Honda F1 Race Car - Sport

The definition of “total imposter” is a 47-year-old magazine editor dressed in a Nomex race suit, attempting to look completely at ease while strolling through a Formula 1 factory—in this case, Honda’s, in Brackley, England, 70 miles northwest of London. Honda had been gracious (and foolish) enough to put me in the driver’s seat of its 2007 F1 race car (the RA107), one of just six built. No one at Honda I talk to will even hint at what it cost.

First off, they must get me fitted into a car that has the potential to pull more than 4 g under braking and through corners. Even in a fast street car, the driver has to brace himself while cornering hard to counteract the tendency of the body to move to the outside of the car due to centripetal force. In an F1 car, being held in place is additionally important because there’s as much as four times the force pushing on the driver’s body.

Honda’s build operations manager is Peter Hodgkinson, and the moment he sees the visiting stroller, who stands five feet seven inches and weighs 150 pounds, he says, “You’re about the right size.” Still, it’s a struggle getting in. The driver must step on top of the seat, maneuver gingerly to avoid hitting the winglets and mirrors, and then, standing there, carefully slide down. The seat I’m using was made for one-time Honda test driver James Rossiter, a 25-year-old Brit who’s five foot seven and maybe 10 pounds lighter than me. It’s a tight fit. With some minor but time-consuming adjustments to the length of the seatbelts, the placement of the pedals and the steering wheel, and the amount of padding under my thighs and behind my shoulders, I’m relatively comfortable—if feeling like a chicken trussed up for the oven is comfy.