Ian "Griff" Griffiths - an early McLaren team member

[Just Do It!]

It is with much saddeness and shock that I learned yesterday of the passing of Ian Acton Griffiths - more commonly known as Griff.

Griff passed away suddenly on Friday January 14 2005 whilst he was fishing with a mate. At least he went while doing something that he loved.

Griff worked for McLaren back in the early days of the McLaren team and his trademark beard will be remembered by anyone who was involved in Formula One in the 1960's and, for memory, into the 1970's.

Many of the early photos of the McLaren workshop show Griff either in the foreground or the background, and he was very much a consummate achiever.

Having only got to know Griff in the last 5 or 6 years, he was still extremely passionate and proud of all that the McLaren team had achieved in Formula One, but never seemed to realise the role that he played in helping lay the foundations back in those early days of the McLaren team.

The bug of racing seems to have spread to the next generation and last time I spoke to Griff, for the best of my memory, he had a nephew at McLaren and possibly another in the USA. I remember Bob McMurray speaking to a "next generation" Griffiths in his "Behind the Scenes" coverage of the Indy 500 in recent times.

Griff's passion for motorsport extended beyond Formula One and even circuit racing. Griff would often be spotted in the pits or just wandering around Western Springs - which is where I first met him.

To Lynne and Rhodri, sincerest sympathy at such a sudden loss of your "Griff".

Griff - a great bloke for a joke, the inside word on F1 - particularly McLaren, and always happy to lend advice to anyone who asked for his opinion on any aspect of a race car. Sadly, the McLaren team in the great race track in the sky just gained another member.