Briton Peter Warr, who was best known as a former team boss of the legendary Team Lotus Formula 1 squadron, has passed away in France on October 4th.
Warr enjoyed some minor success racing himself but his greatest contribution to the sport came when he was invited by Team Lotus founder Colin Chapman to take over management of the Formula 1 team in October 1969.
He played a key role in Jochen Rindt's title triumph in 1970 and Emerson Fittipaldi's successful 1972 campaign.
At the end of 1976 Warr accepted an offer from wealthy Canadian oil baron Walter Wolf to run his new team. Jody Scheckter, driving the Wolf R1-Cosworth designed by Harvey Postlethwaite, won three races and only lost out in his world championship challenge towards the end of the season.
When Wolf was merged with Fittipaldi’s flagging eponymous team at the end of 1979, Warr continued as team manager. In the middle of 1981, however, Chapman prevailed upon him to return to Lotus. Warr became team principal after Chapman died in December 1982.
Warr signed the upcoming Ayrton Senna for 1985 and the Brazilian won six races for the British team.
Peter Warr remained with Lotus until 1989, when he left to become an FIA permanent steward, and later Secretary of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, before retiring to live in the Bordeaux region of southern France.
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was one of those keen to pay tribute to Warr.
"Not only have I lost a good friend who was the team manager for Lotus when Colin Chapman ran the company but Peter Warr, who died yesterday of a heart attack will be missed by the thousands of people that knew him," Ecclestone told the official Formula 1 website.
"When Peter was in Formula 1 he helped me to build it to what it is today. Thank you Peter."
Warr enjoyed some minor success racing himself but his greatest contribution to the sport came when he was invited by Team Lotus founder Colin Chapman to take over management of the Formula 1 team in October 1969.
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| Brands Hatch 1983, from left to right, Gerard Ducarouge, Nigel Mansell, Peter Warr and Elio de Angelis, Team Lotus. (Photo: WRI2) |
He played a key role in Jochen Rindt's title triumph in 1970 and Emerson Fittipaldi's successful 1972 campaign.
At the end of 1976 Warr accepted an offer from wealthy Canadian oil baron Walter Wolf to run his new team. Jody Scheckter, driving the Wolf R1-Cosworth designed by Harvey Postlethwaite, won three races and only lost out in his world championship challenge towards the end of the season.
When Wolf was merged with Fittipaldi’s flagging eponymous team at the end of 1979, Warr continued as team manager. In the middle of 1981, however, Chapman prevailed upon him to return to Lotus. Warr became team principal after Chapman died in December 1982.
Warr signed the upcoming Ayrton Senna for 1985 and the Brazilian won six races for the British team.
Peter Warr remained with Lotus until 1989, when he left to become an FIA permanent steward, and later Secretary of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, before retiring to live in the Bordeaux region of southern France.
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was one of those keen to pay tribute to Warr.
"Not only have I lost a good friend who was the team manager for Lotus when Colin Chapman ran the company but Peter Warr, who died yesterday of a heart attack will be missed by the thousands of people that knew him," Ecclestone told the official Formula 1 website.
"When Peter was in Formula 1 he helped me to build it to what it is today. Thank you Peter."