Derek Warwick tackles the RAC Rally — Flashback

Derek Warwick has every reason to appear thoughtful, his prospects at this particular moment seeming as bleak as the surroundings. It was one thing for the Lotus driver, while standing in some sunny Formula 1 paddock, to breezily accept the challenge of taking part in the 1990 Lombard RAC Rally; quite another when the reality hits home on this winter’s morning in Kielder Forest.

Warwick is about to have his first run in a Prodrive Subaru Legacy RS. Correction; his first run as a driver. Warwick’s day had started off sitting alongside Markku Alén, just to see which way the two-mile test stage went and get a feel for how the winner of 18 world championship rallies would tackle it.

Warwick had learnt next to nothing about the route, so distracted was he by the antics of a man in the driving seat who appeared to be going completely berserk. Alén’s controlled mayhem had been the antithesis of everything Warwick espoused as a smooth and economic circuit racer. Now he was about to try it for himself.

Sensing a very different story, I had asked David Richards if I could join them in Northumberland. The Prodrive boss not only agreed but flew me there in his Hughes 500 helicopter. And it got even better. Warwick was to be partnered with the experienced Ronan Morgan but, in the Irishman’s absence, I was asked to sit in the co-driver’s seat.

With each succeeding lap, you could sense Warwick’s increased commitment and confidence. Then he ran wide and slid off the road. Having lost his rhythm, more mistakes followed. By the time he returned to base to cure an engine misfire, sweat was trickling down his flushed face. It was not the moment to mention that 351 competitive miles lay ahead, spread across 41 special stages, one of which, Dalby, totalled 20 miles on its own.

Warwick would finish the classic Yorkshire stage just a few seconds slower than some seasoned professionals as he climbed to an impressive 13th place. But it all ended abruptly on the third day when contact with a concrete gully wrecked the Subaru’s front suspension.

“One of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had in motor sport,” reflected Derek. “You think F1 is all about speed but, during a race, you maybe drive at 99%. You give 100% during a qualifying lap. In rallying, on a special stage, they do that all the time. These guys operate in a totally different world.” And he wasn’t simply referring to a treacherous muddy road in Kielder Forest.