Bearman in Senna's Lotus
Discussion
Nice little video of Ollie Bearman and Karun Chandhok having a few laps of SIlverstone in one of Senna's cars. It's his 1985 Lotus 97T, the car which took him to his first F1 win in Portugal. Classic Team Lotus do a great job of keeping these old machines in good working order.
It's heartwarming to see how much it meant to Ollie to be allowed a brief drive.
It's heartwarming to see how much it meant to Ollie to be allowed a brief drive.
This might explain why when I was snapping drivers arriving at the Fan Forecourt at the weekend wearing my Club Lotus polo shirt, he looked over to me a couple of times as if he were about to come and say hello!
Really like Bearman. Spent the most time with fans at the forecourt and seemed genuinely pleased with the attention he was getting unlike quite a few of the others.

Really like Bearman. Spent the most time with fans at the forecourt and seemed genuinely pleased with the attention he was getting unlike quite a few of the others.
For all that we have a go at Sky for their production and commentary, the one thing they do really well is pieces like this with an historic car.
They’re really difficult and expensive to do, a lot of people for what’s a 10 minute piece that airs an hour before the race one Sunday.
IIRC Mr Brundle has driven more F1 cars than anyone in history, a lot of them from similar pieces over the years.
They’re really difficult and expensive to do, a lot of people for what’s a 10 minute piece that airs an hour before the race one Sunday.
IIRC Mr Brundle has driven more F1 cars than anyone in history, a lot of them from similar pieces over the years.
Sandpit Steve said:
For all that we have a go at Sky for their production and commentary, the one thing they do really well is pieces like this with an historic car.
They re really difficult and expensive to do, a lot of people for what s a 10 minute piece that airs an hour before the race one Sunday.
IIRC Mr Brundle has driven more F1 cars than anyone in history, a lot of them from similar pieces over the years.
He's the Eric 'Winkle' Brown of F1!They re really difficult and expensive to do, a lot of people for what s a 10 minute piece that airs an hour before the race one Sunday.
IIRC Mr Brundle has driven more F1 cars than anyone in history, a lot of them from similar pieces over the years.
First off, what a credit Ollie is to his family and the sport. I might have had a bit of a tear myself just watching the video. Lovely to see someone so emotional over what they are doing. Amazing to see how aware his is of the privilege it is to be entrusted with such a machine.
Great effort by Sky and all the team. Lovely to see it going round.
There is one thing that I always wish though with these types of thing. I wish the drivers were allowed to ring the things neck and drag it round on the absolute limit, to see it being driven right on the very edge.
But I understand why they don’t. The thing is priceless and irreplaceable.
Great effort by Sky and all the team. Lovely to see it going round.
There is one thing that I always wish though with these types of thing. I wish the drivers were allowed to ring the things neck and drag it round on the absolute limit, to see it being driven right on the very edge.
But I understand why they don’t. The thing is priceless and irreplaceable.
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