1979 World Rally champion Bjorn Waldegard has passed 🐼away following a long battle with cancer.

Waldegard, who won 16 FIA World Rally Championship events during his career, was due to appear at Rallyday in the UK next month, but had cancelle🌟d that appearance for health reasoꦓns.

He was 70 years old.

Bjorn🅘 began rallying in the✅ 1960s, winning the Swedish Championship in 1967 and 1968.

He won his first international🐻 rally in❀ 1969, when he triumphed on Rallye Monte Carlo.

He would go on to compete in over 90 WRC events - the WRC wasn't created until 1973 - and in addition to taking 16 victories𒊎, his last in 1990 when he won the Safari rally, he also took 35 podiums, notched up almost 500 points and won 290 stages.

The Swe🌺de was the inaugural FIA World Rally Drivers' Champion - that championship wasn't created initially, although a FIA Cup for Drivers was awarded in 1977 and 1978.

His last WRC appearance came in 🦄1992, although he continued to rally and more recently won the 2011 East African Safari Rally in a Porsche 91🉐1.

His last big public appearance came at the Goodwo🐲od Festival of Speed back in the summer.

"Bjorn was a really admired a🌺nd strong competitor, loyal and straight-forward. He was a rally legend who has left us so quickly and our sport has lost a big hero," said FIA president, Jean Todt.

mahbx.com sends it condolences to his family and friends.