Driving the SR1

“I HONESTLY DON’T KNOW HOW YOU’RE doing that in fifth, and now you’re telling me you probably need sixth?”

That just about sums up my input into my first session debrief with Alex Mortimer after we compared data from our respective SR1 sessions at Snetterton 300. He’s taking Riches near-flat in fifth, and wondering if he can go even faster… he’s already well under the class lap record.

For an entry point, the SR1 looks a very intimidating prospect. I’ve got decent racing experience from Minis, Ford Pumas and other production saloons, but I was nervous before taking the SR1 out. The exposed cockpit, the fact that the forces lift your helmet on the straights – it was all alien.

“You need to work the aero more, trust the car more,” says Mortimer. “Remember, the faster you go the more stable it gets.”

This concept is the exact opposite of the ‘slow in fast out’ saloon racing approach. With the SR1 you can be incredibly direct with it, tipping it into corners faster and faster, and each time it grips and goes. The key is getting back to full throttle as early as possible to maximise the run out of corners. It feels almost violent, but the chassis responds so well once you pluck up the courage to take it by the scruff of the neck.

It rarely ever feels like biting back, and even when it does it’s predictable and controllable. In reality there’s not much to fear here, but there is a lot to enjoy.

The brakes can be tricky for anybody coming from anything but a lightweight sportscar or karting background since they require so little pressure – about 15 bar – and can easily be snatched if you’re too keen. It’s important to relax and let the aero and mechanical grip do the work.

Getting to within three seconds of the fastest guys on a three-mile circuit within a couple of hours’ testing is testament to the car’s accessibility, and finding those final few tenths certainly takes a lot of skill.

The SR1’S outright pace makes it a thrill and a challenge for any experienced driver, but running on treaded tyres gives it a natural limitation that doesn’t put it beyond newcomers either.