Remember the days when motorsports wasn’t all about “parity” or “the show,” and wacky, out-of the-box thinking was not only allowed but celebrated? I do (just), and one of the cars that absolutely typify this era is Derek Gardner’s magnum opus of ingenuity, the Tyrrell P34 F1 car, campaigned in 1976 and ’77.
This film, shot during the weekend of the ’77 Monaco Grand Prix, was a multi-camera affair shot by Alain Boisnard for Elf Aquitaine’s promotional department (These and all of Boisnard’s other onboard films in the series were eventually compiled into the epic Murray Walker-narrated program, Lap of the Gods, which is available as a two-disc DVD set with bonus features.) With the cowling removed and the rearward camera mounted high and aimed downwards, we not only get a perfect view of Patrick Depailler as he saws at the wheel, stirs the shifter and dances on the pedals (no flappy paddles here, kids!), but also of the four tiny, Goodyear-shod front wheels steering – and occasionally countersteering – in unison. Oh, and Monsieur Depailler was kind enough to narrate the way around in his native tongue (with subtitles), though even fluent French speakers will probably be more interested in hearing the distinctive bark of the winningest powerplant in F1 history – the Cosworth DFV – as its neck is wrung. So sit back, open a bottle of your engineerd-made adult beverage of choice, and press the ol’ play button.