Seven very lucky and undoubtedly wealthy people recently had the time of their lives as they met their extreme track toy for the first time at the exclusive P1 GTR Driver Programme. The programme was launched at the Circuit de Catalunya and McLaren was going all out to make sure that this programme runs smoothly.
The experience of owning McLaren’s most powerful machine does not only involve getting the keys to the P1 GTR as the owners are also given some intense specialist driver and personal training. They also got access to McLaren’s racing simulator which F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button used for the F1 preparation as well.
These preparations are necessary for them not only to fully understand the characteristics of their 986-horsepower race machine, but also to fully exploit the capabilities of the P1 GTR around the circuit.
“No two drivers are the same, and this programme is bespoke to each skill set, with our team of professional driver coaches, engineers and technicians working closely with the drivers, as they would in a top flight motorsport team. This ensures the programme is adjusted accordingly to allow for the best to be seen of each driver and each car,” said Paul Mackenzie, Executive Director of McLaren Special Operations.
“This first event gave the drivers the first taste of what the McLaren P1 GTR can really do, and it has got each and every one of them hooked for the rest of the calendar,” said Chris Goodwin, McLaren’s Chief Test Driver. “From here, we will visit some of the most exciting and challenging circuits around the world.”
