Haas team boss Günther Steiner has called the former Jaguar F1 boss Richard Parry-Jones a “pioneer” after the 69-year-old was killed in an accident on Friday.
From November 2002 Parry-Jones headed the Jaguar F1 team, where he briefly crossed with Steiner before the Italian stepped down from his role as managing director to leave the team with Niki Lauda.
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The two had previously met when Steiner was the technical director of the Ford World Rally Championship team.
During this time, Parry-Jones – then vice president of the group – played a pivotal role in bringing Colin McRae into the partnership with Carlos Sainz Snr. in the works team.
“Richard Parry-Jones, obviously you know he was the guy behind the Ford Focus, and of course that means he was behind the Ford Focus World rally car,” Steiner said.
“At that time I worked with him mainly because it was very important for him that it was successful
“He had lagged behind Colin McRae’s hiring at the time. He was a huge help in this program, and in the end I met him again when he took over the leadership of the Premier Automotive Group.
“Obviously, that relationship with Niki ended [Lauda] went, or when Niki was asked to leave, and I went with Niki. ”
News of Parry-Jones’ death came Friday after North Wales police said a 69-year-old man died in a tractor accident on private land.
In a statement, Ford Motor Company chairman Bill Ford said: “Richard Parry-Jones was a rare talent who left an indelible mark on Ford and the industry.
“As an engineer, he was a virtuoso with an uncanny feel for creating cars that were dynamic and incredibly fun. I can tell you that taking him for a test drive was not for the faint of heart.
“His passion for great cars and his love of driving inspired legions of engineers and enthusiasts in Europe and around the world.
“Richard will be missed very much and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones.”
Bill Ford’s comments on Richard Parry-Jones’ tragic death. pic.twitter.com/iV7oWSr0hc
– Mark Truby (@mtruby) April 16, 2021
In addition to his influence beyond motorsport, Steiner added, “All in all, Richard, what he’s done for the automotive industry, he’s been a bit of a pioneer and personality on the matter and he’s done a lot of important things for Ford, for the Company.
“But he always supported motorsport. He loved nothing more than driving a rally car. That was his hobby that he enjoyed doing, but it’s a huge loss for the community. “
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