Henry Surtees: 1991-2009

Tributes to Formula Two racer Henry Surtees, who has died following an accident in the second race of the weekend at Brands Hatch...

John Surtees:
Henry had followed his heart from the time he first sat in a kart. He treated seriously the balance between motorsport and school, having just finished his A-Levels.

The world beckoned and he was thriving on the freedom to concentrate on his motorsport.

Despite bad luck in his motorsport, he had shown himself to be one with the possibilities of reaching the very top. Despite his young age he had shown maturity, technical understanding and speed.

Most importantly he was a nice person and a loving son. He will be deeply missed.

Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of MotorSport Vision:
I am absolutely devastated that-18 year-old Henry Surtees lost his life in an accident in the Formula Two race at Brands Hatch yesterday. This is the saddest time in my 35 years of motor racing and my deepest sympathies are with father John, mother Jane and their daughters Edwina and Leonora, together with other family and friends.

CLICK HERE for statement in full

FIA:
Following yesterday's tragic accident, the FIA extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Henry Surtees. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

The FIA is awaiting a report into the incident.

MSA:
On behalf of UK motor sport, the Motor Sports Association sends it deepest condolences to the family and friends of Henry Surtees who was tragically killed yesterday in the Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch. Our thoughts are with his parents, John and Jane, and the rest of the Surtees family at this difficult time.

Chris Dredge, Formula Two Championship Co-ordinator:
Over the past eight months I was lucky enough to get to know Henry and his father John very well.

When Formula Two was announced I was thrilled that Henry decided to race in the series, just like his father did many years ago. From the first time I met Henry at Bedford Autodrome I was impressed by his maturity and knowledge - he was incredibly friendly, talkative and I knew he would be a talent within the F2 field.

He clearly showed this talent at the first four events, claiming pole position at Brno and then his first podium at Brands Hatch just the day before he died. I am hugely saddened and shocked that the life of this 18-year-old lad has been so cruelly cut short.

I will remember Henry as a hugely happy and popular member of our team - this is best shown with him and Jolyon Palmer pictured together at the autograph signing session just before the Sunday's race. He will be missed and my deepest sympathies go to John, Jane and the rest of his family.

Simon Melluish, FIA Media Delegate:
I am devastated by the events from last weekend and I send my sincere condolences to John, Jane, Leonora, Edwina and all of Henry's family and friends.

In my role as the Media Delegate for Formula Two, it is impossible not to get close to the drivers and I enjoyed any time that I spent with Henry very much. I was drawn to Henry's kind and welcoming nature when we first met and it is something that will always remain with me. I was also staggered by his maturity and talent, which belied his young age.

To be with him after taking his first pole position in Brno was a joy. We shared a light hearted moment during the following press conference when Henry forgot to use the microphone in response to one of my questions. People couldn't hear what Henry was saying but as ever, he dealt with the moment with his usual charm and delight when he realised.

His podium in the opening race at Brands Hatch brought so many people such happiness. The result was well deserved and was just rewards for the pace he had shown throughout the season. Henry was delighted with his result and rightly so - it was a privilege to share such a great moment with him. Henry had an air of confidence and determination that suggested to me his talent would take him much further in the sport.

Watching both John and Henry together was also an honour - it was a phenomenal insight into their working relationship, but more importantly their father and son bond.

I only knew Henry since his involvement in F2, but it certainly felt like I had known him a lot longer. Henry was a very talented young man, but more importantly he was an extremely polite, intelligent, kind and humble person - he will be sorely missed.

Sebastien Hohenthal, F2 rival:
Henry was a great competitor. He was very, very unlucky at Brands Hatch. We all know that motorsport is dangerous but this was nothing that I, or I believe anyone else, could ever imagine would happen.

My thoughts goes to out him and his family at this difficult time.

Philip Eng, F2 rival:
Dear Henry,

It was such a pleasure for me to celebrate my first F2 victory together with you on the podium. Having been your teammate at the N?rburgring in 2007 in Formula BMW I know that you are very fast and a very fair sportsman.

I will never forget you.

My thoughts are with your whole family.

Edoardo Piscopo, F2 rival:
It's a great tragedy, and we're all shocked for what happened. It's a really unfortunate accident that could have happened to anyone of us. Henry was a good guy and a great driver and, in these terrible moments, my thoughts are with the Surtees family.

I ended up both races in the points zone, but results mean nothing after what happened. Being back on track at Donington will be tough for everybody.

Jason Moore, F2 rival:

It seems very cruel that Henry has been taken away; everyone is in disbelief that such a freak accident could account for this.

I have no doubt that Henry would have gone on to be a star in motor racing, considering what he had achieved at only 18-years-old and how quickly he picked up his pace in Formula Two to finish on the podium. When I was testing in Brno with Henry he was very quick and helpful to me.

Henry will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with him and all his family.

German Sanchez, F2 rival:
Henry,

Perhaps for me these are the hardest days of my life. After this horrible event, many things have been raised in my mind.

By chance, when they brought you to the medical centre I was there being attended to (for my accident with Hohenthal). In this moment I understood that something very serious was happening and when I saw all your family enter, I knew that it was you. From the moment your family entered to see you, a few minutes passed, then they came out again and I could see the horror and tears on your mother's face and the concerned look of your father.

I saw how they took you up in the helicopter and you left. I felt disorientated, with much need to know how you were because I feared the worst had happened. When I arrived at the hotel in the evening, Jonathan confirmed what I did not want to hear. In this moment a heaviness swept over my body and it still stays with me...

You are where you are, take care my friend. I will never forget the second race of Valencia where you put pressure on me for the whole race and, more than that, I will never forget the 19 July 2009 when a great promise and great rival departed from being amongst us.

To all the Surtees family, my greatest condolences, respect and best wishes.

Tom Gladdis, F2 rival:
I first met Henry when I started racing in formula BMW. Henry was always a driver that stood out from the rest due to his talent, professionalism and great personality that he had.

If there was ever a dull moment, Henry would always change that as soon as he walked through the door with his unforgettable smile.

Henry meant a lot to everyone - he always wanted to help, he made people laugh, he always cared for others and he was also loved for his entertaining racing.

Henry, you will be greatly missed and I will never forget all the memories I have of you, and no one can ever take them away from me

My thoughts are with Henry and his family at this tragic time.

Mirko Bortolotti, F2 rival:

I cannot believe that Henry has gone. I have no words to explain how I feel at the moment.

It's a very, very bad moment for me and everybody else who had the big pleasure to work, joke, laugh or spend time with such a nice guy like Henry.

We all lost a champ and a hero.

Rest in peace my friend - I'll never forget you and you'll stay in my heart forever.

I'd like to send my most sincere condolences to Henry's family, especially to his father John and his mother Jane.

Tobias Hegewald, F2 rival:
Sunday was the saddest day in my motorsport career.

It is very hard for me to find words for this tragedy. I have known Henry since the start of the year and he was always a very friendly and funny person. We have been in the same drivers group, and he was joking around all the time. It is very saddening to lose such a kind person like Henry.

We all lost a friend and a team-mate. Rest in peace Henry - we won't forget you.

My deepest condolences are with the Surtees Family.

Jens Hoing, F2 rival:
Me, my family and my friends and so many other people here in Germany are so shocked and saddened about what happened on Sunday at Brands Hatch.

Henry, I will miss you in the Formula Two Championship, on the track and off the track as well. I want to send my deepest condolences to you John and your family. Noboby forgets that you are a motorsport legend, and nobody will forget Henry - as a hopeful talent and a happy and friendly young man.

Mikhail Aleshin, F2 rival:
I have known Henry since last year's World Series by Renault race weekend at Silverstone. He came to me with a question - he asked me if we were going through the first corner flat out in a World Series car, or not? Since then, we remained in good contact.

It's very hard for me to find the right words in a moment like this, but I can definately say that Henry was one of the nicest people I have ever met. I can say that probably 99% of the time when we were in conversation, we were laughing and joking. I remember him being sad only once - after the start failure Henry had when he started from pole in Brno. I told him then, that it would not be his last pole for sure and he smiled.

It is always difficult to lose someone who didn't deserve to go and my thoughts are with Henry's family.

I am sure that myself, all of the Formula Two drivers and anyone who ever met Henry will never forget him! Rest In Peace, Friend...

Natacha Gachnang, F2 rival:
My thoughts are with his family.

I would like to send my most sincere condolences to his father John and mother Jane and the entire Surtees family and would like to join the sporting community in letting them know that my thoughts are with them in this difficult time.

Henry will always be present in our hearts.

Armaan Ebrahim, F2 rival:
Dear John and Jane,

Our deepest condolences to this unbearable loss of Henry.

There are no words to express our sadness. We admired Henry for his charming nature and he came across to us as a very nice and loveable person as well as being a top of the line racing driver.

From a driver's point of view and from someone who is just a year older than Henry, it is very difficult to really accept that this has happened. Having shared the pits with both Henry and you John, my dad and I admired your working relationship and interaction with him and his with you.

May God bless his soul and may God give all of you and all of us the strength to deal with the loss of Henry. We will always remember him and we pray for all of you.

Andy Soucek, F2 rival:
Dear Henry,

I am pleased to have enjoyed with you probably one of the most important days of your racing career.

On Saturday 18th July, you made history in the new F2 generation by becoming the first Brit to reach the podium of an F2 race. I am very proud to have shared with you such an important moment for both of us. We laughed and joked when talking about the race, and although I didn't wanted to tell you personally, I was a little bit worried having your blue and yellow car behind me for the last laps.

I have to admit that it has been a tremendous shock for me to have lost one of my colleagues in F2. As racing drivers, we are all exposed to a certain risk but you never expect these things to happen.

I just want to say, that after winning the race on Sunday all my thoughts were with you Henry. The only thing I can do right now is dedicate my victory to you my friend. It could happen to any of us and you were tremendously unfortunate.

All my thoughts are with you and let me just tell you that all my friends, family and racing colleagues are asking about you every day.

We all want to say that we are with you and you are with us - you are our champion of Formula Two.

Jack Clarke, F2 rival:
Henry's death is a huge shock. I am devastated, and I know that it will affect every driver in Formula Two. A tragic accident took Henry's life, and I will remember Sunday 19th July for the rest of my life not just for the sadness and hurt I felt, but for a driver who had it all and such a great future ahead of him.

It seems strange that on Sunday morning we were all laughing and signing autographs and looking forward to an exciting race. Henry was on good form, having scored a podium in race one, and from racing with Henry I know for a fact that he was rising to the top. He had proved himself to be a quality driver and a hard racer. I have seen first hand how motorsport can be cruel and he was a mature driver who knew the risks.

I hope we can go onwards from now with Henry's competitive spirit in our hearts and make the most of the F2 season. I know he would have wanted this. I also find it humbling how the Formula Two community has pulled together in this tragedy doing everything they can to support everyone affected by the tragedy.

I want to send my sincere condolences to Henry's family. They must have been immensely proud of him and their devastation must be incomprehensible.

Robert Wickens, F2 rival:
During the last 3 months, I was one of the lucky drivers that was able to work with Henry and his father John as we shared the same engineers.

It was fantastic to watch the relationship that Henry and John shared at the circuit.

Henry was the most sincere and nicest driver in the paddock. He only had better things to come after such an unlucky start to the championship. It amazed me how through all of his misfortunes he had in the opening rounds of the championship, that he still had the most positive attitude down the pit lane.

I will always keep my memories of Henry close to my heart! My thoughts and prayers go out to John and his family.

Jaime Alguersuari, former Carlin team-mate:
I got to know Henry at Donington last year when he came to drive [in F3] with Carlin and on the Thursday before the race he and I went to Alton Towers. We spent the day going around together and got on really well. To hear the news, especially this week, means a lot to me. This weekend was going to be perhaps the best weekend of my life, but now there is a shadow.

The risk is something every driver knows, we all know there is this very small possibility. My prayers go out to his family, for all the people involved in motorsport it is very sad news. The Surtees family have all of my support, I have already sent them some messages. I will try and do my best in the future and for the Surtees family this weekend.

Andy Priaulx, WTCC champion and FBMW mentor:
Our sport can be cruel, but never crueller than when it claims a life. It is a tragedy when this happens and yesterday we witnessed this at Brands Hatch. Henry Surtees was a fine young man on the verge of his career in the sport, who I had the pleasure to tutor when he was racing in Formula BMW. His death highlights the dangers that we face.

My heart goes out to his parents, Jane and John Surtees. John is one of my motor racing heroes who has achieved so much over his life in the sport. As a driver and also a father of a son who may one day want to follow my footsteps into the sport, it is hard to imagine coming to terms with such a loss.

Carlin Motorsport:
Carlin Motorsport are today mourning the loss of Henry Surtees, a dear friend to the team and a former Carlin driver. Henry was tragically killed in an accident in Sunday's Formula 2 race, aged just 18, at his home circuit of Brands Hatch.

Henry raced with Carlin in the 2007 Formula BMW UK championship, and won for the team in British F3 at the Donington Park round last year. He remained a dear friend to many team members and recently assisted Carlin in its KTM X-BOW and track day projects.

The thoughts and hearts of everyone at Carlin go out to Henry's parents, John and Jane, his sisters, family members and friends at this very sad time.

Manor Competition:
Manor Competition wishes to send its heartfelt condolences to the family of Henry Surtees who tragically lost his life in an accident during a Formula Two Championship race at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday, 19th July.

Henry competed with Manor in Formula Renault UK in 2008. The team feels privileged to have known and worked with such a talented and thoroughly professional young man. Our hearts go out to Henry's parents, John and Jane, and all of his family and friends.

Ferrari:
Henry Surtees, the son of John Surtees, the Formula 1 World Champion with Ferrari in 1964, died last night after an accident at the Brands Hatch circuit in this season's fourth race of the FIA Formula 2 Championship.

Chairman Luca di Montezemolo and Ferrari are close to John Surtees in this moment of great sorrow.

Felipe Massa, Ferrari F1 driver:
I heard about Henry Surtees' death this morning and it really moved me a lot. I'm so sorry for this tragedy and I'm close to his family in this moment of great sorrow.

These things remind us how much safety has to remain the priority on the track and in all the other places of motorsport. Over the last years much has been done, but we can't be inattentive.

Rob Huff, WTCC driver:
Rob is extremely sad to learn of the death of Henry Surtees, the 18-year old son of the 1964 Formula 1 World Champion John Surtees, who was tragically killed in a Formula 2 support race at Brands Hatch on Sunday. Rob raced against Henry in a promotional kart race only last Thursday, and would like to pass on his sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Tony Teixeira, A1GP Chairman:
I want to send my personal condolences and those of everyone involved in A1GP World Cup of Motorsport to Jane and John Surtees after the tragic death of their son Henry at the weekend.

John is a great ambassador for motorsport and when I met him through his involvement with our series I realised why. He was a devoted father to Henry, and I know he was a son who was not only likely to follow in his footsteps as a racing driver, but also as a person who gave a hundred per cent to everything he did.

Sadly this accident highlights the dangers involved in the sport and makes us all appreciate certain things in life. I hope Jane and John can gain some comfort from knowing the respect all of them have in motorsport worldwide. Our thoughts go out to both of them at this difficult time.

Ollie Barstow, Crash.net Formula BMW reporter:
They say a handshake says a lot about a person on first impressions - Henry Surtees, you had perfected it with your vice like grip. A tragic loss.