Quote:
Originally Posted by andy97
Another good story, Grant.
Not sure whether you do FB but you should join the Tyrrell Racing Organisation FB site and share these stories.
People would be very interested.
Book due out in July 23
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I've so far managed to avoid FB, Andy. But it sounds like I will have to take a look.
I think it was a few days after the launch that the prototype was taken to Silverstone for a shakedown test but with the main objective of seeing if the expected speed advantage of the narrow front track was reality.
They ran P34 and, at some point, an 007 as well. This was the old Silverstone before they mucked about with Woodcote, so the entry to Woodcote was one of the fasted parts of the circuit and convenient for setting up a speed trap just before the braking point for the corner. So that was just after the bridge at that time.
I was sent to try to capture some speeds so sat there freezing for some time as the usual stop/start aspect of testing activity continued.
I don't recall the exact numbers but my recollection was that 007 was running at about 165 to 168 at the point selected and the P34 was about 10mph faster. Whatever the actual speeds, P34 was indeed faster in that configuration.
However, by the time the first race car was produced the bodywork and other aspects had changed or were about to change and when watching GPs on the TV there rarely seemed to be a speed differential to other cars in evidence.
By the time it went to a race I had left and was working for ELF.