‘F1 car drivers are not as wimpy as you might think’
MCN’s main man has seen first-hand just how hard top drivers work
For a long time, I used to think F1 car racers were a bunch of wimps. But then I got quite pally with Mark Webber and realised his work ethic, his commitments and what he had to do to compete at the top level were second to none.
I used to think that car drivers just sat on their arses steering about a bit. But I remember going testing with Mark in Barcelona and it was a bloody intense day. They sure put the work in. Holding on to those cars at 200mph for two hours is not easy. They have to cope with hard braking and G-force, while having to be millimetre perfect with thousands of gear changes. They are good at what they do and they have to be!
Are they overpaid? Probably. I’ve met quite a few and some of them are alright, some of them are different, a lot of them are quite dull. They all have a lot of respect for bike racers though, they really appreciate what we do and recognise just how dangerous it is.
They are still racers though; if you made their car a little bit less safe and said it would be halfa-second quicker would they still get in the safer slow one? Of course they wouldn’t! They want it just as much as we do.
I drove Gordon Shedden’s touring car and I absolutely loved it. It wasn’t easy, but it was bloody fun and I was quite quick. He went on my bike too and he wasn’t slow either!.
It’s funny how you’ll have a perception of something without knowing much about it. I thought car drivers were wet blankets and then I got to know a bit about what they do and I realise they are just as dedicated and determined as bike racers. So respect all round.
‘I USED TO THINK THEY JUST SAT ON THEIR ARSES’