RE: BAC Mono vs McLaren P1: Time For Tea?

RE: BAC Mono vs McLaren P1: Time For Tea?

Friday 29th August 2014

BAC Mono vs McLaren P1: Time For Tea?

Rare you see either of these two in isolation, let alone battling on track together



It's one of the best bits at any senior track day - the moment when some mega-exotic finds itself sharing the circuit with something that's light, running on sticky tyres and driven by somebody who knows what they're doing.

And that's what we seem to have here, with a McLaren P1 and a BAC Mono sharing Silverstone International. And, on the basis of this video, running surprisingly close together given the P1's 916hp total power output and 600kg of downforce. Because while the McLaren definitely has the advantage on the straights, the Mono - driven by racer Oli Webb - is right back up with it when it comes to braking and turning.

YouTube commenters have, predictably, turned this into a modern day David and Goliath with the Mono playing the plucky underdog. But as the P1 is apparently being driven by owner (and serial supercar collector) Paul Bailey - a man who definitely knows his way around a circuit - our suspicion is that he's sand-bagging to put on a show for the camera.

Anyway, it's a great to see two such radically different British performance cars being used properly, isn't it?

See here

Author
Discussion

silvermog

Original Poster:

61 posts

138 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Nice to see a P1 out on track, but this is Bailey mucking around, probably out with a passenger I'd guess giving them a taste of the acceleration. Play time.

He's a serious driver, but those lines aren't what he'd be choosing if serious around Silverstone, whilst the P1 isn't in track mode either, witness the lean, ride-height and spoiler position.

Nice video montage, great to see both being used and great promo for BAC (got a lots of viewers globally I'm sure), but don't try to make it what it isn't ...

Reavenger

129 posts

132 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Definitely not going full speed. Either of them but particularly the P1. Speed difference on the straights looks phenomenal.

Great to see them both where they belong though.


PhantomPH

4,043 posts

224 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
That P1 just walks away whenever it wants. So fast.

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Is the Mono staggeringly quick through corners, or the P1 just a bit slow through them?

The P1 looked like a Scalextric toy in the twisty bits at Castle Combe, so I can only presume he was taking it easy here or happy to let the Mono to stay close.

Either way, an absolute moot point for 99.9% of us! but good fun to watch and undoubtedly great fun for the drivers.

toerag

748 posts

131 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
First vid I've seen that show just how fast the P1 is, wow.

Davey S2

13,075 posts

253 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Reavenger said:
Speed difference on the straights looks phenomenal.
+1 Reminds me of when I went head to head against a RuF GT2 in my old Exige S at VMAX at Bruntingthorpe.

StottyEvo

6,860 posts

162 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
I didn't realise quite how fast the P1 is! Great video, but on a serious note the P1 is mucking about and whenever he touches the accelerator it absolutely disappears yikes

louismchuge

1,628 posts

183 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Lovely drift near the end, can't decide if he meant it though!

mikebradford

2,483 posts

144 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Great vid
first minute clearly shows the P1 letting of through a series of corners, as even the BAC had to back of as he coasted along

The speed at which the P1 pulls aways from such a fast car is hard to relate to
I bet they were having fun, as they were obviously playing with each other

greggy50

6,161 posts

190 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
fk me the P1 is fast in a straight line

Sure the owner is the bloke that came across as an absolute tt on the Inside Rolls Royce program...

Sure he is a decent bloke in person though smile

themanwithnoname

1,634 posts

212 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Thats the difference between an incredibly quick car and a monumentally fast one. Even if they aren't flat out the difference is staggering.

Gary C

12,313 posts

178 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
ukaskew said:
Is the Mono staggeringly quick through corners, or the P1 just a bit slow through them?

The P1 looked like a Scalextric toy in the twisty bits at Castle Combe, so I can only presume he was taking it easy here or happy to let the Mono to stay close.

Either way, an absolute moot point for 99.9% of us! but good fun to watch and undoubtedly great fun for the drivers.
P1 driver can't be trying as the lines are terrible.

scubadude

2,618 posts

196 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
I liked the bit 3min in where the Yellow Porsche is just demonstrating speed to the Caterham when the Mono blows him into the weeds- there is Always a bigger fish... probably made plainly clear when the P1 blew past on the Mono's arse :-)

Would like to see a pair of P1's out for a serious few laps- maybe with the F1 lads pedaling?

Gary C

12,313 posts

178 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Mono driver was pushing it though smile

dlockhart

434 posts

171 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Well the bac mono driver certainly can drive.

does anyone know what tires the p1 had on i.e. road legal or slicks?

I personally wouldn't have expected the p1 to be as slow in the corners even though its IIRC twice the weight of the mono

Far Cough

2,192 posts

167 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
I liked the bit where the P1 accelerates through the gap past the white Golf on the straight. Wow, super quick and the guy in the Golf probably thought he had been overtaken by a jet fighter.

Both impressive cars and nice to see them being used for intended purpose. I predict that the P1 will need a service and new tyres and brakes after a day like that and the BAC mono will need .... erm ... erm ... some more petrol.

Gary C

12,313 posts

178 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
dlockhart said:
Well the bac mono driver certainly can drive.

does anyone know what tires the p1 had on i.e. road legal or slicks?

I personally wouldn't have expected the p1 to be as slow in the corners even though its IIRC twice the weight of the mono
He was miles off line so the comparison is invalid even if he was trying hard (which I doubt). With the acceleration advantage, I don't think the mono driver would have seen which way it went with a committed racing driver in it.

haggishunter

1,315 posts

242 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Mr P1 needs some lessons off Mr mono

MrBarry123

6,025 posts

120 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Excellent video - nice to see both in action.

As said already though, given how quick the BAC Mono is, it shows just HOW fast the P1 is - phenomenal stuff McLaren!

coppice

8,562 posts

143 months

Friday 29th August 2014
quotequote all
Saw a P1 being driven two up around Croft the other week; sounded so so(not a patch on a McLaren F1) and difficult to know how hard it was being driven but can't say its speed stopped me in my tracks.Clock suggested about 15 secs a lap slower than a BTCC car and 7 slower than a FF1600. I assume they were taking it steady - hope so for the million quid. Grey didn't help but I thought it was the vanilla MP4 job .