Tributes: Richard Burns - 1971-2005.

2001 World Rally champion, Richard Burns passed away on Friday after a long battle against a brain tumour.

What follows is a selection of tributes:

Family statement:

"From the outset, Richard knew that the odds were heavily against him and yet he fought his illness with bravery and good humour. Having undergone both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, he was able to leave hospital in summer 2004. For a while his health showed signs of improvement but then after six months it once again began to decline.

"Determined not to give up, he opted for surgery earlier this year. This alleviated some of the symptoms of his illness and enabled him to remain active. At Castle Combe in August he attended a parade of the rally cars that he drove throughout his career and was touched by the warmth of the reception he received.

"However there was to be no miracle and in recent days he lapsed into a coma.

"The media, friends and fans are asked to respect the family's privacy at this time. There will be a private funeral and instead of flowers the family would ask that donations be sent to Cancer Research. Anyone who would like to leave a message should go to the Richard Burns website where a special memorial section has been set up to receive messages. The address is: www.richard-burns.co.uk/memorials. The date of a memorial service will be announced shortly."

David Richards - WRC supremo / Prodrive boss (as told to Reuters):

"You don't become a world champion without being a great, great driver. He will stand out amongst them as one of the icons of the sport. It's easy to think of him just as an English star but remember that he won events all around the world and he had an extraordinary following. He was the first English world champion and he did it in great style as well, he was very professional in the way he went about it. He and Colin [McRae] were great pals but nonetheless two completely opposite ends of the spectrum with Colin's flamboyance and Richard's sheer determination and professionalism. He - Burns - had a very methodical, determined style."

David Lapworth - SWRT technical director (from the SWRT official website):

"At this sad time our thoughts are with Richard's partner Zoe and his family and friends. Richard was one of the key people who brought the Subaru World Rally Team to what it is today and a large part of our success comes from his input. His wins in the British Championship in 1993 and the World Championship in 2001 brought Subaru to the pinnacle of rallying and his loss leaves a huge gap. Richard will be sorely missed by all at the Subaru World Rally Team, the WRC community and rallying fans across the world."

Colin McRae:

"Richard was a friend and at the same time a very fierce rival. We had many great battles together, notably the 2001 Rally GB when he took the [world rally] championship. I have seen Richard on a number of occasions during the past two years and the greatest battle he has put up was against his illness. Richard was a true character in the world of rallying and will be sadly missed as a competitor and a friend to many people. My thoughts are with Richard, Zoe [his partner], his family and all his close friends that have supported him during the last two years."

Petter Solberg (from his official website):

"It has been known for quite some time, that Richard has been seriously ill - and our thoughts have often been with him lately. We have now received the message, that he's no longer with us, we are all terribly sad. It feels both unfair and wrong when somebody dies so young. Richard Burns was a great and 'dangerous' competitor, because he was a very good driver, and after having been in the same team, he was also a good friend. Even if he's been away from the WRC for some time, the lack of him will still be felt. Our thoughts go out to his nearest family and friends at this sad time."

Colin Hilton - MSA chief executive:

"Richard will always be remembered not only as one of this country's finest motor sport champions but also as a huge inspiration to others in his sport. In his all too brief career at the top, Richard achieved true greatness winning the World Championship on the Rally GB at the end of 2001 having finished runner-up in the series for the two previous years. But for the cruel intervention of illness, he would surely have added to his ten WRC rally wins and almost certainly have lifted further major championship honours. Richard's rich record of success - including an unprecedented hat-trick of famous home wins on the Rally GB - will always remain a lasting tribute to a truly great champion. At this sad time, everyone at the Motor Sports Association extends their condolences to Richard's partner Zoe, his family and friends."