stuart, was a British earl-turned-racing driver who had a fruitful and rewarding career, ranging from F1 to Endurance racing.
He started his racing career in FF1600, after which he swiftly moved to British Formula 3 to win the championship in 1984. In 1985, Dumfries was a test driver for the Ferrari Formula One team, and was propelled up to Formula One to partner Ayrton Senna at Lotus for the 1986 season. His Formula One career resulted in 3 points across the board from the Hungarian and Austrian Grand Prix.
In 1987, Dumfries moved from Open Wheel racing to focus more on endurance and his life as the future Marquess of Bute. From 1987 to 1991, he competed in the 24 hours of Le Mans, winning in 1988 and retiring early on in the other four.
Dumfries is the third big racing name to tragically pass away in the last 11 days, following Murray Walker and Sabine Schmitz in what is truly a sad week for the motorsport world.
The whole of the DIVEBOMB team sends our condolences to his family, as we reflect on this dark time for the motorsport community. Dumfries leaves behind a lasting legacy and will be sorely missed. Rest in peace John.