Tiff Needell, Racing Driver and TV Presenter
Piloting a McLaren F1 via historic race circuits and indulging in five-star hospitality is Tiff’s idea of the perfect detour.
“Hopefully one day I will be able to turn this dream road trip from an idea to a reality.”
“Journalists always ask me, ‘Which would be your favourite roadtrip in the UK?’ but I wouldn’t choose this country when there is so much more to see and do on the continent.
Strangely, during my racing heyday, I would always jump on a plane when travelling to races. Roadtrips never made up part of my travel arrangements, but I’ve got the time to change that now. I’d take ‘my’ McLaren F1 - which I don’t own - and would take a relaxed week to drive down through France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy and end up in Sicily where I’d take a tour of the Targa Florio.
The McLaren is the best car ever made and will always be. I still remember giving it the full beans, when testing it for Top Gear, but would be happy now with the occasional squirt and then cruising along. The good thing about the F1 is it has some suspension movement and offers a degree of comfort, whereas some of the modern machines would do your back in within 300 miles. You can tell my age!
It wouldn’t be a direct route, more an amble through the past. Along the way, I’d like to pay tribute to those that fell during the two World Wars, visiting the beaches of Normandy and then driving on Rouen, and call in at the old circuits such as Reims and then head back up until you’re about level with the Nürburgring, where you’ll find Chimay, before heading east for the Ring. Everybody goes the quick way to the Nürburgring but I think it’s a shame to miss out such historically significant settings.
There’s a snag, though. I wouldn’t take the McLaren around the Ring; it’s just too risky. The Nordschliefe is once of those tracks that’s raved about but I don’t quite see it myself. As a racing track, it’s frustrating because it’s so narrow and bumpy that it’s incredibly difficult to overtake. You could fire through Germany and then tackle some fantastic passes in Switzerland, end up at the border, at Bormio, and then breeze through to Italy, where the food would be fabulous. Naturally, I’d have to trace parts of the Moss route, from Brescia to Rome, but the opportunity to amble through Modena in a McLaren F1 would be too good to miss.
There’d be no need to rush about the place. Just a couple of hours between legs, with the odd spurt of acceleration between lunches and dinners, at Relais & Chateaux restaurants and hotels. The route would most certainly be dictated by having good hotels about 300 miles apart, unlike that barmy Gumball event which does a ridiculous number of miles between stops. I don’t want to do that many miles every day.
Hopefully one day I will be able to turn this dream roadtrip from an idea to a reality. If anyone would like to loan me a McLaren F1, let me know!”
