London - Former world rally champion Colin McRae has been killed in a helicopter crash in Scotland, police confirmed Sunday. McRae, his five-year-old son, a six-year-old boy and a family friend were killed in the crash Saturday.
Reports said McRae was piloting the helicopter which came down near his home in Lanarkshire.
Strathclyde police Sunday released the names of the four people on board the crashed aircraft as McRae, his son Johnny, the boy's friend Ben Porcelli and family friend Graeme Duncan, 37.
Formal identification is expected in the next few days.
McRae, 39, a licensed pilot who owns a helicopter, is married to Alison and has two children, Hollie and Johnny.
In 1995 became the first Briton to win the world rally championship and a year later was awarded the MBE.
He won 25 rallies in the world rally championship, finishing on the podium 42 times.
After leaving the world rally championship in 2004, he took part in the Dakar desert rally and the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. His final rally was in Turkey last year.
David Richards, McRae's former boss at Subaru, said the Scot will be remembered for his winning attitude.
"He had a competitive spirit like I have never seen in any other individual in my life," he said.
"He was one of those people who had an extraordinary spirit that you just can't define. It's a terrible loss."
Speaking at the Belgian Grand Prix, Max Mosley, the president of motorsport's governing body, the FIA, said: "It's tragic that he should die like this when he's retired from the dangerous part of his career.
"I don't think anybody disliked him, everyone was his friend in the sport.
"Some of his achievements in rallying were absolutely extraordinary. Everywhere he went he was an ambassador, an ambassador for the sport and for Scotland, he was terrific."
