Richard Burns: A True Rallying Hero

20 years to the day since Richard Burns won the World Rally Championship, we look back on his life and career at the very top of the sport he loved, and his significant contribution to the sim racing world with Richard Burns Rally.
Burns, with co-driver Reid, amassed 10 WRC victories and 34 podiums across nine years at the top level of rallying, winning the title in 2001 on the Network Q Rally of Great Britain. However, in 2003, while in the fight for another championship, Burns took ill and sadly never recovered, passing away exactly four years after his greatest triumph.
Join us as we reflect on Burns’ ability behind the wheel, the game that bore his name, his rivalry with compatriot and rallying superstar Colin McRae, and of course his legacy, in the form of the Richard Burns Foundation.
Richard Alexander Burns, 17th January 1971 - 25th November 2005
Check out our companion article on Richard Burns Rally:
traxion.gg/is-richard-burns-r...
Thumbnail image courtesy of Motorsport Images.
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[@flammenjc]

He's forever my hero. Encapsulated everything to be proud of being British. Class act, gentleman and would never give up.

[@alanssnack1192]

are you proud of england today?

[@flammenjc]

@@alanssnack1192 Why wouldn't I be?

[@alanssnack1192]

@@flammenjc keep telling yourself that m8

[@Th3Gr33k]

He was just a thoroughly nice bloke. I was so sad watching him get ill and pass. I was a huge fan of WRC back then, having 2 Brits going head to head at the top was so special. RIP Richard, RIP Colin, thanks both for great memories! Edit, I'm now 36 years old. 34 is too young.

[@TraxionGG]

And still sad to this day. Just very glad they both managed to get a championship. Neither will be forgotten any time soon!

[@sicmic]

I always really liked him. He seemed like such a good, genuine guy.

[@DZeus83]

My all time motorsport hero. Best memory for me was 1997 RAC in the Evo IV. We were waiting in Radnor in heavy fog for Auriol & it was Richard. He only had the side lights on aswell. He was over 15 seconds faster than anyone on the one stage & took the lead.

[@AshHobson]

A Fantastic video on a true gent of our sport, I hope many of the competitors on the various RBR Mods, watch and discover more of who Richard Burns was.

[@juarezcastelo]

I swear, I swear I didn't know!! I'm writing this with tears in my eyes. I love videogames, and I love rally racing, both in rather amateur sense. Several years ago I found and fell in love with (in my opinion) the best rally game so far, and I still play it to this day. Today I was wondering who Richard Burns career was about, he should be really good to have his own videogame after all. Today, I searched Richard Burns bio here in KZbin, this video came out and I was hoping to watch a documentary about the great professional life of a multiple year rally champion. And I was shocked how tragic the end of this man's life was, he was in his prime!. Richard Burns Rally has given me a lot of entertainment and happiness along these years. I've never watched any of Richard's races nor interviews, nevertheless I think that the reason this game is really great, is in part thanks to Richard commitment and dedication, his greatness was passed into this game, and it will stay there forever. Richard Burns will be forever my rally racing teacher. I will treasure this game much more than I ever did.

[@erkutsoyer4970]

I've recently got into rallying games due to Dirt Rally 2.0 and this is a great insight into the history and one of the legends of the sport. You've earned yourself a subscriber!

[@SodiumChlorideMsport]

I've never had the privilege to drive RBR, But i've definitely heard his name in my time playing Colin Mcrae rally in my PSP somehow. I don't know if it's through the game or outside of it. He was one of the most if not the passionate driver in the service park, he wasn't the quickest, but avoided crashes when it was absolutely crucial. He's not perfect like loeb, but in his time he was just sensational. The fans love McRae for his heroism on the stages and outside rally, but burns is a hero in his part of the simracing world. Both him and mcrae. Both are equally ranked heroes in my book

[@TraxionGG]

Very well said!

[@Noukz37]

He was such a top lad and I admired him more for that than for his racing. Thank you guys for making this beautiful tribute video to him. I was incredibly lucky to have survived a cancer myself so, just let this be a lesson for all of us - no one is untouchable. Take good care of yourselves and each other, in equal amounts.

[@TraxionGG]

Lovely comment, thank you! 💙

[@R3FL3X84]

amazing video pal. i still play the game. best rally sim still to this date....

[@TraxionGG]

Thanks! Yes it’s absolutely phenomenal, and remains it to this day. I don’t think anybody realised just how advanced the physics were, so far ahead of its time.

[@colfari]

Great video and nice timing with the November patch of WRC 10 hitting today. Please more of these.

[@jenseninterceptor3416]

Thanks for this lovely video, l only just found out he's from Reading near where l work and where my brother lives. And thanks for enlightening me l never knew he was as good if not better than Colin who l idolise as lm a quarter Scottish and a Macdonald but now l realize they were not only equals in the car but very good mates out of it. RIP to 2 all time world legends and heroes.

[@joosepkaha1687]

I'm not saying, that WRC nowadays is crap, but this, this is just better... I'm not blaming the drivers, I'm blaming time.

[@TraxionGG]

This era was incredible, but recently things have been really good. I think next year will be something special with the new cars 😊

[@joosepkaha1687]

@@TraxionGG Yeah, it's gonna be interesting...

[@blackoutlol2857]

Very well made I’ve only more recently gotten into wrc but even I can understand how amazing these drivers were just tragic how young burns passed.

[@DropkickNation]

Unbelievable. Not even 40 years old and already deathly ill. :( Fate was not kind to Mr. Burns. Glad he at least showed the world what a talent he was.

[@skylineXpert]

RBR lives on through the WRC games.

[@gamingwithlacks]

Wow, did I ever pick a good time to go to KZbin and search "Richard Burns"

[@bobthebike7538]

Brilliant driver

[@snoozieboi]

Gamereactor made a written interview with the Warthog team behind RBR this year. Maybe you could manage to bring them to the UK or have a video conference with them all? The game is also 20 odd years and even better it would be amazing to have them discuss EA WRC etc, if they have tried it. Eero the physics lead has a motion rig and uses RSF RBR with NGP physics to see how it's faring. Also rally driver Gryazin was interviewed by RSF about how he's using the game for training(!).

[@PedroSantos_83]

Great video! Great driver! Amazing simulator!

[@paulpearson1180]

Great video and tribute 👏 👍🏻 👌🏻

[@TraxionGG]

Thanks Paul!

[@paulpearson1180]

@@TraxionGG thank u, I watched the "battle of Britain" aged 15 on tele admittedly I'm a McRae nut and Mäkinen is a close 2nd but I always found burns driving style and pace notes 📝 fascinating, subscribed to your channel and look forward to new videos, excellent presentation 👍🏻

[@WacKEDmaN]

nice vid... RIP Richard...

[@mickdick1138]

Died on my 1st birthday. RIP Richard

[@bhake392]

We are still out here playing rbr

[@bobthebike7538]

Britain had never had such rallying talent before? Paddy Hopkirk

[@rossjmcgregor]

What was meant was that we were so lucky to have McRae and Burns at the same time. We've had world class drivers before, but never two exceptionally-talented world champions. Maybe Elfyn can do it next year though?

[@86themadhatter27]

I still remember owning rally magazines with Burns V McRae on the cover. I guess being irish and very young, i sided with the scot over the englishman. But having grown much older since then, it's Richard who i think lost out on an impactful career more than Colin.

[@sausagedodgersracing]

Awesome driver a sad loss

[@rolandbiro1606]

Oh bruh i have the richard burns subaru impreza wrc 99 Rally monte carlo RC

[@StewartEvans52]

I was wondering why nobody had made a proper tribute to Burnsy,sure top gears was good but it didnt show just how good and how hard he tried to get where he got

[@fatihyucel6534]

I wanted to ask what’s the song name that you used in the end it brought tears to my eyes when I thought of Colin McRae or Rb

[@TraxionGG]

Those guys are true legends! Thanks for you comment 😊 It's from Envato: elements.envato.com/reflect-R2GBLQC

[@fatihyucel6534]

@@TraxionGG you know my dream is to be a rally driver as well I know it sounds dumb but when I am finished with my traineeship I wanna start getting myself a license 🪪

[@sfb2472]

WELL SAID

[@valuableinstructionsinstru7155]

Richard Burns Rally на ПК или на ПС 2 лучше ?

[@azyanziyad1291]

There's Evans if everything goes well then he will be the 3rd British Man to win it and the 1st Welsh To do so in the process

[@tridentgame]

Lets face it anyone thats a fan of the bugeye impreza buys that car because of Burns not because its good looking because its not

[@jenseninterceptor3416]

l was definitely one of the people who didn't rate RB the game. My mates and l trashed Colin McCreigh 2 many nights till the early hours. Flicking the Lancia S4 round the tight twists of the Monaco mountains was amazing fun and it was probably the best driving game ever. Arcade style recreates the split second tornado driving that goes on in the cockpit far more accurately than so called simulators that dont simulate that driving excitement at all. As you say with a sim you have to carefully consider your inputs and manage your speed ......BORING and so unrealistic. lve not been in a rally but l did roll my BMW on snow 2 years ago and believe me you certainly dont have time to think in a situation like that, just react ... which l unfortunately didn't (l didn't have time to)

[@kerstas10]

U get 10x more enjoyment from simulator, when u finnally master it, then any kind of arcade.