I’ve had loads of emails and Tweets about this, so if you haven’t seen it yet, here it is:
Brilliant! Thanks to everyone who sent in the tip.
It’s worth remembering Hamilton actually cut his teeth on radio controlled cars before he even got started in karting. I wonder how many other racing drivers got started that way? See the Lewis Hamilton biography for more.
Read more: McLaren struggling or sandbagging?
ajokay
10th March 2009, 20:26
Was that for real? If so, I’m impressed.
sparky
10th March 2009, 20:47
I wouldn’t risk using a bluetooth controller over that distance with such an expensive car. It’s feasable that they the signal was being relayed by a more powerful bit of radio kit nearby though.
Alonso Follower
10th March 2009, 21:06
It is worth mentioning that Pedro de La Rosa was something like 3 times (not sure if they were 2 or 3 or more, 2 I’m sure) in a row european champion of Radio Control racing. He was, at the time, a phenomenon given that a 13 year old was beating grown men across Europe.
I probably have somewhere around the press reviews of the championships that he won. The irony was the category in which he was so successful was not F1-like but more like rallying (closed circuit but rough terrain)
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
10th March 2009, 21:25
Well I never knew that – thanks!
JWRPayne
10th March 2009, 21:14
That is epic. I hope it’s real just for the raw awesomeness of it all.
Tobo
10th March 2009, 21:14
I thought that was cool, but weren’t those two guys actors, the trip to Portugal was planned and the whole thing was just a Vodafone/ Blackberry publicity stunt?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
10th March 2009, 21:24
Yeah it’s a Vodafone PR thing.
Joe
10th March 2009, 21:15
CRACKER
Dan M
10th March 2009, 21:27
Well, now we know why Mclaren are struggling when with pace… When someone is in the car.
Cameron
14th March 2009, 7:57
No wonder the car is so slow in testing, it’s all the RC gear in it bogging it down!
pSynrg
10th March 2009, 22:15
Superb ad. Don’t say that much these days!
patrickl
10th March 2009, 22:48
Is that allowed in the rules? It could save some weight if the driver stays in the pit :)
staggington
10th March 2009, 23:18
LOL..woww…thats pretty crazy. i wonder if i can pick up the RC version too…well once i get a BB …maybe they’ll make the application for iphone too
F1Yankee
10th March 2009, 23:22
i thought the first half was better.
Adam Milleneuve
11th March 2009, 0:38
Excellent viral marketing and a decent bit of promo work for Lewis….makes a change!
Dan M
11th March 2009, 2:37
Does anyone else find it odd that they used the current car? I thought resources and track time were very limited during testing.
DGR-F1
11th March 2009, 8:24
I have a mad idea for when the technology is right, and is affordable – full size RC cars,but fitted with cameras etc, the drivers in game console type seats, with an audience around them, like Top Gear, and controlling the cars from the hospitality suites or the race control tower.
The idea came to originally on seeing the BMW MINI, and how toy like it is, but I think it would work just as well with F1…..
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
11th March 2009, 8:41
Always interesting to see how other people report these things. The Daily Mail’s headline is straight-as-a-die:
“Revealed – McLaren’s new driver-less F1 could see Lewis win title by remote control”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-1160934/VIDEO-Revealed–McLarens-new-driver-F1-Lewis-win-title-remote-control.html
tim
11th March 2009, 8:50
There was a BMW advert a while ago with Ralf and Juan-Pablo where they were driving Williams’ cars round a track whilst sitting in the stands if I remember rightly.
And as for it being real – no chance. The car would have been driven by Gary Paffett or PDLR, wearing bright green overalls and helmet, then a team of Adobe After Effects wizards have edited him out frame-by frame for each scene where the cockpit was in shot.
I guess with a trip to Maplins and a soldering iron they could conceivably done the first half, although it would be easier to fake it, and have the real controller behind the camera for each take.
Clever stuff though and convincing…
Capo
11th March 2009, 13:53
tim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzDGpgGQGok
Chaz
11th March 2009, 14:06
Good to see McLaren maintaining their sense of humour…
Adrian
12th March 2009, 13:00
Pretty obviously faked, but cool non-the-less…
dan
12th March 2009, 22:07
cool video i particularly liked how they did the onboard camera on the RC car
John R
13th March 2009, 19:54
Cool vid…
YeaMon
13th March 2009, 23:19
That’s a good one. Does anyone know that phone? Is it just an Iphone?