Friday 19th January 2018

McLaren F1 GTR onboard: Time For Tea?

Nothing unexpected here, but then when you're expecting something close to perfection...

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It could be longer. And it would be nice to have actual race footage. To be honest, we'd also be happy with just the onboard view. Other than that, how is it possible to grumble about an F1 GTR onboard?

There's no particular reason for featuring this video today, being as it is two and a half years old and the F1 still revered to the same deity-like level. Nothing has changed in our relationship with the car and its achievements, so perhaps see this instead as a reminder of just how fabulous the GTR is.

The particular F1 driven here is chassis #17R, Team Bigazzi's car for the 1996 Le Mans 24 Hours; driven by Nelson Piquet, Johnny Cecotto and Danny Sullivan, it finished 8th overall. That's not of any great importance here though; any F1 GTR would provide a similar experience on camera.

It's the divine combination of the fairly modern - the grip, the speed, the carbon fibre - with the traditional sportscar racer - big V12, manual gearbox, road car roots - that make the motorsport F1 so utterly compelling. It existed in a period of road car racers that are unlikely to exist again, making it all the more special. Just four years after the McLaren F1 won at Le Mans, the BMW V12 LMR took victory at La Sarthe; sure, the engine was related, but look at how different the end result was.

Anyway, enough eulogising - who hasn't heard it all before? Sit back, turn it up and enjoy one of the finest V12s ever created. Again.

 

[Image: LAT. Apologies it isn't period correct, but it's the best that's available!]

[Mr Kitt]

Is the photo not of chassis number 16? Im sure Fina 38 was #16?? could be wrong though

[smilo996]

Love the way it sounds and drives in corners. Superb.

[LotusOmega375D]

Mr Kitt said:

Is the photo not of chassis number 16? Im sure Fina 38 was #16?? could be wrong though

I believe you are correct. The title photo looks like this one. It went from FINA livery to orange and back to to FINA 2 or 3 years ago. It finished 11th at Le Mans in 1996 with Laffite, Soper and Duez at the helm. These are my photos from 2011 (orange) and 2015 (FINA). Long-term owner Mark Beeston of Dove House Motors, Northants.

[NJJ]

A prime example to show the grandkids in later life why racing cars at their respective peak were just so special and why their E-Racers or Hydro-Racers, whatever they will be called, will never compare for sheer emotion and drama.