Meet a real live Formula One legend

Hugely experienced Grand Prix designer and TV expert Gary Anderson will be the guest of honour and main speaker at the Motorsport Legends Association fundraiser dinner at Killarney on 27 April.

Hugely experienced Grand Prix designer and TV expert Gary Anderson will be the guest of honour and main speaker at the Motorsport Legends Association fundraiser dinner at Killarney on 27 April.

Published Apr 18, 2013

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The combination of the national Pro Tour meeting at Killarney on Saturday 27 April, followed the next day by a lunch and discussion in the circuit clubhouse with Gary Anderson, one of the world’s leading authorities on Formula 1 racing, promises to provide enthusiasts with a weekend of high speed action and rare storytelling.

Currently the technical voice of F1 on our SuperSport TV programmes, Anderson will be arriving in the Cape straight from the Bahrain Grand Prix, with only a short stopover in Johannesburg.

With a motorsport involvement that goes back for more than 40 years, his early knowledge of F1 began at the coal face, as chief mechanic with the Brabham team, where he also worked closely on several projects with acclaimed South African designer Gordon Murray.

In 1977 he was appointed as the McLaren F1 team’s chief mechanic.

He remained there for two seasons. Moving across the Atlantic after that to further his knowledge of how the Indycar system worked, he spent time with Galles Racing and former F1 driver Roberto Moreno.

Returning to Britain he became involved in F3000 at Bromley Motorsport where he was able to turn the new Reynard into an immediate championship winner.

Adrian Reynard was so impressed that he hired Anderson to design the 1989 and 1990 F3000 Reynards. Meanwhile the shrewd Eddie Jordan had been suitably impressed with what was happening and, aided by South African sponsorship from Sasol, he persuaded Anderson to design the Jordan Grand Prix car that was to launch Michael Schumacher on the road to numerous F1 titles.

Promoted to the position of Jordan’s technical director, Anderson remained there for eight years.

After that there was a short spell with Stewart Ford, which later became Jaguar Racing, before he returned to the United States to work with Adrian Reynard again.

Now semi-retired, he acts as a motorsport consultant between assignments in F1 journalism and TV commentating.

A limited number of tickets for the function, priced at R290 per ticket or R1650 for a table seating 6 people, are available from the club office. More info can be obtained on 021 557 1639 or www.wpmc.co.za. - Drive Times

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