Eye witness

Derek Bell 1970

My frst set visit was a few weeks into the shoot. I’d never been involved with anything like that before, and had no idea what I was getting into or what it would become. I was in the pit lane and the world and his wife was there. Then Steve walked down, very casually, and shook hands with everyone. He was so laid-back, there was no sense of the superstar thing, and that’s what came through with us the whole shoot.

He didn’t want to be an actor – he wanted to be a racing driver. Every spare moment he had, he’d sit with us. He wanted to glean every bit of information he could. He loved breathing the racing atmosphere. It became a way of life. If you could fnish the Sebring 12 hours in second place, even if your team-mate is Peter Revson [McQueen raced a Porsche 908 in the 1970 race, and had a cast on his left foot at the time], you’re pretty good. He didn’t hit anything, and Sebring is a tough bloody race.

Jo Sifert and I got a bit bored on occasion, so we’d up the pace. We’d seen the flm Grand Prix, and thought it was a bit contrived. Forget the wheel-shufing to make it look quick, we’d actually go quickly. Besides, we were in 917s and 512s, and you don’t dawdle at 60mph in those. Steve was in the 917 a lot, and I remember being out on the track with Jo and him. I was in the Ferrari, and we were going like stink. Shot after shot from Arnage to White House… The top speed there was 150mph, so we’d be doing maybe 140mph. Anyway, we got to the Ford chicane, pulled up, and Steve jumped out and said to the director: “Those f**king lunatics! They took me through that corner fat-out!” I looked over and said, “You could have lifted…”

We did endless diferent set-ups, but I recall another time coming through White House and there was a guy in the middle of the track with a hand-held camera. We’d no idea he was going to be there, and it was a close call. Anyway, John Sturges got on the radio to Steve who arrived a minute or two later on his bike. When he told him what had happened, Steve said, calm as you like, “Oh, that was me…”

I thought Steve drove very well. In fact, he was probably better than we all realised. He was driving a Porsche 917 around Le Mans, after all, pretty much fat-out down the Mulsanne straight. I don’t recall him even testing it beforehand. I suspect he’d fnd the mythology that has grown around him hilarious. He didn’t go round swinging from trees – he was just Steve and did want he wanted to do.

We’re motorsport people, so for all its weaknesses as a movie, Le Mans captures an era, and it’s become a classic. I’m looking at a picture of Steve on my wall here right now, alongside a Porsche 917 long-tail. I mean, what a car. It’s a piece of art. It did 246mph without any turbos.