Exclusive Interview with Ex F1 driver Mike Wilds

Paddock42 recently bumped into Mike Wilds and seized the opportunity for a chat with the Ex- F1 driver and international sports car racer. We wanted to know more about the man who got to drve some of the coolest looking race cars ever made!

P42: Hi Mike, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. You drove for BRM and Ensign in the 1970’s what was your path to Formula 1?

That is a very long story!! I was born in Chiswick, West London and as a teenager I used to hang around a garage in Chiswick called the ‘Chequered Flag’. The Flag used to run a pair of self designed and built Gemini Formula Juniors. One day they asked if I would like to go to a race meeting with them, as the transporter arrived at Brands Hatch, I got out of the truck and heard the sounds of race engines and knew straight away that I wanted to be involved with motor racing for the rest of my life!

Some years later after working seven days a week and saving as much money as I could, then borrowing some more money I managed to buy my first race car in December 1964…a DRW Mk1 1172 Formula Car.

I had my first race at Snetterton in May 1965 and managed to finish 3rd, my second race at Silverstone I finished 2nd then luckily my third ever race, once again at Silverstone gave me my first ever win!

After suffering an accident in the DRW at the beginning of 1966 I had to sell the car to pay off my debts! I then spent much of my time trying to scrounge drives in other people’s cars. By this time I was working for Firestone Tyres International Race Tyre Division in Brentford. Luckily I did manage to persuade a few guys to let me race their cars and cutting a long story short, things just developed from there!

Thanks to a fellow competitor, John Cavill, he and his Father Jack decided to sponsor me and I went through FF1600 thanks to Shridan Thynnewho lent me a Titan Mk4, then with John and Jacks help I went into F3, then F50000 which led me into my first taste of F1 in the US Grand Prix in October 1974.

Mike Wilds - Mallory Park - DN3B-3

P42: Why the change from single seaters to Sports cars?

I suppose I wasn’t the fastest driver in F1 sadly, although in my defence I wasn’t driving he best cars!! So after leaving BRM after the Brazilian GP in 1975 I couldn’t get another F1 drive. I did win the Aurora British F2 Title in the 1978 driving a Ralt RT1 Cosworth for Graham Eden but decided that to race at World Class level I had to turn to Sports Cars.

1984 saw me start racing for Ecurie Ecosse in Group C2 thanks to my good friend Ray Mallock who got me the drive. I stayed with the team for four years, winning the 1986 C2 Teams World Championship.

P42: Which do you prefer GT’s or single seaters?

I loved racing single seaters but the ‘team’ aspect of World Endurance racing, working with other drivers and team members to achieve a result really appealed to me and I think Group C was probably the best time of my racing career.

During this period I also raced in BTCC occasionally, Can Am Cars in Thundersports and various Ferrari’s, Porsches etc in GT racing.

P42: You have raced at the Le Mans 24hr 7 times, how did you feel the first time you got to the circuit to race at this legendary event? And what were you driving?

It was 1981 and I drove a Porsche 935, it was a Kremer K3 body on a space frame chassis fitted withe the unique 1.4 litre turbo engine….it was really a quick little car and it was an eye opener for me the first time I ran flat out down the long Mulsanne Straight….I fell in love with the race in an instant!! I then raced there in 1983 in a De Cadanet Lola, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987 for Ecurie Ecosse and 1988 in a works Nissan R88 group C1.

P42: What has been your favourite race car and which one could you not wait to get out of?

One of my favourite race cars was the Williams FW07C that I raced in the British Open race at Oulton Park in the mid to late 80’s…..It was a 60 lap race and the Williams around Oulton was sensational….very, very quick even jumping over Clay Hill!! A truly magnificent F1 car and a real credit to Williams Grand Prix and run by my very good friend Colin Bennett.

The car I really wanted to stop driving was the Nissan R88 at Le Mans in 1988. This was due to the fact that car suffered from a huge amount of ‘bump steer’. At full speed on the Mulsanne Straight, around 230mph+, the car would suddenly dart left or right as it encountered undulations in the road …..was really scary.

P42: As a professional driver you tend to drive other people cars but do you have any race cars of your own?

Sadly not….my only pride and joy is a 1988 lightweight Porsche 911 CS, an amazing little car!

P42: You have raced all over the world which track is your favourite?

Currently it has to be Spa Francorchamps….but in the 1970’s it was the old Interlagos Circuit in Brazil, a truly fantastic circuit with some of the most wonderful ‘commitment’ corners of any track in the World.

P42: What has been your most memorable race?

It must be the 1974 US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen….As a race driver it really doesn’t get any better than sitting on the grid of your first F1 race!

P42: Day to day you work with drivers giving one to one instruction, does it get a bit hairy out there on track sometimes?

It has done on occasions!! I do tend to teach a specific technique for driving quickly which can be taught at low speed and keeps me safe. However working with some race drivers in their race cars does get your attention sometimes!!

MikeINCar

P42: With the UK race season starting in only a few weeks what are your race plans for 2014? Will you be at the Goodwood Members Meeting & Revival?

Sadly no plans as yet! However I am racing at the Goodwood Members Meeting in the Group 1 race with Ken Clarke in his Dolomite Sprint and also doing the Le Mans Car Demo in the Porsche 956 that Mario and Michael Andretti drove to 3rd place at Le Mans in 1983.

P42: You are a fully qualified Helicopter pilot and instructor – away from the track is flying your favourite past time or do you enjoy something very safe such as golf?

I do have a passion for flying helicopters but my other favourite pastime is spending time on my boat that is kept in Poole Harbour, a beautiful part of the world.

P42: In your opinion who is/ was the most complete racing driver?

Difficult question, I have lots to mention. Maybe not the fastest racing drivers but the most versatile…I would say Brian Redman and Mario Andretti.

If you talk about out and out speed then Ronnie Peterson, Jochen Rindt, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Sebastian Vettel.

But at the top of the list must be Juan Manual Fangio plus the legends Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark.

P42: Many thanks Mike.

My pleasure.

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