MEET YOUR MAKER
The Mercedes W04 is taken for a spin by the man who designed it…
The top chefs of the world would never contemplate putting a new dish on the menu without tasting it first. Yet this is the norm for most F1 technical directors, who will conceive and create a car without ever experiencing what it’s like to drive.
Mercedes engineering director Aldo Costa got the chance to remedy that, with a very special car at a very special place for him, during Minardi Day at Imola.
The 56-year-old Italian, a graduate of the prestigious University of Bologna, began his illustrious career with Minardi before moving to Ferrari. From there he went to Mercedes, where the first car he worked on was the 2013 W04, which won three races – placing the team second in the manufacturers’ championship.
Five years later, Costa was reunited with it in a way he never imagined. “Toto Wolff gave me the biggest present by letting me drive it and I’m so grateful to him,” said Costa, whose previous experience of driving Formula 1 cars has been limited to historic machinery.
“To start with I was worried about the brakes because I didn’t know what to expect, but as soon as I went out it was amazing: the brakes, gearshift, power steering and tyres were all easy. The car is so nice to drive.
“The only thing that surprised me, even at my poor speed, was how quickly one corner arrives after another! I never dreamed that one day I would drive a car that I designed. It’s a beautiful toy.”
His ‘race’ number was 47: a mash-up of Lewis Hamilton’s 44 with the 77 of Valtteri Bottas. But don’t expect to see that number again…
“Sometimes,” points out Costa, “the best experiences in life are one-offs…”