Richard Burns: 10 years today

World Rally Champion Richard Burns died 10 years ago today after a lengthy battle with a brain tumour.

Britain's only World Rally Champion won the 2001 title with Subaru after a fierce battle with Colin McRae and Tommi Makinen, having finished runner-up the two years previous.

Burns started his career in a Peugeot one-make championship before graduating to all-wheel drive and winning the British Rally Championship in 1992.

From there he joined Subaru and cut his teeth in the Asia-Pacific Championship as well as selected WRC rounds, the highlight a third place on the 1995 Rally GB behind Subaru teammates Carlos Sainz and new world champhion Colin McRae.

For 1996 Burns moved to Mitsubishi alongside Tommi Makinen and secured his breakthrough win on the 1998 Safari Rally and followed that up with another win at that year's Rally GB.

The following year he returned to Subaru with immediate success, winning seven rallies over the next two years and finishing second in the championship both years.

He won only one rally in 2001, his championship year, but his incredible consistency ensured he was always at the pointy end.

Smooth and methodical, Burns was the perfect foil for the flamboyant McRae and together the two drove the WRC to unprecedented heights of popularity in the late-'90s.

Following his unfortunate early death, the Richard Burns Foundation was set up to support others suffering from illness.