Geoff Lees

A professional racing driver in the truest sense of the word, Lees never really had the Formula 1 opportunities that his talent demanded, but he has nevertheless enjoyed continued success in virtually every other type of racing he has tried. A Formula Ford champion in the mid-seventies, Geoff soon moved into F3 with a works Chevron, then tackled the Aurora F1 series and Can-Am, and won the Macau GP twice, while taking the occasional Grand Prix chances that came his way.

In 1981 he won the European Formula 2 championship with the Ralt-Honda, but even this could not bring Lees the big chance he had hoped for, and he eventually turned his back on Europe. For many years he lived in Japan, marrying a local girl, and carved out a fine career, particularly as leader of the TOM’S Toyota sports car team.

Between 1995 and mid-1997 Geoff led the Lister Storm line-up, mainly partnering Tiff Needell, but continued lack of success blunted his enthusiasm and he found a more rewarding berth with the GTC team, racing their McLaren F1 GTRs.

In 1998 his great experience was still in demand by Toyota for their Le Mans challenge. The race brought heartbreak, however, for Lees (with co-drivers Boutsen and Kelleners) when a possible first victory at the Sarthe circuit was lost when their car failed just 80 minutes from the finish when leading.