| Author | Message | ||
| Jason Williams (Pristines4)
New member Username: Pristines4 Post Number: 30 Registered: 12-2002 |
LOL - That was a great video! Very awesome indeed! Jason- | ||
| Tazio Nuvolari (Nuvolari)
Junior Member Username: Nuvolari Post Number: 90 Registered: 9-2002 |
Actually Bob Williams did the same thing around Siverstone even earlier (back in 1993). They used a Twingo, Megane and Williams Renault. | ||
| bob snow (Resnow)
New member Username: Resnow Post Number: 42 Registered: 5-2001 |
Back to the McLaren video, it is an EXACT copy of a video Ferrari did several years ago with their test driver at the time driving a Fiat, Irvine in a 550 and Scumacher in the F1, right down to Michael reading the newspaper and sipping coffee. It was produced by Star TV in Hong Kong and I have tried unsuccessfully for years to get a copy. Marlboro apparently holds the rights to the video. McLaren did a great job with theirs, but it's not at all original. Bob Snow | ||
| Anthony_Ferrari (Anthony_ferrari)
Junior Member Username: Anthony_ferrari Post Number: 74 Registered: 11-2002 |
Andreas, you're right about us being able to get you any racesuits etc. My wife phoned me today at work to say she had a big money backer for the business and it is set to expand a lot over the next couple of years dealing in all kinds of memorabilia. Sounds pretty exciting. The guy who she is going into business with has just resigned as the CEO of a large publicly listed computer company. He is also a Ferrari nut (owns a 512BB, 328, and an F40, as well as an ex Michael Schumacher Bennetton!). He wants to spend the rest of his working life doing something he loves and making money at it. Looks like 2003 could be interesting! As an amusing aside... You'd think that his son driving for Ferrari for 3 years would mean that Edmund Irvine (Eddie's dad) would have all the Ferrari memorabilia he wanted. He bought 2 team jackets from my wife before Christmas!  | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Junior Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 197 Registered: 10-2002 |
Actually hotel accomodations were not a big deal. We didn't stay in Monaco or Nice, but in small rural villages off the beaten path. Very nice lodging at affordable rates. Re the patches: I raced full pro on ebay ;-) All made up. It is an OMP suit and over the years I collected all the patches. Most weren't hard to find, but the Marlboro ones are really though. Especially the big one on the front (there is another big one on the back). Finding those was really the challenge, but I suppose today with Anthony Ferrari's help one could get these things a lot easier, but probably for more $$$. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 616 Registered: 8-2002 |
Andreas, that's awesome... great story and great pictures... unfortunately, though, i couldn't afford hotel accomodations in the south of France, let alone a trip there or some F3 & F1 racing... Thanks for the info, though... The patches confused me- did you race pro or semi-pro at some time and acquire or otherwise earn them...? Neat picture, though, i envy you, i'd kill (literally) to get into one of those things... | ||
| Matt (Matt_lamotte)
Junior Member Username: Matt_lamotte Post Number: 110 Registered: 10-2002 |
No big deal guys. Great pics Andreas | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Junior Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 195 Registered: 10-2002 |
Well, since we already hijacked this threat, we might as well stay here. Also I like the fact to be in the same threat as DC ;-) A couple of years ago I booked my seat time with these guys: http://www.formel-1-fahren.de/ Click on the Union Jack for the English version. Not that I have any affiliation, blablabla, just a happy customer. There are several places where you can rent a F1, some cheaper, some more expensive. These guys are in the middle of the price range. Reason I picked them was they had a long and good track recored (no pun intended), multiple F1 at their disposal (important if somebody wrecks the thing or there is a technical problem) and offer their rides in weather safe South of France. Since I had to fly in from the States, I really didn't want a rain check... The website tells you all about the day long program, you start out with 20 laps in a F3, which already is a LOT of fun, have some great French lunch and then do your F1 laps according to your budget. I opted for the minimal 5 laps, plenty for me. You can't get the hang of these cars in a few laps, so you would have to spend several days lapping to get them anywhere near their limit. So you might as well just go for the minimum, cause all you get out of the experience is the feeling of what it is like. But that you get.     The event was very well organized and most of the folks were German speaking, however not all and the staff speaks English as well as French (no surprise there, the cars are maintained by local former AGS/Larousse racing employees). Nobody did a bad thing and cars and drivers were in one piece at the evening Champagne ceremony. I was the only one with some 'racing' experience, having been to a Skip Barber class. But that wasn't really necessary, they lead you through the program. However I was the best at the tricky double clutch downshift, hehe. Something you only learn if you constantly practice. A few words about the pictures: The F3 cars looked very similar, but of course are a bit smaller and less powerful. The feel in the lower revs is a lot like F1, until you get past 7,000 RPM in the F1, when the Cosworth brings out its full potential. That kick in the b_utt is unbelievable. Also the F1 is a LOT better than the F3 constructionwise: Everything is just perfect and precise; steering, pedals, shifting. While I had to really focus on getting the right gear on the H in the F3, it was like second nature in the F1 as the gearbox was so much more precise (and a far cry from the notchy one in my F car...). The cockpit shot shows you the down to basics AGS F1: Revs, ignition, seatbelts, pedals, shifter. No nonsense here. Just the basics, but you never really have time to look down onto it anyway... That two seater was in the AGS factory premises (the F40 in the background belongs to the owner of this business). They offer rides in it as well. Le Luc used to be the test track for the AGS team. Nowadays it is only used for motorcycle races and some local hot rod burnouts. The track is very short, but has all the good turn combinations one would expect from a test track. Couldn't resist posting the last picture. Not that I'm that proud to have my face on the net, but I am VERY proud of the patches on my suit, especially the tobacco ones. Cost me years and $$$ to get them (anti tobacco laws ruined it in the US). Happy to comment some more, so just ask if you have any more specific questions. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 583 Registered: 8-2002 |
Andreas, that's awesome...! Ah, i'm so jealous...! Please, tell us the story...! (Matt, i'm jacking yet another thread, aren't i...? So sorry...) Hey, Andreas, maybe you could stick your story in the "test drive" thread, in the off-topic section...? Please...? Pretty please...? | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Junior Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 191 Registered: 10-2002 |
 DES, something like this? ;-) F1 AGS in Le Luc driven by yours truly. Totally awesome, the widest a F1 ever was on slicks, sticks like glue to the road. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 582 Registered: 8-2002 |
Andreas is right about the high speed F1 cars can carry through turns... i know this is completely different than F1, but i was in a go-kart once (one of the real cheesy 20mph ones) and because it's so wide and so low to the ground, you go into a turn thinking "oh, ••••, i'm gonna fly right outta this thing", and you come outta the turn thinking "i can't believe i just did that!"... i'd love to get my paws on an F1 car on an F1 track... | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Junior Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 189 Registered: 10-2002 |
The differences are staggering, but it is not 'just' topspeed and acceleration, it is also the high speed the F1 can carry through the turns. The start however is a bit nonsense: It would have taken a lot longer for DC to get get suited up, belted in and the engine properly going than those few seconds, but it is all good drama. Once the F1 was let loose however, the show is pretty realistic. Interesting question Arthur. I think the Ferraris would have done a bit better, but not by that much. The two worlds are too much apart...unless you're talking an Enzo. | ||
| Jordan Witherspoon (Jordan747_400)
Junior Member Username: Jordan747_400 Post Number: 61 Registered: 12-2002 |
WOW! Did you check out that acceleration on the last corner? WOW! I never knew they were that much faster either! | ||
| arthur chambers (Art355)
Member Username: Art355 Post Number: 853 Registered: 6-2001 |
Wow: How much of a lead would our Ferraris need over Michael or Rubins on a similar course? Art | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 533 Registered: 8-2002 |
As soon as i realized what they were doing, i started laughing... i didn't stop laughing until well after the video was over... this was awesome... | ||
| Matt (Matt_lamotte)
Junior Member Username: Matt_lamotte Post Number: 107 Registered: 10-2002 |
It seemed like there was no way he was possibly going to catch it. The aerial views are what amazes me. | ||
| Bart Boonacker (Sharky666)
Junior Member Username: Sharky666 Post Number: 60 Registered: 9-2002 |
Great video Matt, Never knew that it was that big of a difference. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 576 Registered: 1-2002 |
Wow! Great video!! | ||
| Matt (Matt_lamotte)
Junior Member Username: Matt_lamotte Post Number: 69 Registered: 10-2002 |
I am not sure if any of you have seen ths video and if it's a repost I apologize.. I know it's not Ferrari but it does give you an idea just how fast those cars are. http://www.mclaren.com/mclaren/toybox/video/mpeg/comparison.MPG |