Video: Take a tour of Monaco with Patrick Depailler

09th June 2022

Simon Ostler

This is by far one of the coolest pieces of Formula 1 related footage in the world. It’s not a dramatic wheel-to-wheel battle for the lead or a chaotic first lap melee, but it is a quite incredible look at what it was like to be an F1 driver in 1977.

First and foremost, we’re riding onboard with Patrick Depailler in his six-wheeled Tyrrell P34 as he gives us a personal tour of Monaco as it was almost 50 years ago. That alone would be enough to capture our attention for three and a half minutes. But hold on, are those his feet?

That’s right, what we are looking at here is a ‘70s F1 car with the cockpit surround removed, which brings a whole new meaning to the notion of an open cockpit, giving us a perfect view of Patrick’s hands and feet as he negotiates the streets of Monte Carlo. This is a properly mind-blowing insight in how drivers of this era were going about their trade, and shows just how much hard work went into each and every lap. Even during this relatively low speed demonstration, his feet are constantly working on the pedals as he works up and down the gears with that manual shift. The fact he's doing all that while sitting utterly prone to the elements is frankly beyond us.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: This pack of McLaren F1s is scarcely believable