Stepping Back From the Fray
John retired from the cockpit in 1972 but not before signing off with a third place in the F1 International Trophy Race at Silverstone in the Surtees TS9B and F2 wins at the Japanese GP at Mount Fuji and the Shell Trophy at Imola in the Surtees TS10.
 After that he concentrated fully on management until 1978 when he was forced to withdraw the team from top flight competition altogether. The demise was caused by a combination of financial difficulties - brought on by the failure of a sponsor to meet its obligations - and health problems - a legacy from his horrendous 1965 Mosport crash. Never one to accept defeat readily, he found it a bitter pill to swallow.
Looking back, he reflects: "The main thing is that whatever I've done, I've done from the heart. I have loved being involved in first building and riding motorcycles and then driving cars - but above all, competing."
Picture: Signing out on top...Surtees in the highly successful TS10
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