Inspired by her heartthrobs like Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton, CHERYL TAY tries her hand at being a race driver and learnt how challenging it really is..
Never did I expect that my first time at the Sepang International Circuit would be to drive a formula racing car. And in addition to that, I was driven by a professional driver in a two-seater. Yes, I was one of the privileged few to get firsthand experience of being a race driver.
The Michelin Pilot Experience is an annual affair and is already into its third year running. Closed to public, this driving event is only offered to Michelin’s dealers, trade partners and the media as a token of appreciation and an opportunity to get to better understand the brand’s involvement in racing series such as the Porsche Carrera Cup and A1GP.
To get us warmed up, we started off with some go-karting. The time trial of five short laps of the simple circuit, and the best timing from each of the 4 groups competed later in the go-kart challenge. That’s not all. The eventual winner (which I’ll admit wasn’t me) out of these had the chance to race against A1GP driver Aaron Lim.
The highlight of the one-day programme was the Formula Renault single-seater drive. Provided with proper racing gear –complete with shoes, helmet and gloves–I truly felt like a formula race driver; complete with feeling warm and stuffy in Sepang’s notorious heat.
We first had to go through a lesson on the simulator to learn how to drive the formula race car before actually going on the track. The sequential gear shift was easy to engage, not requiring the use of the clutch except when starting in first gear. Yet, I still managed a couple of missed shifts on the track due to my lack of strength. My formula race driver career only lasted four half-laps of the Sepang South track though, and at all times, the pace is controlled by a safety car.
A new item on the programme this year is the GT5. Looking more like a caricature of a race car, the 600kg GT5 was even harder to drive with its stiffer steering and a gearbox that you were required to clutch-in for every shift. Which probably explains why three of the five cars met with mishaps and had to be towed back.
For some, taxi rides were given in either a Porsche GT3 or the Formula Michelin two-seater by a professional driver.
I managed to be picked to be driven by Macanese F3 driver Rodolfo Avila in the two-seater. Two laps was all I got, but it was enough for me to feel and know what formula racing is really all about – Extreme high speeds, super late braking, quick gear shifting, immense G-force pressures and lots of adrenalin.
Someone gave up his ride in the Porsche GT3 to me, so I didn’t hesitate to take his place. After both the two-seater and the GT3 ride by professionals, I realized how much faster I could have been on the track earlier and how bad my gear shift technique was. The GT3 was definitely not as fast as the two-seat formula car, but it’s still a road car experience on the race track.
This year, Michelin Singapore had a lucky draw where ten winners got to attend this event. Other than that, there are no plans to open this up to public as there are still many Michelin dealers who have yet to participate. Plans to move this programme to another circuit is possible, maybe to Singapore when the proposed circuit in Changi is built? Hopefully by then, the programme would be open to the public as this one-day programme is not an experience to be missed.
Michelin has done well to offer such a programme which best demonstrates their products and services, and allows participants to fully understand the importance of tyres in performance and control. And the best part, it was all done in extreme fun. The Michelin Pilot Experience is the closest I’ve ever gotten to formula racing, and this is the furthest I’ll probably get.
