Perry McCarthy: driving for 90s non-starters Andrea Moda

He drove for one of the least competitive teams in F1 history. He never started a race. Just making it to Formula 1 was ‘a million to one’ shot for Perry McCarthy. Through extraordinary determination, he did it.

When his raw talent behind the wheel was spotted at his local racetrack, McCarthy set his sights on racing at the top. He worked on a North Sea oil rig to raise money to fund his career. Racing in Formula 3000 and sports cars in America led to a chance in F1 with Andrea Moda – a team which only raced for one season in 1992. When Perry made it to the track, the car either broke down or was too slow to make it through an extra ‘pre-qualifying’ session.

From climbing the motorsport ladder with drivers including Damon Hill, to testing with Michael Schumacher at Benetton, and later becoming the mysterious ‘Stig’ on TV’s Top Gear, Perry tells Tom Clarkson an eye-opening story from a different era of Formula 1.

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