Vic Elford
Five decades after first competing in Corsica, Victor Henry ‘Quick Vic’ Elford is still regarded as one of the best – and fastest – drivers in the history of motorsport. Born in London on 10 June 1935, his first outing was as a navigator on a local rally in a friend’s MG TF, and that eventually led to factory-backed drives with DKW, Triumph and Ford.
After he joined Porsche, within the space of five months in 1968 he famously won the Rallye Monte-carlo, Daytona 24 Hours, Targa Florio and Nürburgring 1000km, as well as coming fourth in the French Grand Prix for Cooper – his first F1 outing. A big fan of the Porsche 917, he was the first driver to lap Le Mans at a 150mph average and was clocked at almost 240mph on the Mulsanne Straight in 1971. Says Elford: “The car should have done 250mph, but as the tyres got hotter they swelled up and increased drag, slowing it down.” On 4 February 1967, driving a borrowed 911, he was also victorious in the world’s first rallycross event, which took place at Lydden Hill Race Circuit. It was a very rare mistake, though. You had to trust your co-driver 100%, and David [Stone] was the very best in the business.”
Talk of co-drivers reminds Larrousse of his partner in 1970, Jean-claude Perramond: “He was nice but used to smoke a pipe. I couldn’t stand the smell, so Porsche installed a little chimney on the car.” These old friends are in agreement, though: on roads like these, the co-driver’s role is not to be underestimated. No pressure, then, for those on the maps – including me, as I do my best to keep Larrousse on the straight and narrow (although the straights are few and far between – the Tour de Corse is often referred to as the rally of 10,000 corners).
As we’re flagged away for our first special stage, mild-mannered Larrousse breaks out his alter ego and the 911 roars up the road with alarming alacrity. If you think you’re a bit tasty behind the wheel, strap yourself in alongside a real driver and you’ll soon realise how slow you actually are – it’s a mesmerising experience. Despite his years, this French hotshoe makes his pace look easy on these perilous, narrow mountain roads, with a drop to one side and a wall of