Denny Hulme
Denny Hulme won the 1967 Formula 1 world championship with Brabham before moving to McLaren, the team founded by his fellow New Zealander and close friend Bruce McLaren, becoming a central figure in carrying the team forward after McLaren's death in a testing accident in 1970. Nicknamed 'The Bear' for his gruff exterior, he died in dramatic, characteristically composed circumstances, suffering a fatal heart attack mid-race at Bathurst in 1992 and still managing to bring his car safely to a stop.
Denny Hulme made his Formula 1 debut with Brabham in 1965 and won the world championship just two years later, in 1967, beating his own team boss and teammate Jack Brabham to the title in a closely fought season. It remains one of the more understated championship wins in F1 history, achieved by a driver who never sought much attention for it.
In 1968, Hulme moved to McLaren, the team founded by his close friend and fellow New Zealander Bruce McLaren. When Bruce McLaren was killed in a testing accident in 1970, Hulme became one of the team's senior figures during an extremely difficult period, continuing to race for McLaren for several more seasons and helping carry forward the team his friend had built.
After retiring from Formula 1 in 1974, Hulme continued racing touring cars and historic events in Australia and New Zealand. He died in 1992 of a heart attack suffered mid-race at the Bathurst 1000, managing to bring his car safely to a stop before losing consciousness — a final act widely remembered as entirely in keeping with the composed, unflappable reputation that had earned him the nickname 'The Bear' throughout his career.
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Hulme's blunt, undemonstrative manner with the press earned him the nickname 'The Bear' within the paddock, though those who knew him well described a warm, dryly funny personality underneath the gruff public persona — a contrast that became part of his appeal to fans and colleagues alike.
Hulme and Bruce McLaren, both New Zealanders who'd made their way to European racing, were close friends for years before Hulme joined the McLaren team in 1968. When Bruce McLaren was killed in a testing accident in 1970, Hulme became one of the senior figures helping steady the team through an extremely difficult period, racing on for McLaren for several more seasons afterward.
Hulme won the 1967 Formula 1 world championship driving for Brabham, edging out his own team boss and teammate Jack Brabham in a close-fought season — a rare case of a driver beating the team owner himself to the title in the same car.
Hulme suffered a fatal heart attack while driving a BMW M3 in the 1992 Bathurst 1000 touring car race in Australia. Even in his final moments, he managed to bring the car safely to a stop at the side of the track rather than crashing, a detail widely remembered as characteristic of his composed, professional approach to driving right until the very end.