Isle of Man TT Races Legend John McGuinness inducted into Motorsport Magazine’s Hall of Fame
John McGuinness was last night inducted into Motorsport Magazine’s Hall of Fame in a glittering ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London.
The twenty time Isle of Man TT race winner joins the eight founding members and 17 past inductees including Ayrton Senna, Enzo Ferrari, Sir Stirling Moss, Michael Schumacher, Sir Jackie Stewart and Nikki Lauda, Last night’s ceremony also added engineer, technical director and team principal Ross Brawn, 1976 Formula 1 World Champion James Hunt and four-time Formula 1 world champion Alain Prost to the prestigious list.
The fifth annual Motor Sport Hall of Fame was opened by host and Sky Formula 1 presenter Simon Lazenby before Magazine editor Damian Smith took the stage to wish the magazine a happy 90th birthday.
Morecambe Missile John McGuinness was fresh back from his first race of the year in Australia and became the third motorcyclist to join the illustrious Hall of Fame club. In 2012 both John Surtees and Giacomo Agostini were inducted and it was the former that was on hand to present McGuinness with his trophy. The six-time Isle of Man TT winner won the Formula 1 World Championship exactly 50 years ago.
“I’m nearly 42 and I look pretty average,” McGuinness said, “but in my head I feel pretty good. I’ll carry on for one or two more years yet. I felt a bit nervous to be honest, there are so many champions on four wheels and two, but to see my name up there with the greats is a massive honour.”
The evening also featured an auction in aid of the Grand Prix Mechanics Charitable Trust in association with RM Auctions, which raised £23,000 for the Trust. Some of the lots included mounted Ferrari F1 fuel cap, which sold for £1250 and a signed Michael Schumacher shirt, which went for £5000.
