That widely used F1 pic...

[chrisjl]

Just this afternoon I was telling a petrol-head colleague where the highly recognisable pic of an F1 navigating this hairpin bend in Derbyshire was taken, as used on the cover of Driving Ambition. Only it's not actually on the cover of Driving Ambition at all, so where am I recognising it from?

[chrisjl]

s6boy said:

Something to do with Rowan Atkinson...

Maybe. It actually is in the book (p.178), but I think it got used more widely elsewhere. A magazine cover maybe? Anybody?

The caption says:

Driving Ambition said:

Enthusiastic customer Rowan Atkinson negotiating another double-apex high in the rolling Yorkshire Dales

Well, it's a stretch to call that corner a double apex, it's XP5 (K8 MCL) so certainly not Mr. Atkinson's own, although he could be at the wheel ("I have been lucky to drive McLaren's demonstrator on three occasions"). It's also about 80 miles away from the nearest bit of the Dales. Other than that, the caption is spot on!

[chrisjl]

mike01606 said:

That actual road is only 30 miles from me. ... I'm defininitely going to attempt a recreation......unfortunately my F1 hasn't arrived yet

It's only about 15 from me. I had a go at recreating it years ago in my Elise. Without the actual pic to hand, there was some guesswork involved and the photographer ended up standing too far to the right and the car was too far through the corner. Must try again someday.