Bonus penalties
Both Brendon Hartley and Sergio Perez had penaltystrewn races in Bahrain. The Toro Rosso and Force India men clashed on the first lap, resulting in Perez spinning at Turn 4. Hartley received a 10s penalty for that and finished 13th, with Perez 12th. However after the race both drivers were given 30s penalties for an infringement on the warm-up lap. Perez overtook the slowstarting Hartley before Turn 1 and didn’t allow him back past. Hartley got his censure for not retaking his proper place and not entering the pits to start because he was out of position. The extra time dropped the pair to 16th and 17th respectively.
How shall I drive?” asks Lando Norris, grinning at me from the hot seat of the Mclaren 720S in which I’m riding shotgun.
“Drive it like you want to,” I reply, bravado winning out over prudence. Oops. I swear I hear a demonic chuckle as the teenager who would go on to take pole and win the first 2018 F2 race, at the Bahrain International Circuit, guns it and we head for the desert horizon at a clip that instantly delivers a reminder of breakfast.
This is a premier-league 720S supercar, costing £220,000 and capable of 0-100mph in 5.5 seconds, then a quarter-mile in 10.5.
That forward thrust comes from the 720bhp at Lando’s command – 100 more than his Carlin F2 car can muster – thanks to Mclaren’s own fourlitre twin-turbo V8 bolted in behind our shoulders.
It’ll push this low-slung supercar to beyond 210mph on a long enough straight. And despite having more than 1400kg to shift with two drivers on board, there’s still enough to have eyeballs popping out on stalks by the time Turn 1 approaches… and approaches… Dear God is he ever going to hit the brakes? Yes (thank you Lord!) and Norris brings the full effect of class-best braking performance to bear as we hurtle towards the elbow-tight right. Mclaren stats describe deceleration of 124mph to zero in 4.6 seconds and 384 feet, thanks to bespoke brake calipers and carbon ceramic rotors. There’s also a pop-up rear airbrake – and a whiff of ‘Batmobile’ – to assist the slowdown.
Their effect is dramatic and coupled with an array of sophisticated adaptive chassis controls they imbue Norris with immense confidence in the Mclaren’s capabilities.
“This is more fun than my F2 car” he shouts (voice muffled by full-face helmet) as we stampede through the uphill swoops of T11 and T12 and, towards T13, before plunging flat chat back toward the final corners and the main straight. “Shall we go again?”
Alas the Hot Laps programme – part of the ever-broadening F1 Experiences initiative – allows only a single scorcher for those lucky enough to get a ride in either this Mclaren, an Aston Martin Vanquish, or a Mercedes AMG GT-S.
But they’ll be offered at 10 grands prix this year – Bahrain, China, Canada, France, Germany, Monaco, Japan, Australia, Mexico and Abu Dhabi – allowing well-heeled guests and some lucky prize-winning race-goers the ride of a lifetime in a machine unattainable to most.
And if you’re really blessed, you might even get to watch Britain’s next F1 world champion in Norris working the wheel.