There is a very good reason why my chest is bruised blue and yellow and yet I still can’t wipe the grin from my face…

Last Saturday I got to experience 20 minutes in this extraordinary, audacious piece of machinery completely giving all trust to a driver who now has my respect for life.

My first 10 seconds on the track was full of anticipation, pensive enthusiasm and excitement. My next 30 seconds expanded into something akin to managed (just) terror. I found myself teetering on the verge of panic and perhaps my pride more than self preservation dictated the next moments of this expanding experience.

I briefly glimpsed a similar moment as a teenager, a moment where I had to trust another soul with my very existence (thank you Simon). Forty years later for the second time ever I gave that same trust to Ben, the man behind the wheel of this beautiful yet brutal racing car.

I spent the remainder of the first lap in a kind of detached mediation, calm but aware of my corporeal body being flung around like a rag dog in a hurricane (Huracan!). By the second lap I was beginning to enjoy the very physical experience of being in a serious racing car. By the third lap I was starting to connect with the car, the track and the driver. After that it was all joy.

Thank you Ben for an amazing experience I will never forget.