John Fitzpatrick remembers an unhinged helicopter pilot’s unique route round the ‘ring
A helicopter can be a handy reconnaissance tool for a high-flying racing driver, although some take to travelling by chopper better than others
As usual, I’m looking forward to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, which is just 10 days away as I write this. It could well be the last GP at Silverstone if the owner of F1, Liberty Media, does not renew the contract at a sensible price that would at least allow Silverstone to break even. Not an unrealistic demand.
One of the non-motor sport features of the grand prix is the armada of helicopters flying drivers and well-heeled spectators to and from the track. My helicopter experiences are very limited, but two come to mind, both involving the Nürburgring.
In 1973 I was driving for Ford Germany in the notoriously difficult-handling Capri RS2600. We were staying 25 miles from the track in the Eifel mountains, with the luxury of a helicopter to ferry us back and forth. We arrived at the hotel on Thursday and on Friday morning were ushered into the back garden of the hotel where this
very impressive jet-powered helicopter was sitting with its rotors slowly turning.
We were six drivers that weekend – Dieter Glemser, Jochen Mass, Gerard Larrousse and myself were joined in the third car by Jackie Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi. Two trips were necessary to fit us all in. I was in the first group and we walked out to the helicopter to be greeted by a very short-haired ex-us Airforce Vietnam veteran who was to be our pilot.
We took off and flew at tree-top height at amazing speed towards the track, following the peaks and troughs of the topography and diving down through the firebreaks. He was obviously out to impress us racing drivers, which he certainly did. We burst out of the tree line and tilted sideways to be greeted by a bird’s eye view of the ’Ring. We all loved it and congratulated him when we touched down behind the paddock, having turned a good hour’s drive into a ten-minute whirlwind of adrenaline.
Off he went to collect the other three drivers. He returned 20 minutes later but Emerson was not looking good. He was as white as a sheet, unloaded his breakfast on the way out, and had to be helped to the motorhome. He said that he would not be going near the crazy American again and drove back and forth through the Eifel mountains. Good practice for the Sunday.
My other helicopter experience at the ’Ring was at the Old Timer Grand Prix in 1999. I was driving in Historic Events with Lord Irvine Laidlaw, sharing his Porsche 904. It was his first visit to the ’Ring, but my 40-odd races there meant that I knew my way around quite well and I offered to teach him. To help in this, he brought his helicopter along and we did several laps with me showing him the lines and where not to go off. He learned his way round very quickly and we were doing well in the race until I was punted off by a slower car.
Unfortunately my visit to this year’s grand prix won’t be in a helicopter. My BRDC Member’s Pass doesn’t run to that these days!