Richard Mille

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Racing History at the Start Line: Richard Mille, the Grand Prix de Pau, and the RM001

Before Monaco, before LeMans, and before the idea of street Grand Prix racing moved further east to Singapore, Pau was the place. Most racing drivers have been here, nearly all the racing legends have raced here, and yet the place remains a relative unknown to car racing enthusiasts. The circuit through the streets of Pau is still the same as it was over a100 years ago. It is still the original circuit even now. And while a number of the greats of motor racing have held the lap record, some chap called Lewis Hamilton is the current title holder in a Formula 3 Dallara-Mercedes F305 in 2005.

Pau is a quiet (at other times of the year) hill town in the Provence region of France. More akin to agriculture, gastronomy, and wine, the town took to motor racing. It was the place that gave the name Grand Prix to motor racing. In 1901 an event was held at the town called the Circuit du Sud-Quest; the top prize at the event was the Grand Prix de Pau. The French Grand Prix was held in Pau in 1930 and in following years until more recent times. Some years, in the 1930’s, 50’s and 60’s, the Grand Prix de Pau was a Formula 1 race; at other times, various other classes of race cars.



[A Maserati 250F at speed]

The Grand Prix de Pau Historique is mainly a celebration of single seat Grand Prix cars. Richard has one himself: a BRM from 1971. From a time when it was perfectly acceptable to put advertising for cigarettes on the side of the cars, where racing teams were called Marlboro MacLaren, Lotus JPS (John Player Special), or Yardley BRM, Grand Prix racing was almost gladiatorial in its fight for the lead and for the finish line.

It was a time when Lord Hesketh decided that it was so much fun hanging around the Formula 1 circus that he blew his family fortune on putting a team together and partying around most of the circuits of Europe. Characters such as James Hunt managed to catch the headlines off the track as well as on the track. The parties on the Hesketh yacht at Monaco were legendary. The article below recounts some of Lord Hesketh’s memoires on the exploits (or the ones he can remember!) from his racing days: [paste and copy the link]:

[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,642465,00.html]





[Wings of desire: Richard with the BRM Yardley from 1971]

With the Grand Prix de Pau Historique Richard is helping revive single seat racing in the same way that the LeMans Classic has for the endurance cars. Restoring single seat racing is dear to Richard’s heart. He owns a classic Formula 1 car and Formula 1 racing was very much his inspiration when he created the RM001. Richard’s Formula 1 car is not just a classic Formula 1 car it’s THE classic Formula 1 car. Richard’s ‘baby’ is Peter Gethin’s 1971 BRM Yardley Formula 1 car. Still in the original colours, with Gethin’s name on the side, the car is a piece of racing history. This was the car that won the famous Italian Grand Prix in the same year with an Englishman named Peter Gethin at the wheel. The 1971 Italian Grand Prix at Monza was (for about 20 years) the fastest Formula 1 Grand Prix with the first 5 cars finishing within a second of each other. The average speed was in excess of 150 mph. It was a time where you could only gain speed if you slipstreamed behind the car in front. If you want to see Richard’s car in action at the finish of the race, take a look at the two clips below. The stampede for the line is incredible.

www.youtube.com

www.youtube.com

Peter Gethin sold the BRM to Richard and Richard asked Peter along to this year’s Grand Prix de Pau Historique. Chatting with Peter was a learning experience and the stories he had to tell. I was reminded of the old saying: there are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old-bold pilots; although seeing the clips of the finish at Monza in 1971, I believe Peter Gethin to be an exception to the rule. It is hard to believe that modern day Formula 1 finish would be as exciting as the one at Monza in 1971. I asked Peter about the race and he said that to keep up with the front he kept the rev-counter about 500 rpm over the recommended maximum throughout the race. Coming into the final lap, he figured he needed to be in the top 3 to get a chance at the victory. When Ronnie Peterson slip-streamed Cevert to get past, Peter stayed on his wing and pushed Peterson wide on the corner. Out of the corner he floored it in the sprint for the line.



[Past and present owners – Richard (left) and Peter Gethin (right) look over the BRM]

I was hoping to see Richard drive the car around the Pau circuit, but the weather gods were not on our side. The car was started, with the engine warmed up, and with wet-weather tires, but Richard took one look at the roads, with oil and a wet surface and thought better of it. Richard was not too keen on the wet weather tires either. They were new, modern, but for Richard: “…I don’t like them so much; not authentic!”



[A Cooper T45 from 1958 at speed on the rain soaked track]





[The rain took its toll on the condition of the track, the drivers waiting to race, and other modes of transport]