Bruce McLaren was killed at Goodwood, testing McLaren’s M8D, a design that would dominate that year’s Can-Am season, which began just days after the crash.
“Today, on the 50th anniversary of Bruce McLaren’s death, we remember what he created,” said Brown. “Bruce was a racer, an innovator and a leader, and all of us at McLaren strive each day to follow the example he set us. Bruce stands as a hero of our sport, immortalised by this statue which is surrounded by his legacy.
“We take a moment on this important day to mourn his loss, but to also draw inspiration from his life. Bruce’s spirit lives on through all the people that work at McLaren today. We race in his honour, fearlessly forward, in the pursuit of better.”
Earlier in the day, students and staff from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Auckland, where Bruce McLaren studied, paid tribute to him with a Haka.