Driving the INFAMOUS 6-WHEELED F1 car! | Tyrrell P34 I Formula 1 | Ben Collins I 4K
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 พ.ย. 2024
- A few weeks back I was given this amazing opportunity to experience a childhood dream of mine and drive the Tyrrell P34 at Donington Park!
This was an absolute blast and a real pinch yourself moment!
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#tyrrell #f1 #racing #motorsport
Huge thanks to James Hanson for the connection, to www.frontrowra... for the opportunity and to speedmastercar... for letting me loose in their baby 👊🙏👍💎
LOVED driving this beast. What sort of racecar should I drive next? 👇
Brabham BT46B
Sauber C9 or C11 .. to my ears the best sounding cars ever. And what a monster 😮
Something like the audi 200 trans am.
mazda 787b 😇
Ferrari 312T
Being a kid in Sweden in the 70’s and thus having Ronnie Peterson as a favourite driver, the amazing P34 has a special place in my heart.
The legend - you needed a wild streak to make the most of the Tyrreel
Peterson went long before his time. His stones were that big they could be seen from geostationary orbit. Love and respect from the UK.
@@Retro_Rich 45 years today
Funny thing but, nearly all the photos of Ronnie Peterson (one of the greatest). Showed him in the p34 in opposite lock. I know that was his style but boy could he drive. I loved those sad but changing times.
@@antonywalker8837 A great driver with a unique driving style 😎
I love how absolutely miniscule these cares used to be. Today's F1 cars are aircraft carriers by comparison, and while I know that they are much, much safer than they were in the '70s partially because of their size (definitely a good thing) I do kind of wish that they would start shrinking again for more on-track action.
Agree the moderns are too big - cant see the logic
@@BenCollinsDrives I read it is due to no refueling anymore in F1, they need to be bigger to hold more fuel.
Not really. there is plenty of space to shrink the cars.
There is space to shrink the cars, however teams generally push the size up to regulation limits because more car = more aero. Now weight would be a bit harder
Next regs on 2026 they are making the car smaller, not as small as the old F1 cars but def. smaller than the current ones. All the drivers are complaining as well and its harder to drive in Monaco these days w/ that size.
3:08 "So I can get my legs underneath the roll bar so I can use the brakes and the throttle which is... an important part of using a Formula One car" - He set us up expertly, thinking we were going to hear some nugget of inside baseball, and hit us with the deadpan delivery. I'm so glad Ben has this channel, it's fantastic!
I enjoyed that. he's got a great style
SUCH an iconic car. Tyrell was always willing to go places in design that no other team ever did.
They pushed the boundaries that's for sure.
Umm ... Lotus.
The 1998 season they had the Xwing design banned also. Talk about pushing the boundaries.
Loved watching Schecter in the Tyrrell and built the Tamiya 1/20 scale model of his P34. We are all living vicariously through you, Ben. 👍
I was going to comment but quite frankly you’ve summarised my own thoughts perfectly. (Does this qualify as a comment ?)
I still have my 1977 Tomica of this car. Sits right next to my JPS Lotus 78.
The Tamiya kits are great. I've made the '76 and '77 versions and will hopefully get a 1/12 version one of these days.
Had the scalextric car.👍🏻
Oh yeah, so what's that like then? Are they battery or gas powered? As a kid the grasshopper and hornet models were popular in the offroafing model range but not sure they were kits...was it 380 and 540 motor interchangeability?.....anyways genuine question...
When Ben asked "What classic F1 car should I drive next" in a few videos back, I never imagined he would listen to my suggestion. Thank you so much 👍😀♥️
😉
The DFV never gets tiring to listen to, that's a blast Ben, awesome mate.
Honestly if they can get the current F1 engine to sound like the DFV, I'll be more than happy. I much prefer the DFV's sound over the V10 & the V6 sounds, really.
An iconic engine.
First F1 car i heard was the Matra MS120B at Silverstone in 1971, now that V12 sounded awsome, had less power than the DFV though.@@tiadaid
@@BenCollinsDrives Keith Duckworth and Mike Costin. It is amazing that the Cosworth V8 was still holding it's own against V10s in 1993 and 1994.
Ben mentioned having to manhandle the P34. I remember as kid watching on TV, as Scheckter and Depailler wrestled this beautiful blue beast along the streets of Monaco. In qualifying at Monaco in 1976, Depailler was 4th on the grid and Jody 5th. Jody finished 2nd and Patrick 3rd. Ken Tyrrell and his team - what memories.
I wonder if a DFV ever made it into a road car. Perhaps a mad Capri ?
Back when F1 wasn't settled at qualification on Saturday and a race masquerading as a parade on Sunday...thank you so much for sharing this incredible car and your wonderfully spirited drive. I have loved this car since I was 7 years old and it made its debut.
The crazy 1970s, when hippies ran wild, drugs were ubiquitous, fashion was sketchy, and music was psychodelic. Of course F1 couldn't be left out of this festivity. And then there was Lord Hesketh!
How is it different today ... :)
We have psychedelics these days. The old scene was more dangerous and unpredictable.
That scene never changed. It just got bigger. Shroomies are bigger than ever
We are more crazier today imo
This is such a treasured piece of F1 automotive history. Every time I saw a model of the Tyrell or it on TV I'd never take my eyes off of it! It's such a unique piece of engineering and a great example of someone thinking outside the box of rule makers. I loved the commentary, Ben. You really did it justice!
One thing that never gets mentioned, I read in an interview from Derek Gardner that the primary reason was the old crossply tires would “balloon” or grow significantly at high speeds, and by having tiny tires that don’t grow as much, you get much more stable aerodynamics at high speeds, but one set of 10” wheels wasn’t enough tire for lateral loads, so they put in two sets.
Such a privilege to drive that legendary F1 and such a privilege for us to see and enjoy this type of content. Thanks!🙌
Glad you enjoyed it!
WHAT A CAR! You guys did an amazing job with the production, wow what an opportunity to drive and get a really close view of this car and Ben at work. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I`ve seen this thing up close and personal. The sound is just something else and watching it being muscled around a track is just a wonderful site.. Visceral experience. Great drive Ben... More please
Nothing like a DFV!
This video is better than watching any actual F1 race during the last few decades. It has what F1 lacks now ....... EXCITEMENT!!! I think F1 should consider relaxing rules that stifle radical design, so we end up with cars that look differently. Bring back Fan Cars and 6 wheelers.
That was great Ben & team : great script, camera angles, production quality. All first rate. Closing in on 100k subscribers. Fantastic achievement. Quality from start to finish. Come on sponsors, you know you want to !
100k will be amazing!
Yep, very good and pro TV show.
The F1 cars of the 60s to the 90s were moving works of art, driven by Gods, never again will we see or hear such beauty grace the race track. RIP Depailler.
What a legend! This is why I’ve subscribed to your channel! Not just because you used to be the STIG!
*FOR ALL WE KNOW*
He's the Stig.
Nonsense, he IS and forever will be the Stig.
Some say he has 3 balls :))))
Once a Stig, Always a Stig.
He is the Stig.
More of this please Mr Collins, great input and explanation of something many of us wont be able to experience.
Working on it!
that minute and 40 seconds from 11:55 onward...I could watch that on loop for a long time. What a beast of a machine!
F1 will never be as interesting as this car either. The 70's & 80's, while lawless at times, were certainly some of the best time for fans of the sport.
Still a fantastic looking car after all these years. I remember as a kid how futuristic it looked. Sounds so good too, love hearing the manual shifting too.
Loved how you explain the feeling driving this beast. Its like sitting next to you and driving with you. Thanks for letting us be a part of this experience.
Always been blown away that this car actually worked, Ben you’re crushing it with these videos keep it up!
Thanks!
What a wonderful beast! Never tire of the DFV growl. Good stuff! 😀
Couldn't agree more! 2nd DFV I've driven now.
I feel very lucky to have been a tech inspector for HMSA here in the states being able to pull back the veil of most of the vintage F1 cars was an honor I will never forget.
That’s what dreams are made of Ben! 😊. Phenomenal video. Loving your videos. Onwards and upwards. Well on your way to 100k subs 💪🏼
Thank you and yes cant believe it - all the mad ideas i’ve been bottling up over the years could soon be within reach !!
@@BenCollinsDrives cream always rises to the top buddy 😉👊🏼
What a brilliant exercise in engineering!! This was definitely the golden age of racing. Thanks for sharing your experience Ben!
I love the classic F1 cars. Don’t get me wrong my favourite is the V10 modern era. But man 60’s to 90’s has some awesome machines. Particularly 60’s and 70’s for me. Scary things but beautiful as well. Great footage.
So damn cool! That car has always been so entrancing for me. My favorite era of F1 is from the beginning, all the way up to the mid-80's. Some say he can't tell the difference between a squirrel and an antelope, and that he loves racing epic F1 cars while eating a pastie. All we know is, that he's called The Stig.
Always loved that car, it was so darn unique. I heard the tiny front wheels were a limitation because the tire manufacturers never invested a lot of development time into them.
What impresses me the most is that car has always been big for me due to all those front wheels, but then seeing it next to the March shows how tiny it is. It's impressive how F1 cars dimensions changed over the years.
Come on Ben this came out really well! Felt like we were with you in the car. Raw AF! ❤
Glad you enjoyed it!
Best P34 vid so far! Born in 1970, so this era of cars is what I first learned about as exotic race cars, in magazines, picture books, and the sporadic TV coverage of the time....Lotus 72, McLaren M23, Porsche 917, Porsche 935, McLaren M8 Can-Am, etc.....but this...this was the ultimate, craziest, most exotic of all....6 freaking wheels!
ALL legendary cars. This is up there.
Awesome video. I heard that one of Tyrell's drivers hated the car because at tracks with a lot of elevation changes, the wheelbase would effectively change, because some wheels wouldn't be touching the ground at the tops and bottoms of hills. I would say it's a shame you didn't get to experience that quirk of a 6 wheeler, but it's probably for the best lol.
Scheckter said it - same thing with kerbs, and also that under braking, weight transfer made the 'middle' wheels easily lock up as the force kept travelling forward to the front two wheels, unloading the central set (and then also overloading the front, which then also locked!), making the braking performance wildly variable.
This is why he said it was good at tracks like Anderstorp and the Osterreichring, where there were more long-radius corners; but hopeless at Long Beach.
This was also why he then moved to Wolf for 1977! ;)
They hated it because up to 1973 Tyrrell was a perennial title contender, so after Stewart's retirement and Cevert's death both Scheckter and Depailler expected to challenge for the title. Driving a conventional four wheeler, Jody indeed challenged for the 1974 title. But in 1976 this car only managed one win for Jody plus a number of #2 paces, while Lauda (Ferrari) won 5 despite his horrible accident, and Hunt (McLaren) won 6. That caused Scheckter to quit the team and became an instant contender with the unproven Wolf.
Thank you so much for taking us (virtually) along for the drive!
You're welcome!!
Hi Ben, so great to see you enjoy this machine. I really love and admire the radical thinking that went into designing this model. As I understood it made a few people very nervous with one of them being Mr Ferrari.
My ALL TIME favorite F1 race car.
I've built the model, got the die cast, race the slot cars. Thanks for the ride!!!!!!
I wasn't an F1 fan back during this era of racing, but I saw this car, and have always wondered how it handled with the four fronts. Thanks for for posting this, and also giving the history of why it was designed this way. Enjoyed this immensely. 👍
How could NOT have been a fan of 1970's F1 with those beautiful cars sliding all over the place with an excess of power over grip! Fabulous period.
@@GBURGE55 I never was a fan of any sport growing up, my interests were music. I didn't become a fan of any sport till years later in life.
@@ZippyThePinhead Music is a love of mine too, but been watching F1 for 40 year's now. Still my number 1 sport. Have a good day👍
The P34 was the car that got me hooked with F1 as a youngster. It was something never seen before on TV,a vehicle with 6 wheels was eye opening
seeing the front end turn in with/without heat was great! seeing it working, the theory is a very interesting one.
Glad you liked it! It's definitely a car surrounded by incredible ideas.
This was the iconic car that got me into watching F1. Such an amazing piece of engineering!
Who makes tires for that anymore?
Avon makes tires for historic race cars, you can see the mark on the weels
Might be Dunlop as thats what is used in lots of historic racing, but it could be anyone who owns the moulds these days. Hoosier is another maker of 10" slicks. Edit: says Good Year all over it 😂
@@thatdudeinorange5269 the car says Good Year because it carries the original paint, but the tires clearly say Avon.
In many ways I am happy that “Top Gear” has failed, because guys like Ben are available to do very interesting and in-depth reviews such as this…. Brilliant, informative, honest and real world, without any silliness or ego. So so pleased Ben you have your own channel now… 👏👏👏
The are two bits of Depailler footage all F 1 fans should see, one in the wet at Montreal and the other from Long Beach… Both show the rawness of the sport at that time and highlight how good Depailler was! Great stuff Ben!
Wow! Watching the Sting in my all time favorite F1 car is so cool. I wish that I was old enough to have watched this car race in period. I had no idea that the Stig was not much older than I am. Thank you.
I can't believe how this car can hug the corners when Ben stamps on the throttle before he's even on the strait. It's like it's on rails! I'm a model builder and I have Tamiyas 1/12 scale Tyrell P34 full plastic assembly kit measuring out about a foot long with over 350 parts! I'm going to start it very soon!🇨🇦✌️
I’ve always loved the look of this car, it always looked so unique but even more it stood as a symbol for a period in F1 when teams could DREAM! And do whatever they wanted, this car represents one of the best F1 periods.
When I was a little kid back in the 70s I was obseced with this car... I used to draw it in my notebooks dreaming I was driving it.... to me is the most beatiful..unique and iconic car in the sport.... and an important part of my childhood... I will always like this car over all others.
A real demonstration of what was absolutely "state of the art" in the mid-70's.
My impression is that you had to "drive" these cars a lot more than nowadays.
A stick-shift no less! No wheel-mounted paddles here!
I guess it is not right to suppress technology, but the modern racecars have taken a lot of the sheer skill and (admittedly) bravery out of the sport.
You cant look at this car and not see an absolute hooligan. You can see all of the shenanigans that were in mind when it was conceived. What a glorious example of the era.
I can only imagine how, like vic elford told me once, that some cars have to be driven on the absolute ragged edge for them to perform like they were designed. I would have to assume that this would be one of those cars.
Some say he has four wheels in the front and two in the back! Looks like quite a riot!!
With the babby four wheels at the front it looks like a go-kart next to the later cars. What an insane machine
A car that makes the Stig say "Oh Bloody Hell" going into a corner would kill an ordinary mortal. Another awesome video Ben.
Thank you Mr Collins, that was awesome!!!
I can't imagine the courage it took to drive those cars on the limit, lap after lap, at a time when faster didn't mean safer... Incredible. Thank you Ben. What an amazing period in GP/F1. No wonder folks had a stronger grip back in the day, eh?!😅
Love the sound of that V8. Thanks for this video, it was a blast from the past.
RIP all those drivers that we've lost.
This is arguably the coolest F1 car ever, and certainly my favorite! On the other hand, Jody Schekter has collected one of every F1 car he ever raced, except this one. A testament to what was like to actually race it, and how much he disliked the car.
After Stewart's retirement and Cevert's death, Scheckter and Depailler got to seat in the reigning world champion car. So it's understandable he was disappointed in having to drive this failed (yes it failed) experiment. Upon moving to the rookie Wolf team in 1977 he became an instant world champion challenger, and ended up winning the WDC in 1979 for Ferrari.
I'll just say, the editing (or maybe reduction of editing) of the driving sections has made this just such a better video than some of the previous.
Although much smaller than I remember them, one of my favourite aspects of the P34 was those side windows, because they allowed just a glimpse of how hard the driver was working at the wheel. This was completely hidden until the arrival of the miniature cameras used today.
One of the strange F1 cars of my youth (along with the racing vacuum cleaners). Man, was that fun to watch, thanks!
My mom gave me your book when i was a teenager and ive followed you ever since. This high quality content is just what i needed on a sunday evening. thanks
Glad you enjoyed it man.
I was at Watkins Glen when these cars raced. That was a fun time to watch F1. The garage was open 24 hours a day and we could just wander through and chat with drivers and various team members. I have some great pictures. It was a very casual time compared to today. The Cosworth DFV and especially the Ferrari and Matra 12 cylinders sounded great! Wonderful memories!
I was there as well!!!
Me too. I grew up in Watkins Glen and was working for a concession stand selling race team t-shirts, hats, etc. in '76. Tyrell was one of the featured brands we sold, and the concession owner worked it out for us to set up a kiosk selling just the Tyrell gear from inside the Tyrell team bays in the Kendall Tech Center. My buddy and I spent the weekend working right in front of the cars and team whenever the cars were off track. Sat. evening as the crowd was winding down and the mechanics were relaxing, one of them offered to let us sit in the car. It was Depailler"s #4, maybe this same chassis! Even as a scrawny 14yr. old, it felt cramped!
My God I do love that sound…
The six-wheeled Tyrell is a wacky looking race car, it truly is. But it’s too easily forgotten that there is some serious engineering behind that wacky look. Those are the days I miss. When some clever guys come up with a VERY clever, but nearly ridiculous ‘looking’ idea and make it a working and competitive reality. The regulations give you ‘boxes’ you can work in. But those boxes are so so small today.
My God I do love that sound………
Well done, mate! Thanks for showing us this wonderful machine. 👍🏼
What a driver Ben is - so may inputs required yet he can still narrate the drive…WOW!
Ben must be the most intelligent and experienced professional driver outside of F1, because every other driver I've seen drive an F1 car just doesn't have any brain power left to give commentary whilst driving it. Incredible that Ben can learn this car whilst driving it for the first time and communicating to us how it feels.
Fantastic! I watched this race at Long Beach in '76. Back when F1 really separated the men from the boys.
It’s much smaller than you’d think.. particularly when compared to the other f1 cars on track.. I always thought it was a big car but it’s tiny, and hence very light.. but all that gorgeous engineering at the back is the giveaway.. this is a serious racing car.
That must've been the craziest experience ever, and what an awesome car!
It was NUTS.
That was amazing!! I'm a '75 model myself 😂, grew up seeing pictures, and models of this car. Very happy to see you drive this.
Lovely, growly DFV engine note: it's been a LONG time since I raced 250s at Donnington, and it looks as if it's changed a lot. These days the closest I can think of to this is the Mazda Arrowhead for Le Mans 24. Great vid!
Talking about all the tech specs and history while driving a twitchy, uncomfortable, dinosaur and never missing a shift, or corner. Ben, you’re the best. 😄
Living the dream. One of my favorite cars of all time.
Been watching F-1 since mid 1996, and have book on older F-1 cars but never had any idea why 4 front wheels, what a treat seeing this video
Wow, what a great ride, glad the cameras all held on, fantastic video thanks
They barely held on!
The cars of that era are exciting as the engineering and performance gaining efforts are there to be seen, you can't fail to notice 6 wheels but in the modern era it's a button on the wheel and electronics that nobody can see from the grandstand.
Epic. This is one of the many reasons I love the 70’s
Ben: Theres a lot going on
Also Ben: Articilate commentary for all of it!
Thanks for the great video!
Balls of steel driving that on the limit. Respect to you Sir.
I had an RC 6 wheeler Tyrrell car as a kid in the late ‘70s.. Great memories. What a car..
I saw the P34 at the last F1 race held at Mosport in Ontario in 1977. It was a crowd favourite and the crowd roared every time. Loved the concept, still do.
Very cool, 70's was probably the most interesting era for F1, such an experimental era.
Outstanding video. Exhilarating just to view. And the exquisite sound of that Ford beast behind you! And finally the explanation of the engineering of the 76” 6 wheel Tyrrell. A strange but beautiful masterpiece of race car art.
Wow that is amazing. Remember those back in the day and it looks just as stunning still.
Loved this car. Built so many models of it back in the days. Very nostalgic
An absolute icon of the era. And still utterly awesome
Damn right.
those cars are AWESOME ! i remember when they hit the track, i was a kid, always loved them.
This was awesome! I had an AFX version of this car in the 1970's - the cool thing is that vis video games many of us are. Used to donnington park so we were able to anticipate the turns etc! Keep these comming!
There is something about how you capture the drive. I can really feel it.
Brilliant driving, surprising and quirky car. Fantastic video!
That pure engine sound lap at the end was glorious. So close to the tarmac, so close to the corners.
Our Swedish driver Ronny Pettersson (14 februari 1944 - 11 september 1978) drove one of these too. I remember them because they were so different anything else back in does days.
Only a driver of your skill could do this today. I remember when this groundbreaking car ran. It was amazing... Racing isn't quite the same but still outstanding...
great era with drivers that were very brave with very little protection...thanks !
F1 drivers back in those days were crazy people. I loved that
They were!
Wow! I never thought I'd ever see on-board footage of this wonderful machine in action - thanks so much.
You are welcome!
Love the position of the rev counter. I can imagine the conversation. Driver in testing " I cant see the revs when at top, really difficult" Engineer " Fixed it for you"
😂😂
That was fantastic! Not many cars can give that mechanical feel anymore. Sounded very good, too!
I spent my childhood with a history book of f1 cars i used to read every night. And a poster of that car on my bedroom wall that must have been around 84-85. Ben you are an incredibly lucky man id give my left leg to just sit in that car. Great video
That DFV sounds amazing. Great to have a ride-along with you Ben.