Pains me to be the bearer of bad news alas here it is: Colin McRae, the British rally car driver who many of you will no doubt recognize as the name behind a series of rally car games published by Codemasters, died yesterday in a helicopter crash near his home in Lanark, Scotland. It was confirmed by his manager that he had been piloting the Squirrel helicopter that was carrying him and three other passengers. It is believed that one of the passengers was McRae's five year old son, Johnny who is also feared dead although this has yet to be confirmed. The identity of the other passengers is still unknown due to extensive fire damage. Colin McRae was Britain's first World Rally Champion in 1995, and was championship runner-up in 1996, 1997 and 2001, and third in 1998.

Follow Up:

Codemasters recently released a letter to the press expressing their sadness over the news of Colin McRae's death and offering condolences to the family. You can read the letter below:


Colin McRae, 1968 – 2007

Everyone at Codemasters, especially those who worked directly with Colin McRae, is deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic events of this weekend.

The loss of Colin McRae is deeply distressing. That it involved his son and another so young makes it even more tragic. Our thoughts are with his family and those closest to him and we share in their pain.

For over ten years, Colin was part of the Codemasters family and it was a privilege to have a man recognised as a true legend on the team. He always took a keen interest in the game experience, wanting to make sure it was without equal in its portrayal of the sport.

His contribution was inspirational and brought his technical expertise and passion for rally driving to each and every McRae game. Through the popularity of those games, he brought a whole new audience to the sport itself.

Codemasters’ relationship with Colin began through Jim, David and Richard Darling and their condolences, along with ours, are passed to Colin’s family. We are heavy of heart at his passing but we are also brimming with pride at knowing him and to have played a small role in his life.

He will never be forgotten by all at Codemasters.


Colin McRae’s website – Main Website – Messages of Condolences Condolences Link