Dan Gurney dead: Former F1 and Le Mans winner who started trend of spraying champagne dies, aged 86

American raced in Formula One during the sport's most dangerous period and remains the only US driver to have won a grand prix in a car of his own design

Dan Gurney is credited with starting the trend of spraying champagne on the podium after races (Getty)

American racer Dan Gurney, a Formula One and Le Mans 24 Hours winner in the 1960s who started a trend by spraying champagne on the victory podium, died in California on Sunday aged 86.

The news was announced by his wife Evi and family in a statement.

"With one last smile on his handsome face, Dan drove off into the unknown just before noon today," said the statement signed by Evi Gurney, the Gurney family and AAR teammates.

"In deepest sorrow, with gratitude in our hearts for the love and joy you have given us during your time on this earth, we say, 'Godspeed."

The family said Gurney, whose Formula One career spanned one of the most glamorous and dangerous periods of the sport's history from 1959 to 1970, had died of complications from pneumonia.

Former F1 and Le Mans 24 Hours winner Dan Gurney has died, aged 86 (Getty)

Gurney began racing in 1955 and won in nearly every racing series he attempted. He drove for Ferrari, BRM, Porsche and Brabham in Formula One, then formed his own team. He won the Belgian Grand Prix in 1967 in his own car, the first and only time an American won an F1 race in a car of his own design.

Gurney teamed with AJ Foyt that year to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ford GT40, and he's often credited with starting the tradition of spraying the champagne from the podium at that race.

Gurney sprays champagne on the podium alongside AJ Foyt after winning the Le Mans 24 Hours (Getty)

Gurney retired from driving in 1970 with 51 victories.

Mario Andretti hailed Gurney in a post on Twitter.

"I was first inspired by him when I was in midgets dreaming of being like him. I was last inspired by him yesterday. Yes, I mean forever," Andretti wrote. "He understood me better than anyone else, which is why he wrote the foreword for my book in 2001."

Gurney competed in F1 during the sport's most dangerous era (Getty)

Funeral arrangements are to be private but the family asked that donations be made to the Hoag Hospital Foundation in Newport Beach in lieu of flowers.

AP and Reuters