Ove Andersson shock
Bill McLauchlan
News of the untimely death of Ove Andersson, 70, has stunned the motorsport world. He was involved in an accident whilst competing in the Milligan Vintage Trial in South Africa, when the classic car he was driving suffered a frontal collision around a blind corner. Tadashi Yamashina, Chairman of Toyota Motorsport GmbH, said: “Everyone at Toyota is extremely shocked and truly saddened at this terrible news. Ove was an inspiration to our team and to many in motorsport. His passion for motorsport was legendary and he is a great loss to our sport.” Under his leadership, Toyota successfully competed in the World Rally Championship, winning four drivers’ and three manufacturers’ championships, and took second place at the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours. He led Panasonic Toyota Racing into Formula 1 in 2002 before retiring as Team Principal in 2003 to work as a consultant for the team.