Indy 500 legend Johnny Rutherford returns to McLaren

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McLaren-Honda-Andretti has announced that Indy 500 legend Johnny Rutherford will join the team’s IndyCar programme as its official ambassador for the month of May.

The 79-year-old Texan, or ‘Lone Star JR’ as he is affectionately nicknamed, won the Indianapolis 500 on no fewer than three occasions, twice for McLaren, and was champion of the Indy Car World Series in 1980.

However, it is his victories at Indy for which he is most widely remembered. His first win came in 1974, driving a Papaya Orange-liveried McLaren M16D, a feat he repeated in ’76, driving a similarly coloured M16E. His third 500 victory came in 1980, driving the distinctive bright-yellow Chaparral 2K ground-effect car, which was designed by the British engineer John Barnard, who later became McLaren’s pioneering technical director in the early 1980s.

For this year’s Indy 500, Rutherford will once again don a McLaren team shirt for the month of May, working as the McLaren-Honda-Andretti team’s official ambassador and guest of honour.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.