Driving a F1 Benetton B198 at the Catalunyan Spanish Grand Prix circuit near Barcelona.

FASTEST LAP (8th) SHOWN AT END (4.39). TURN THE VOLUME UP TO MAX AFTER THE MUSIC Many thanks to Mike (photographer and very good friend) and Moira ('squire' and very good wife).....

This is my F1 drive in a F1 Benetton B198 the Catalunyan full length Spanish Grand Prix circuit near Barcelona - it can be summed up in one word - EXTREME!

Unfortunately I had to be push started as the (separate) starter motor had stripped it’s teeth (at least it meant I could'nt embarras myself stalling!).

Set off trying to get the tyres and brakes up to temp asap, so did’nt have to take my right foot off the accelerator until the third (fastest) corner when unfortunately I discovered there was something protruding into the cockpit above the accelerator which caught my right foot so I couldn’t brake!
I should have used my left foot!

Consequently I had a big off straight into the kitty litter! I desperately tried to keep the engine running, the car moving while changing down gears to get going again - I just managed it and set off, remembering that I had to ensure I didn’t get my foot caught again!

You had to press the pedals (they reckoned 80kg force min, 120kg now) and turn the steering wheel so hard. The pedals were also ridiculously close together you had to ensure you were not pressing more than one at a time. As well as all this you have to try and keep an eye on the 6 very small rev lights on the sterring wheel, trying to keep only the 4th and 5th lights on - 3 or less too little revs, 6th light too many revs (which are restricted to some extent, they say 1000 less than when racing).

I then came up on the 3 seater driven by a pro (same engine, slower because of the extra weight and probably on his outlap (although these tyres don’t need much heating up)) and kept up with him for about a lap until I oversteered on a bend - I’m pleased to say I held it but he was then off into the distance.

I carried on with a few more oversteers and offs (but onto tarmac) until, fortunately on my last lap, I spun at my nemesis corner 10 (I spun here in the Formula Renault in the morning and had quite a few offs in the F1) - in the 7 full laps I did from the start line to corner 10 (nearly all fast corners) my time decreased 9 secs, from corner 10 to the finish line (mainly slow corners) my time increased 2secs - I obviously prefer fast corners.

I did my fastest on lap 8 - 2m5s - average speed 86mph (not that bad considering that when novices are driving there are 6 second gear 33(?)mph corners), but to put it into perspective Lewis Hamilton’s fastest race lap was 1m28s - average speed 118mph.

LH had a newer, more tuned & more powerful engine (mine was old detuned V8), newer chassis, much stickier tyres, KERS, DRS & of course better driver! - so maybe not so bad for a first time attempt!?.

In conclusion, I was master (but necessarily that fast) of the Formula Renault (not a slow car) but I was certainly not master of the F1 - I could have done a lot better, basically my brain could not accept that you could accelerate, brake and corner as much as the car was capable of and that all 3 required so much force!

This was meant to fulfil a 43 year life time ambition, unfortunately all it has done is whet my appetite!I