Ben Collins, previously known as The Stig in the Top Gear show, has posted a video on his YouTube channel dedicated to Tyrrell P34, an experimental racecar that competed in 1976-1977.
The key feature of the vehicle was its six-wheel layout. Derek Gardner, its creator, gave it two steerable front axles with smaller wheels than on the rear axle. Doing so enabled him to circumvent an important restriction active at the time – that the front fender cannot be longer than 1.5 meters (4.92 feet).
When installed, standard-sized wheels ended up sticking out of the fender area and worsening drag. Seeing it as a major issue, Gardner replaced them with smaller wheels shielded by an anti-wing. He had to use two wheels at each side instead of one to maintain proper road grip. Calculations suggested that the car would be able to hit a top speed roughly 11 km/h (7 mph) higher than normal while gaining improved course stability and braking performance.
Indeed, the Tyrrell P34 had originally demonstrated good racing results. However, it retired after just two seasons due to the excessively complex build, higher weight and other inherent drawbacks of its design. By the time it said goodbye, the car had brought its team one victory and 14 podium entrances.
Test-driving it on the track, Ben Collins lamented how cramped and uncomfortable the cockpit was and how hard it was to steer; driver had to learn to use the advantages provided by the Tyrrell P34 in order to realize them fully. The ex-Stig praised the mastery of the pilots who succeeded at this arduous task and said they must have driven at the very limit of their abilities.