Mc Laren F1 GTR in Bahrain
#1
10-21-2009, 06:24 PM
Mc Laren F1 GTR in Bahrain
Papaya Orange '95 McLaren F1 GTR - Supposedly this is chassis# 08R wich previously raced under the Gulf livery in the 24hr of Le Mans in 1995
Enjoy
Enjoy
Last edited by Filippo; 10-21-2009 at 06:27 PM.
#5
10-22-2009, 12:54 AM
Same car - I think even the same instance of it being at the track.
These pics were shared by the original photographer in a Facebook album along with several other similar shots. I've had them since January of this year. Not sure if Filippo took them - I seem to recall the name on Facebook was quite different.
Here's a quick run from 2nd to 6th shot just outside the track:
YouTube - McLaren F1 GTR in Bahrain
Info on the chassis number is accurate. Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa is the current owner of this GTR.
>8^)
ER
These pics were shared by the original photographer in a Facebook album along with several other similar shots. I've had them since January of this year. Not sure if Filippo took them - I seem to recall the name on Facebook was quite different.
Here's a quick run from 2nd to 6th shot just outside the track:
YouTube - McLaren F1 GTR in Bahrain
Info on the chassis number is accurate. Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa is the current owner of this GTR.
>8^)
ER
#6
10-22-2009, 01:10 AM
#8
10-22-2009, 03:51 AM
Well I certainly understand the reasoning for your comment as I too am a big fan of racers that wear the Gulf livery.
This particular GTR didn't have the most successful race history of the early GTRs, so preserving it in its original form probably wasn't top priority like it would have been for a car that won LeMans or finished FOA in several events. GTR #08R was a replacement car for Lindsay Owen-Jones (gentleman racer and CEO of L'oreal back in the '90s) after he rolled his previous '95 GTR (#04R) in practice at Jarama preparing for the 4th round of BPR Championship in 1995.
GTR #08R was used in 6 of the 9 rounds of the BPR series that remained, finishing 2nd at Donington, 3rd at Anderstorp, 4th at the Nurburgring & Nogaro races, 8th at Silverstone, and had one DNF in the 1000kms of Suzuka. It also failed to finish the '95 LeMans race, retiring due to an accident on lap 77.
The following year Owen-Jones replaced #08R with a new '96-spec GTR (#15R) for the BPR Global GT series, but due to a crash at the hands of his teammate Pierre-Henri Raphanel in practice for the first round at Paul-Ricard, #08R was called in on short notice and wore a unique white painted Gulf livery for that one event. One final DNF there ended #08R's professional racing career. Here's some pics of the elusive "White Gulf".
At some point before or after that 1996 race in France GTR #08R had ended up back in the hands of McLaren who re-liveried it as the FINA Presentation car. (This could be a good explanation for the white paint it was wearing under those Gulf decals) Two other '96 GTRs would later be liveried in a similar FINA style for the Silverstone round of the BPR series, and a shot at the '96 24Hrs of LeMans under Team Bigazzi. Here's a pair of photos of #08R in that Presentation livery which was slightly different from the ones the Bigazzi racers would later wear:
It's not clear when #08R's next transformation occurred, but McLaren would relivery this GTR one more time for use in a series of events for the West Tobacco company in countries across Eastern Europe in 1999/2001 to promote motorsports in that region of the world (and cigarettes too, of course).
It was called the West Adrenaline Programme and featured a the tandem-seat McLaren Forumula One car, a West liveried Lorry racer, and GTR #08R done up to look similar to the West McLaren Forumala One cars. They also had a British Aerospace Hawk 200 jet done up in a similar paint scheme that also participated. They'd visit these different countries and in some cases would run the different vehicles on a temporary street circuit for all to see. Here's some samples I have handy:
When those promotional events finished, #08R took up station in one corner of McLaren's storage facility and remained there for several years. These shots of it were taken in 2002.
The first photos of #08R in Bahrain wearing the Papaya Orange paint didn't surface until March 2005, and I have a feeling that was shortly after Sheik Salman acquired it. Painting a GTR the traditional McLaren orange color is not uncommon - there are 4 others around the world that also wear that color today instead of any version of a racing livery from their past. It's kind of like resale-red for a Ferrari I guess.
All five of those GTRs have been converted for road use, and some have argued that wearing a racing livery on the road is a bit garish (and orange paint is not?). In the UK its my understanding that a full racing livery (with race numbers) would even be in violation of the law, as silly as that sounds. Personally, I think having all these orange GTRs takes a little bit away from the LMs, but it was McLaren's decision to say yes or no when customers wanted their cars redone and they chose to allow it.
Anyway, if you have the money to buy this car, I believe its certainly your right to do whatever you want with it to suit your personal taste. If I could afford a GTR I'd want one of the 1996 Gulf GTRs as that's my personal favorite as far as liverys go. There are some other good choices too including the LARK liveried #13R which is on the market today.
>8^)
ER
This particular GTR didn't have the most successful race history of the early GTRs, so preserving it in its original form probably wasn't top priority like it would have been for a car that won LeMans or finished FOA in several events. GTR #08R was a replacement car for Lindsay Owen-Jones (gentleman racer and CEO of L'oreal back in the '90s) after he rolled his previous '95 GTR (#04R) in practice at Jarama preparing for the 4th round of BPR Championship in 1995.
GTR #08R was used in 6 of the 9 rounds of the BPR series that remained, finishing 2nd at Donington, 3rd at Anderstorp, 4th at the Nurburgring & Nogaro races, 8th at Silverstone, and had one DNF in the 1000kms of Suzuka. It also failed to finish the '95 LeMans race, retiring due to an accident on lap 77.
The following year Owen-Jones replaced #08R with a new '96-spec GTR (#15R) for the BPR Global GT series, but due to a crash at the hands of his teammate Pierre-Henri Raphanel in practice for the first round at Paul-Ricard, #08R was called in on short notice and wore a unique white painted Gulf livery for that one event. One final DNF there ended #08R's professional racing career. Here's some pics of the elusive "White Gulf".
At some point before or after that 1996 race in France GTR #08R had ended up back in the hands of McLaren who re-liveried it as the FINA Presentation car. (This could be a good explanation for the white paint it was wearing under those Gulf decals) Two other '96 GTRs would later be liveried in a similar FINA style for the Silverstone round of the BPR series, and a shot at the '96 24Hrs of LeMans under Team Bigazzi. Here's a pair of photos of #08R in that Presentation livery which was slightly different from the ones the Bigazzi racers would later wear:
It's not clear when #08R's next transformation occurred, but McLaren would relivery this GTR one more time for use in a series of events for the West Tobacco company in countries across Eastern Europe in 1999/2001 to promote motorsports in that region of the world (and cigarettes too, of course).
It was called the West Adrenaline Programme and featured a the tandem-seat McLaren Forumula One car, a West liveried Lorry racer, and GTR #08R done up to look similar to the West McLaren Forumala One cars. They also had a British Aerospace Hawk 200 jet done up in a similar paint scheme that also participated. They'd visit these different countries and in some cases would run the different vehicles on a temporary street circuit for all to see. Here's some samples I have handy:
When those promotional events finished, #08R took up station in one corner of McLaren's storage facility and remained there for several years. These shots of it were taken in 2002.
The first photos of #08R in Bahrain wearing the Papaya Orange paint didn't surface until March 2005, and I have a feeling that was shortly after Sheik Salman acquired it. Painting a GTR the traditional McLaren orange color is not uncommon - there are 4 others around the world that also wear that color today instead of any version of a racing livery from their past. It's kind of like resale-red for a Ferrari I guess.
All five of those GTRs have been converted for road use, and some have argued that wearing a racing livery on the road is a bit garish (and orange paint is not?). In the UK its my understanding that a full racing livery (with race numbers) would even be in violation of the law, as silly as that sounds. Personally, I think having all these orange GTRs takes a little bit away from the LMs, but it was McLaren's decision to say yes or no when customers wanted their cars redone and they chose to allow it.
Anyway, if you have the money to buy this car, I believe its certainly your right to do whatever you want with it to suit your personal taste. If I could afford a GTR I'd want one of the 1996 Gulf GTRs as that's my personal favorite as far as liverys go. There are some other good choices too including the LARK liveried #13R which is on the market today.
>8^)
ER
Last edited by Peloton25; 07-14-2010 at 06:37 AM.
#9
10-22-2009, 04:32 AM
I think the orange one is Shaikh Abdulla's and not Shaikh Salman, Shaikh Salman has it in black.
#10
10-22-2009, 04:57 AM
A black McLaren F1 of any type in Bahrain would be new information. It would be great if you could find out more, or perhaps provide a photo of the car.
I had it on pretty good authority that this orange one was the older brother's, but stories do sometimes get twisted around or lost in translation.
>8^)
ER
I had it on pretty good authority that this orange one was the older brother's, but stories do sometimes get twisted around or lost in translation.
>8^)
ER