RACING DRIVER
John Surtees
1934 - 2017

John Surtees
John Norman Surtees (11 February 1934 – 10 March 2017) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1952 to 1960, and Formula One from 1960 to 1972. Surtees was a seven-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion, with four titles in the premier 500cc class with MV Agusta. Surtees won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1964 with Ferrari, and remains the only driver to win World Championships on both two- and four-wheels; he won 38 motorcycle Grands Prix and six Formula One Grands Prix. On his way to become a seven-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion, he won his first title in 1956, and followed with three consecutive doubles between 1958 and 1960, winning six World Championships in both the 500 and 350cc classes. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. John Surtees is the 33rd most popular racing driver (up from 36th in 2019), the 799th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 706th in 2019) and the 8th most popular British Racing Driver.
John Surtees is most famous for being the only person to win world championships on both two and four wheels. He won the 1964 Formula One World Championship and the 500cc Motorcycle World Championship in 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, and 1962.
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Among RACING DRIVERS
Among racing drivers, John Surtees ranks 33 out of 1,080. Before him are Giacomo Agostini, Mario Andretti, Alfonso de Portago, Carroll Shelby, Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Reutemann. After him are Gerhard Berger, Mika Häkkinen, Mike Hawthorn, Jochen Mass, Carlos Sainz, and Jody Scheckter.
Most Popular Racing Drivers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsGiacomo Agostini
1942 - Present
HPI: 70.07
Rank: 27
Mario Andretti
1940 - Present
HPI: 69.82
Rank: 28
Alfonso de Portago
1928 - 1957
HPI: 69.71
Rank: 29
Carroll Shelby
1923 - 2012
HPI: 69.66
Rank: 30
Fernando Alonso
1981 - Present
HPI: 69.33
Rank: 31
Carlos Reutemann
1942 - 2021
HPI: 69.28
Rank: 32
John Surtees
1934 - 2017
HPI: 69.11
Rank: 33
Gerhard Berger
1959 - Present
HPI: 68.93
Rank: 34
Mika Häkkinen
1968 - Present
HPI: 68.75
Rank: 35
Mike Hawthorn
1929 - 1959
HPI: 68.57
Rank: 36
Jochen Mass
1946 - 2025
HPI: 68.56
Rank: 37
Carlos Sainz
1962 - Present
HPI: 68.50
Rank: 38
Jody Scheckter
1950 - Present
HPI: 68.46
Rank: 39
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1934, John Surtees ranks 57. Before him are John L. Hall, Albert Speer, Carlo Rubbia, Wole Soyinka, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Yasuo Takamori. After him are Masao Uchino, Jonas Savimbi, C. N. R. Rao, Fujiko Fujio, Bettino Craxi, and Howard Martin Temin. Among people deceased in 2017, John Surtees ranks 54. Before him are George A. Romero, Derek Walcott, Ryke Geerd Hamer, Emma Morano, Jonathan Demme, and Malcolm Young. After him are Oliver Smithies, Adnan Khashoggi, Sam Shepard, Hiroto Muraoka, Danielle Darrieux, and Elsa Martinelli.
Others Born in 1934
Go to all RankingsJohn L. Hall
PHYSICIST
1934 - Present
HPI: 69.65
Rank: 51
Albert Speer
ARCHITECT
1934 - 2017
HPI: 69.62
Rank: 52
Carlo Rubbia
PHYSICIST
1934 - Present
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 53
Wole Soyinka
WRITER
1934 - Present
HPI: 69.29
Rank: 54
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
PSYCHOLOGIST
1934 - 2021
HPI: 69.24
Rank: 55
Yasuo Takamori
SOCCER PLAYER
1934 - 2016
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 56
John Surtees
RACING DRIVER
1934 - 2017
HPI: 69.11
Rank: 57
Masao Uchino
SOCCER PLAYER
1934 - 2013
HPI: 69.07
Rank: 58
Jonas Savimbi
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1934 - 2002
HPI: 69.06
Rank: 59
C. N. R. Rao
CHEMIST
1934 - Present
HPI: 68.82
Rank: 60
Fujiko Fujio
POLITICIAN
1934 - 1996
HPI: 68.81
Rank: 61
Bettino Craxi
POLITICIAN
1934 - 2000
HPI: 68.65
Rank: 62
Howard Martin Temin
BIOLOGIST
1934 - 1994
HPI: 68.62
Rank: 63
Others Deceased in 2017
Go to all RankingsGeorge A. Romero
FILM DIRECTOR
1940 - 2017
HPI: 69.33
Rank: 48
Derek Walcott
WRITER
1930 - 2017
HPI: 69.28
Rank: 49
Ryke Geerd Hamer
PHYSICIAN
1935 - 2017
HPI: 69.27
Rank: 50
Emma Morano
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1899 - 2017
HPI: 69.23
Rank: 51
Jonathan Demme
FILM DIRECTOR
1944 - 2017
HPI: 69.16
Rank: 52
Malcolm Young
MUSICIAN
1953 - 2017
HPI: 69.12
Rank: 53
John Surtees
RACING DRIVER
1934 - 2017
HPI: 69.11
Rank: 54
Oliver Smithies
BIOLOGIST
1925 - 2017
HPI: 69.07
Rank: 55
Adnan Khashoggi
BUSINESSPERSON
1935 - 2017
HPI: 69.02
Rank: 56
Sam Shepard
WRITER
1943 - 2017
HPI: 68.99
Rank: 57
Hiroto Muraoka
SOCCER PLAYER
1931 - 2017
HPI: 68.76
Rank: 58
Danielle Darrieux
ACTOR
1917 - 2017
HPI: 68.56
Rank: 59
Elsa Martinelli
ACTOR
1935 - 2017
HPI: 68.46
Rank: 60
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, John Surtees ranks 799 out of 8,785. Before him are Peter Greenaway (1942), Saint Malachy (1094), Anthony James Leggett (1938), Chris Slade (1946), Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby (1861), and Malcolm Young (1953). After him are Ramsay MacDonald (1866), Julian Barnes (1946), Annie Lennox (1954), Michael Powell (1905), Charles Laughton (1899), and Dua Lipa (1995).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsPeter Greenaway
FILM DIRECTOR
1942 - Present
HPI: 69.18
Rank: 793
Saint Malachy
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1094 - 1148
HPI: 69.15
Rank: 794
Anthony James Leggett
PHYSICIST
1938 - Present
HPI: 69.13
Rank: 795
Chris Slade
MUSICIAN
1946 - Present
HPI: 69.13
Rank: 796
Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1861 - 1936
HPI: 69.13
Rank: 797
Malcolm Young
MUSICIAN
1953 - 2017
HPI: 69.12
Rank: 798
John Surtees
RACING DRIVER
1934 - 2017
HPI: 69.11
Rank: 799
Ramsay MacDonald
POLITICIAN
1866 - 1937
HPI: 69.11
Rank: 800
Julian Barnes
WRITER
1946 - Present
HPI: 69.11
Rank: 801
Annie Lennox
SINGER
1954 - Present
HPI: 69.09
Rank: 802
Michael Powell
FILM DIRECTOR
1905 - 1990
HPI: 69.08
Rank: 803
Charles Laughton
ACTOR
1899 - 1962
HPI: 69.08
Rank: 804
Dua Lipa
SINGER
1995 - Present
HPI: 69.08
Rank: 805
Among RACING DRIVERS In United Kingdom
Among racing drivers born in United Kingdom, John Surtees ranks 8. Before him are Nigel Mansell (1953), Ken Miles (1918), Jackie Stewart (1939), Jim Clark (1936), Graham Hill (1929), and Alfonso de Portago (1928). After him are Mike Hawthorn (1929), Damon Hill (1960), Stirling Moss (1929), Lewis Hamilton (1985), Tony Brooks (1932), and Tom Pryce (1949).
Nigel Mansell
1953 - Present
HPI: 72.62
Rank: 2
Ken Miles
1918 - 1966
HPI: 72.47
Rank: 3
Jackie Stewart
1939 - Present
HPI: 72.02
Rank: 4
Jim Clark
1936 - 1968
HPI: 71.32
Rank: 5
Graham Hill
1929 - 1975
HPI: 70.66
Rank: 6
Alfonso de Portago
1928 - 1957
HPI: 69.71
Rank: 7
John Surtees
1934 - 2017
HPI: 69.11
Rank: 8
Mike Hawthorn
1929 - 1959
HPI: 68.57
Rank: 9
Damon Hill
1960 - Present
HPI: 67.97
Rank: 10
Stirling Moss
1929 - 2020
HPI: 67.96
Rank: 11
Lewis Hamilton
1985 - Present
HPI: 67.37
Rank: 12
Tony Brooks
1932 - 2022
HPI: 67.35
Rank: 13
Tom Pryce
1949 - 1977
HPI: 64.32
Rank: 14