Guy Edwards, one of the Formula 1 drivers who helped free Niki Lauda from his fiery crash in the 1976 German Grand Prix, has died at the age of 83.
Edwards competed in 17 Grands Prix between 1974 and 1977, driving for Embassy Hill, Hesketh and BRM, scoring a career best result of seventh in Sweden in his first season.
The British driver also competed in the British F1 championship – commonly known by its title sponsor Aurora – between 1978 and 1980 – winning a number of races.
Edwards also competed in sportscars for a number of years, entering in 10 Le Mans 24 Hours, scoring a career-best of second in class in 1981 for the J.L.P. Racing team.
However, Edwards will be best known for his actions that helped save Lauda’s life at the Nurburgring.
With the Austrian crashing heavily and his burning Ferrari coming to a stop, Edwards was one of the first cars to arrive at the scene, along with Arturo Merzario, Brett Lunger and Harald Ertl.
Edwards played a crucial role in pulling Lauda out of his car and was rewarded for his actions with the Queen’s Gallantry Medal.
After his retirement from racing, Edwards forged a new career in motorsport – helping teams secure sponsorship deals. This venture not only helped a number of teams, but also helped Edwards make good money himself.
His actions to help save Lauda helped etch his name into folklore as being a shining light in a dark period for the sport, his bravery forever giving him a moniker as one of its ‘gentleman drivers’.
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