Double GP3 race winner Alexander Rossi took time off from his usual holiday arrangements over the summer break in order to get together with Dan Gurney, a fellow American who raced to four Formula 1 Grand Prix victories for Porsche, Brabham and Eagle in the 1960s.
Born in 1931, Gurney made his F1 debut for Ferrari at the 1959 French Grand Prix before notching up second and third place finishes in his next two races at Berlin’s notorious AVUS loop and the Monsanto Park Circuit in Portugal.
Fittingly, Dan’s final win - the only triumph for the Eagle team – came at none other than Spa-Francorchamps, the same venue for this weekend’s Grand Prix, in 1967.
“Dan is an American racing legend,” said 18-year-old Rossi, who met Gurney in Monterey, California last Friday after clinching his maiden GP3 victory for ART at the Circuit de Catalunya in May. “To finally meet Dan was an honour and inspiration as I pursue Formula 1.
“Dan not only won the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa but many forget that he did this in a car that he designed and built. Today drivers, including myself, take for granted just how much is already prepared for us. For me, Dan's legacy is humbling and I have some pretty big shoes to fill.”
“The entire Gurney family and all of us at All American Racers join the many fans of Alexander Rossi in wishing him the best,” added Dan, who will turn 80 next April.
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