Chris Amon dies in hospital aged 73 after battle with cancer

Formula 1 legend Chris Amon has died at the age of 73 following a battle with cancer.

Amon made his F1 debut at the age of 19 in 1963, and would go on to race for teams including Ferrari, March and Matra across a 13-year stint in the sport.

Amon is widely regarded as being one of the greatest drivers never to win a world championship grand prix, but was victorious in a handful of non-championship races. The New Zealander also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Bruce McLaren in 1966 for Ford, and the Daytona 24 Hours and the Monza 1000km with Ferrari in 1967.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Amon's family confirmed that he had died in hospital in Rotorua after a battle with cancer at the age of 73.

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"It was with profound sadness that I heard the news this morning that Chris Amon had passed away," McLaren CEO Ron Dennis said in a statement.

"Chris started 96 Grands Prix but won not one of them – and it is safe to say that he was the greatest racing driver never to have won a race at the very highest level. He nearly won a fair few, but always it seemed that his luck would run out before he saw the chequered flag.

"However, he won at Le Mans, in a mighty 7.0-litre Ford, exactly 50 years ago, his co-driver his friend and fellow Kiwi, Bruce McLaren, whose name still graces the team to which I have devoted my working life.

"I have not met Chris for many years, but, even so, I have extremely fond memories of him, and indeed I would describe him as one of the most likeable men I have met in my long racing career.

"For all those reasons I want to take this opportunity to extend the heartfelt sympathies of all 3300 of us at McLaren to the family and friends of a great New Zealander, a true gentleman, and one of the fastest racing drivers there ever was: the one and only Christopher Arthur Amon.

"May he rest in peace."