Bam, Bam, Bam, Bam, Bam - you've just gone from 2nd to sixth in an F1 car with paddle

[graham John]

Well,just got back this morning , and how do i describe a couple of days day like that - to be honest i dont think i can. took a lot of pics, but also a lot of video, and there was also a photographer "shadowing" myself and these pics will be sent to myself in about two weeks therefore expect the big hit on the site with pics about then.

will post some pics later, however to show i did not forget some of you, will start with this , just for Rab,





ciao

[graham John]

Day started at 7.00 am in a dark, grey, overcast Monza. absolutely amazed at the location of monza, very poorly signed, located in a public park, in the middle of a high class residential area accessed only by narrow streets ! how the hell do they manage to hold a grand prix there especially when you consider that it is one of the most popular and best attended F1 events on the calendar - they must start queing in July!!!

arrrived, was met by my chaperones, two delightfull ladies who are far too nice to post pics up on here for you dirty lot, and was then kitted and fitted with the relevant gear etc. The day was one of progression, first i drive Ferraris (i think they were 340's although im not sure - someone will put me right no doubt) and if i managed that successfully, carefully then i progress to the F3 cars which are 200 bhp etc.

Off to the classroom, a working breakfast and TWO HOURS of practical discussion on the circuit, the Ferraris, general safety, do's / Donts, and then into the car for a circuit ride stopping at each apex and chicane, walking through them, and so on. Next, instructor drives like a milan taxi driver at great speed around the circuit showing where the correct lines are. Back to the paddock, and then an explanation of the Flag system - i tell em im colour blind



We then have seat fittings for the Ferraris, and then the F3 single seaters, and then wait, nervously for the action to start. NO RACING, or you will get the red flag and ruin it for everyone, depending on your success, lines, smoothness, car control and speed, we may be lucky enough for the F3, and if the results are similar in that, its F1

the ferraris.......................................... ..













unfortunately virtually all the pics i took did not include me in them (as i was taking them !!!) therefore i will have to wait for the photographers ones to arrive showing me in action.

how did i do, ?

very well, enjoyed the circuit, the FULL monza grand prix circuit, and the Ferraris were just absolutely magic, had odd moment or two under braking and turning in on Apex (more a rally man and used to chucking it at the corners and hoping it comes out the other side!) although i thought i held my own.

after 10 laps, back to the pitts for my assesment.

If it was good, onto F3, if it was not good, then enjoy the rest of the day spectating


cheeRS

[ian parker]

Graham, massively jealous, you must have had an absolutely awesome time, you probably havent got words for it. Surely a once in a lifetime experience

[graham John]

Graham, massively jealous, you must have had an absolutely awesome time, you probably havent got words for it. Surely a once in a lifetime experience

to be honest Ian, it was very emotional, i am extremely fortunate at times and humbly acknowledge this, this type of occasion cannot be had in "everyday" life, particularly for an everyday guy, therefore i did have a quiet moment on my own (not for that, you dirty minded B~~~***ds) to think of the dangers, the risks, and they were VERY real, and to allow the reality of it to sink in, just wish i could somehow get the experience and emotion here on to the BB


cheeRS

[ian parker]

Graham, i agree, you know my feelings towards a certain individual thats no longer with us, it must have been massively humbling, it makes with respect, Jennys present to me for my birthday this year, a day out at Silverstone in a FF1600, a little bit short of the mark, albeit, i havent chose a date yet, cant wait to get behind the wheel of a single seater after racing 2-stroke karts for a number of years.

[graham John]

Graham, i agree, you know my feelings towards a certain individual thats no longer with us, it must have been massively humbling, it makes with respect, Jennys present to me for my birthday this year, a day out at Silverstone in a FF1600, a little bit short of the mark, albeit, i havent chose a date yet, cant wait to get behind the wheel of a single seater after racing 2-stroke karts for a number of years.

.................................................. ......................................
whilst it was at Monza, and not at Imola, i did think of the greatnes of the man and also think to myself of the moments he must have experienced in Italy during his life. what a guy.

Soon, i will go to Imola and visit Tamburello.

Enjoy the day at silverstone Ian, wherever it is, driving cars on a circuit is a massive buzz and great character building excercise.

more pics to follow


cheeRS

[Dave1800BDA]

Glad you had a good time Graham, sounds like you had a busy but enjoyable experience

[graham John]

Glad you had a good time Graham, sounds like you had a busy but enjoyable experience

couldnt descibe it in words Dave, very frightening in a way, humbling, challenging, exciting, also, in a funny kind of way, lonely - you're pretty much out there on your own, especially the single seaters..............


would i do it again, ? where's my plane ticket

absolutely awesome day, best fun i have ever had with my clothes on, see pics later on ...................


cheeRS

[Dave1800BDA]

butterflies..turned into a adrenalin rush then

[graham John]

butterflies..turned into a adrenalin rush then

and that was only the start of the day ......................


cheeRS

[graham John]

and so, it was back to the paddock for a de brief, if i scored 5 or less on my asssesment i would not be allowed to further continue.

following a discussion on how i thought I had done, it was time for the instructor/assesor.

my lines were not great, however my car control, speed, and breaking were correct, along with the gering and therefore after what seemed an age............................................... ....i had successfully gained a score of 6 therefore i could proceed on to the F3 cars, 200 BHP in a 500kg car complete with slicks, wings, aerodynamic package and twelve laps was to be the afternoons reward, i was delighted, elated, and scared.these things would top out at @ 150 mph through all but the tightest of corners, and i was exploring new driving positions, levels of grip, and speed. My previous fastest top speed had been 131 MPH and that had been scary (Escort cosworth at Brunters), time for a mood of reflection.

would i be able to handle the car, what if i went off, how badly would i be hurt, what if it caught fire, who would tell the familly, would i ever finish the black beastie,! all this and i did not fancy italian hospital food. a bowel moment followed akin to carpet bombing from a B52 bomber.

after lunch !! another training session in the classroom, generally on how these cars behaved under braking, acceleration, cornering, going from no aero assistance, driving through this barrier to where the aero package "came in" and started working the car. all manor of things, weight transfer, surface conditions, the dangers involved, hell, did i really want this?

Seat fitting took about 15 minutes, followed by a detailed explanation of how to drive the car, and then into the actual thing and systems check...........





once in the car, (not an easy task for my 17 stone + frame ) i was belted in firmly and again, the controls explained. If the assesment in the F3 car was not good, then there would be no FI later, and that is what i wanted.
I was surrounded by a few Italian "fighter pilots" who were out to prove that they had been overlooked by Ron Dennis / Jean Todt and there was some out syching taking place, fortunately i dont speak italian but the world wide expresion of two fingers travels well in most countries and this i duly responded with.
This was no race, in fact, any racing would see the session red flagged, and we would proceed at 20 second intervals, me being the last, thus every chance that the first couple of cars out would be on my arse by the time i exited the Pit











Here goes......................




out of the pits, and sure enough bandits at six o clock as we enter the very tight chicane at the end of the start / finish straight, on cold tyres and an unfamiliar car.

after 12 laps, it was time to come in, mouth dry, arse sweating, eyes hurting and head thumping. Two fighter pilots had not returned, although i did not see them out on the track they were in the sand somewhere, me ? well i got twelve steady laps in and learnt more about the car and the circuit. I did have problems, this car had a manual shift, tight against the moncoque on my right hand side (right hand shift) which fouled against my large thighs and the shift was so intricate / small that changes were very difficult, however, i had made it back, in one piece, with no damage to the car.
The experience was absolutely awesome, - Monza in a single seater - was this real or not!

i wont go on, other than to say thatonce out of the car, it was time for the de brief and also my assesment, would i get to drive F1.

cheeRS

[graham John]

........out of the car and another bowel movement, some light refreshment and time for the debrief.

My speed was not great, however my lines, braking, control and general driving manner were considered excellent - Ha - where were the fighter pilots now!

my assesment for the F1 drive had to be high and , yes, i reached the standard required.
back to the briefing room with only a few lucky others, what a moment.


The F1 car i was to drive was the 1998 Benneton car as used by Giancarlo Fischicella, and the engine was the Mecachrome (nee renault) V10 producing 780 BHP, and for the day gave the same BHP. It was a front running car in its day, and even now has all the electric gizmos, paddle change, aero dynamics, Carbon fibre brakes, etc etc that it used then.
it was a front running car in its day, with a pole position and fastest lap recorded, Fischicella finished 5th in the drivers championship with it that year.

Driving this thing was to be a completely new challenge, as not only was it more powerfull (MUCH more powerfull) than the two previous cars, it also had the full aero package and it was emphasised greatly that the car would drive normal - like a road car - up to about 120mph, but after that would be unstable between 120 mph - 160 mph as the wings would then start to influence downforce and thus it would be more stable, therefore great detail was spent telling me what to expect, when to expect it and how (the car would effectively "go light" at the front and then the opposite once passed through this downforce zone.

several practice sessions followed in the pit lane exiting the car, just in case there was a requirement, and thankfully i managed to complete this as requested. ****, was i shitting myself!

I was told in no uncertain circumstances what i could do/not do, and also not what to touch whilst driving, and also a very complex start procedure (yes, i did stall it once, but only once!) and an even more complex finish procedure with various engine kills and procedures when entering the pitts on my completion.

cut to the chase, i have NEVER experienced such grip and power, got through the downforce barrier and posted a very high start / finish straight speed, and also the same at the parabolica.

The car was, surprisingly easy to drive, i just hung on and floored where i could and feathered where required.

a quick word on the gerachange.

Andre, the instructor, said to just floor the throttle in second, wait for the green "one, two, three, four, five - then single RED" lights to appear in sequence and then flick up to changed , i asked how quick the change was and he replied at normal talking speed, 2nd -bam, third-bam, fourth-bam, fith-bam sixth bam, - Graham, you will have just changed gear in a formula one car from second to sixth hitting the rev limiter in each gear, it is that quick, do not lift on the throttle, do not touch the clutch, the car will do it all.

going down, the car would partially do it for you - remember this was in the days of driver aids and semi automatic gearboxes- and sure enough, if the revs dropped, the gearbox would drop down to the relative gear, ensuring max revs in each gear.


some pics whilst my fingers take a break.

looks like im about to storm an foreign embassy !

















as i said, it was quite easy to drive, actually, it was easier, much easier, than the F3 car, and also to a degree the ferrari, however to get the maximum from these cars requires greater commitment, skill, reaction, thus whilst i found an very rapid level it was probably no more than 70% of what the then current drivers could get from it, however, come the odd curve i gave it all 16,000 revs through the box, however i would usually brake around 200 mtrs before i actually had to, and in some cases had to actually speed up to the braking point such was my inadequacy of recognising the braking point.

unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

ive probably forgotten more than i can remember, however on my return to the pitts i set about the "closing down" procedure before i came to a standstill, to a gentle applause from my chaperone, the instructors and the few priveledged guests, exited the car with the biggest smile on my face since Kev Frosticles got me the Tubes CD's.

my driving was analysed, and a full de brief on where i could have gone quicker - to be honest, i didnt want to go ANY quicker, it was that quick, never have i experienced acceleration like that (been with Delacour in works Esc cos, Higgins in Works WRC focus, Mikkola in works sport Quattro etc etc in the past at test days).

I now await the pics from the photographer, and also the video of the day, and will bore you with them in a few weks, however, hope this gives an enlightment into driving an F1 car, all be it an old F1 car, but F1 nonetheless with all the driver aids fully working. I would not have the fitness or stamina to do a quarter of a race, let alone a full one.

one final note, coming on the plane this morning, it seemed ashmatic on its run up prior to take off, and the run home in the merc was snail like.

now i know what a bullet feels like.


cheeRS

[RS1800]

the big rever

looks like you where buzzzing

it be Christmas before you settle back down
keep it coming

D

[graham John]

TBH darren, i didnt sleep much last night, stil high on g force and downforce,

also pinching myself that im extremely fortunate to have done this, cant wait for the pics now. If you look you will see the photographer in quite a few of them (and others i'll post later) therefore as a pro they will be much better than mine


awesome, absolutely the Dogs Danglers..............


cheeRS

[ian parker]

Graham, words fail me, it must have been simply staggeringly fantasticly memorabley awesome. simple as that. Your thread reads so well.