Liam Lawson has reflected on the “indescribable” feeling of driving the iconic #2 Ford GT40 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, an experience that left the Racing Bulls Formula 1 driver “shaking”.
The New Zealander was given the rare opportunity to get behind the wheel of the machine that his fellow countryman and motorsport legend Bruce McLaren famously drove to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Taking to the famous hillclimb, Lawson admitted the experience was deeply emotional.
“My hands are still shaking. Very, very special, obviously, a lot of New Zealand history in this car,” Lawson reflected from the cockpit of the legendary Ford after completing the hillclimb. “I got to drive a road-going GT40 last year, and the whole time, all I could think about was this car.”
Incredibly, the chance to drive the car was a last-minute addition to Lawson’s weekend schedule. “I didn’t expect to come here and drive it,” he revealed. “I saw it today, and I asked. I said, ‘Can I please? That’d be really, really special.’ And the owner was kind enough to let me drive it. So, very, very special.”
When asked if the run had ticked off a bucket-list item, Lawson explained: “100%. That’s why everyone’s out of their cars, and I’m still sitting in there, so I’m probably going to stay in here for a little bit.”
He added: “The feeling you get when driving a car like this is completely… It’s indescribable. It’s not like anything that we drive currently: the vibration, the frequency, the noise.
“I was given an RPM limit not to go over, but you can’t help yourself. I didn’t go over it too much. You just can’t help yourself when it starts coming up in the upper [rev range], when the car just starts singing, and it’s incredible. It was very enjoyable for me.”
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