Pictures Courtesy of MICHELIN
It's true. I've achieved nirvana. There is nothing left to do in this life other than die. Yes, I have driven the only car worth driving. I have piloted a Formula 1 car.
So how did I end up here? I'm only young. Hell, I haven't even hit the big 3-0, and I've just driven a vehicle that many car nuts would sell their girlfriends to drive. I've seemingly reached the pinnacle of my career, and I haven't even been driving cars for 15 years. When I sit back and think about it, though, I've been a car-lover my whole life. As a child I used to play with a model of the Lotus 72D F1 car that Emerson Fittipaldi drove in 1972. I used to make revving sounds, slide the car around the floor, dream about one day racing an F1 car, and then I'd put the car in my mouth and nearly choke (hey, I was five). (Is it bad that I still do that?--JJ)
Granted, my time behind the wheel of a real F1 car was a million miles from racing one, but it was exhilarating nonetheless. I was suited up in a real race suit, and I didn't have a pace car in front of me; the track was my oyster, so to speak. I could do whatever I wanted for precisely one lap. I could do a burnout if I so desired. I could run too fast into Turn One and discover the ceramic brakes were nowhere near their ideal operating temperatures and consequently wad the car into a barrier. Or I could enjoy my time behind the wheel, take the first half of my one lap of freedom at a snail's pace, and then really stomp the throttle for the last half in the attempt to experience some real acceleration, braking and cornering forces.
As tempting as it was to wreck a $1.2 million car, I opted for the latter. Having that choice was far more than I ever thought I'd be given. I figured I would forever live my life wondering if I could even fit in an F1 car. The cockpits were massively confining, or so I'd heard, and from what I was aware, most F1 drivers were no more than 5-feet-9 and 150 pounds. Measuring a nice 5-feet-7 and 130 pounds, I always figured I'd fit the car like a glove and, thanks to Michelin and its Driving Experience, I now know I do.
The Michelin Driving Experience is an event Michelin puts on at various tracks around the world with the hope of thrilling everyone who attends. The details of the event seem to vary depending on the cars Michelin has at its disposal, but for the most part, participants get to drive a slew of performance cars, including F3, Porsche GT3 Cup and the ultimate vehicle in the world, an F1 car. Sadly, it isn't easy to attend the Michelin Driving Experience, but it is possible, and we'll tell you how you can participate later on.
As a side note, the Michelin Driving Experience utilizes two F1 cars and a modified F1 car that can seat two people. The two-seater is designed to accommodate the larger participants in the event, but because I fit perfectly in the F1 cockpit, I decided I'd be a fool if I passed up the opportunity to actually control one of the greatest cars god ever created. The two F1 cars Michelin allows the participants to drive are from the '97 Arrows F1 team, which were driven by Damon Hill and Pedro-Paulo Diniz.
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Have I mentioned Damon Hill is my all-time-favorite F1 driver? Did I also mention that the '97 season is very significant because it was the season following Damon's exit from the Williams team where he won the '96 F1 championship? Sure, the '97 season wasn't quite as dramatic as Damon's wildly successful '96 Williams season because he only took the podium once during all of '97 and wound up with a pathetic seven points by the end of the year, but damn it, Damon Hill was there battling it out and being as boisterous as ever. By the time Damon retired in '99, he had won 115 F1 races, taken the checkered flag 22 times, stood on the podium 42 times, qualified for 20 pole positions, and set 19 lap records. To that list, Damon Hill can now add that I've driven one of his F1 cars at the renowned F1 track Circuit De Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.