Polska wersja dostępna pod tym linkiem
Wojtek Paprota: Ben, if you had sum up your career in one sentence, what would you say?
Ben Collins: "Lot's of driving! Sometimes fast, sometimes crashing. Depending on whether it is for racing or for films, so I guess it is very quite varied between these two, but mostly it has been precision driving with a bit of stunt stuff mixed in”.
Wojtek: I know that you had a dream to be a pilot, but due to some problems with you sight, you couldn't make it, but if you had a chance to get back in time and change it, would you do it, or you are happy with what you have done in your career?
Ben: "I think I can't complain, I am very fortuned, I have been doing what I love. Of course I wanted to be a pilot, I couldn't do that, but I have been racing for 20 years and getting into movies, what is a great place for me”.
Wojtek: In your first book you have written that you had been in the army. How has that period of time influenced on your racing career and a private life?
Ben: "I was in the army for 5 years and it was a great time because when you are racing you are very dependent on your car so it is not only about the human performance but also on about the performance of the car. When I was doing a military training it was much of team work and getting the most out of yourself and it was pretty exhausting in terms of the physical side of that but I really enjoyed it. It was an amazing challenge and I made fantastic friends there. My part also revolved around, but it ended up getting into training to military drivers, what was fantastic experience as well and as supposed a lot of experience that I have driven on to write "How to drive" is based on best practice and safe driving what I was doing in the army every day, getting to the shop, driving for school or at race track”.
Wojtek: You said that you have been doing your job for 20 years, you have been doing what you love, you have been dreaming your dream and you have been being paid for this, but was it difficult to reach that level at your racing career, to race in Formula 3, to race in Le Mans, to be able to apply for the Stig's job?
Ben: ”In Formula 3 and in Le Mans you are racing with the best drivers in the world. Some who are going to Formula 1, some who have been in Formula 1 and some who are there so it is very much cutting edge and to be win race at that level is what I set out to do what I had hoped to carry on and get to F1. I think that it was a great training to go to Top Gear as the Stig as they needed a racing driver who could drives very quickly and I had a reputation for that on the track as a racing driver and also for being very consistent. The important thing for that was to have somebody who can measure every car that we took and give it for 100% every time and that is what I did. It was a fantastic about fun, driving hundreds of different cars and seeing all these changes over that decade. I continue and since leaving the show, I managed to carry on doing it in TV, working with the media and making movies with the lights of James Bond, Batman and I try to improve my skill in different parts of driving”.
Wojtek: In the book "Man in the white suit" I also read that you were racing in Sir Jackie Stewart's team. What kind of relationship had you with Jackie and what did you teach you were racing in his team? The only thing what I remember is that before one of the races he told you to prove that you have your head in place rather that your balls...
Ben: "Yes, Jackie was fantastic. He thought me two things. First one was to stay calm and second one was attention to details, which I think applies for everyday driving. I got some great stories about Sir Jackie in "How to drive" and really his philosophy of driving is something that I have learned about - that awareness, that thinking ahead, looking ahead to being prepared. It is that kind of philosophy that makes you a better driver, safer driver and to use less fuel. Jackie is extremely efficient in the way he drives and he is the absolute affiant of smoothness. It is the way forward and it is something I want to share with the world in my book”.
Wojtek: You had a dream to go to Formula 1 but after British Formula 3 you made a direction change for sports cars. Why you made such a decision?
Ben: "I had no choice. I had no money. Formula 3 is extremely expensive and then to go to Formula 1 it costs a ton of cash. Going to Le Mans, I went to a professional team, I was getting paid as a professional driver so it was either a switch overall or stop racing so it was a pretty simple choice”.
Wojtek: Was it disappointing for you?
Ben: "Of course, but at the same time I actually loved that Le Mans experience. Formula 1 is a very allusive career zone and very short one as well so, again, I have got no regrets. Racing for Ascari in 800-hourse power, 235 m/h sports car was the most enjoyable part of my racing career".
Wojtek: All of the drivers I talked to who have taken a part in Le Mans said that it is the most amazing experience and just the best race ever. What is your opinion about it?
Ben: "The great thing with Le Mans is the ultimate challenge, because you are driving for much longer than in Formula 1 and you are also racing in all weather conditions - day, night, rain, shine and you get very low sun two times a day when you get blinded and you have to work out a way around it. When you are driving you can be incredibly tired, dehydrated and it is also really the amazingly physical challenge. You also really roll on ice because the whole team is working for days in advance of the race, 24 hours a day to prepare the car and you feel for them the most because they are putting in a huge amount of work to get the car ready. Sometimes it takes very small to go wrong and the cars breaks and you stop at the track and you don't finish. It is very very hard to finish one of those races, but I have done it twice. Every time I raced there it has been a mechanical failure, but we were very lucky to finish twice”.
Wojtek: Was it like dreaming a new dream after switching to sports cars from single sitters?
Ben: "The first Le Mans car I raced was like a Formula 1 car. Same power, same brakes, same Judd engine, the crazy V10, the carbon tub. The only difference was that the it weighted because it could race longer. I have to say that I have never driven a car what was that exciting as this Ascari. It took absolutely everything out of you, every lap, to drive it on the limit, because physically there was no pressuring, so it was like being in the ring with Mike Tyson. It was just the most rewarding car. I have driven some F1 cars and they were no that exciting as this one. I think I am very fortunate to have driven it, even once”.
Wojtek: What kind of plan for your career you had before being the Stig?
Ben: "I wanted to stay in Le Mans, but, unfortunately, the team closed its doors and I was not able to secure another drive in the top-line team. Fortunately, then I went into the ASCAR star racing and won the championship and set record of number of points and had an opportunity to go to America and do a little bit racing there and I was really hoping to capitalize on that and carry on, going to NASCAR, but yet again, more frustration, but I suppose I was lucky although I didn't get the career I had wanted in NASCAR and I did get a role on Top Gear and I carried on by next 8 years so suddenly I had a white suit and a helmet and I was doing TV and I have never expected that to happen”.
Wojtek: What did you feel when you have been informed that Top Gear had decided to sign you up for the Stig role?
Ben: "I found it good because I had money to pay the rent for that month because at that time I was out of the job I have been working part time, doing work for one of the companies, making Toy-cars. I needed the income so it was quite a relief and they left me hanging for 3 months before they let me know that I have a job so I didn't expect it. By that time I have already signed up to join the army so it was good to have that job and then obviously I had no idea of what it become. As the months went on I realized that it was a great way of bringing the ideas what could have made you on to the screen. I came up with some stuff which ended up being filmed so that was as much fun as I was driving the cars”.
Wojtek: That is how the adventure begun and then you had been working as a Stig for 8 years. Do you think that it is a dream job for every man whose passion is motorsport and who likes cars?
Ben: "Probably. It is what we see most. Formula 1 very distanced, especially these days, there are too many gadgets. I think that people are looking at that and probably it is fun to watch but it is hard to acquire to, but the road cars we test on Top Gear are real. There is a Ford Focus, or Ferrari GTO - the cars what you can buy. I think that it is more attainable than the motor racing”.
Wojtek: What is your best memory from the time spent in Top Gear as the Stig?
Ben: "I think teaching the blind guy. He is an amazing guy and he wanted to beat the slowest time we had on the board for the reasonable price car lap challenge and it was a huge challenge to understand what you can teach somebody who can't see the track and can 't see where he is going and even the steering wheel. We created a new system and it was the most satisfying thing to witness somebody using my voice to drive the car, to apply the brakes, the power. It was his dream and I was happy to play the part and I really admire these 2 days I had with him. He achieved what seemed to be an impossible goal, for me it was a huge buzz and I got to live through him at that time and see his victory”.
Wojtek: I remember that at this track there was one fast corner and when you was at his fastest lap you told him that you have the car under control at that corner. Was it true, or it was only something to make him feel safer?
Ben: "Yes it is true. I delighted him for safety, there was 100 m/h corner what he was taking with his foot to the floor and not everybody who see could even do that, but there was a tire-wall there so if we had hit that, it would have hurt both of us. To keep him calm I was just saying that I am keeping my finger at the steering wheel to make sure that he is not crushing into these tires, be he seemed to a lot more trust-worthy when the lap went on and his lap was so perfect so I didn't want to spoil it by helping him and that is why it is so special because 100% of the lap was his, not mine”.
Wojtek: And when it comes to the craziest idea?
Ben: "Parachuting into the car. Again it was based on a small line but I did a pitch to my boss and said that we have an idea and he said if you have done this before and then we lied and told him that we had, but we actually hadn't, because we couldn't afford to hire a plane and a track to prove it. We got BBC to pay for that and off we went. We had been there for one day and found that it was impossible to make it because there was too windy and tried to cancel the shoot, but the shoot went ahead and I managed to land my mate Tim Carter in the back of the Mercedes. The car's speed was about 40 miles an hour on a very windy airfield and without killing him, it was good”.
Wojtek: In one of the episodes you were driving Formula 1 Renault R24 car and I would like to ask you...
Ben: "No. That wasn't me. That was Kovalainen, who was wearing my Helmet and my suit. We had to use the Renault driver that day, very sadly... I hope that it is not like telling you that there is no Santa, but that is how it was...”
Wojtek: At that moment I was definitely less shocked... That is a big news! Coming to next question, what was much difficult for you - keeping the secret that you have been the Stig or working with Jeremy Clarkson?
Ben: "I have always enjoyed working with all guys, including Jeremy so I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot too. Jeremy is a fantastic presenter, there is no doubt and I certainly liked working with him and had no trouble. The harder part was keeping the secret of what I was doing and as the time went on and all of the people tried to catch me with their cameras and the newspapers trying to find out who it was, became quite tricky. Eventually, it was impossible”.
Wojtek: After that you started working as a stuntman in various movies like James Bond, Batman or Fast and Furious. What is the vital thing here?
Ben: "It is preparation really again same as for everyday driving and planning ahead all those advanced sequences of the movie. There is a lot of risk as we are working in the really dangerous environment and once you have done that you have to push the break really quickly as the situation can develop and change. There is a lot that I have learnt from doing stunt work that definitely relates to my driving style and I think those are the stories that I tried to relate in "How to drive" to really bring a story to learning, because I think that listening to some good stories and learning by the back door is the right way to go”.
Wojtek: If you had to choose one place to work would it be a racing circuit where you work with the other drivers, engineers, and mechanics, or rather a movie plan where you work with Hollywood stars?
Ben: "They are different. Collaboration you get at the film is very special because you get to see this timeless video by the end of it with the huge amount of money and talent thrown on the screen and with racing it is different. The result means more initially, personally, that you achieved something that directly tribute to yourself and a team, but the moment is lost, quite quickly. Movies are a bit more lifespan and there is a different kind of teamwork there. There is much bigger comminatory because with the stunt team with the camera guys and you feel like you are a part of a bigger integer”.
Wojtek: We are here because you have released your new book - "How to drive". What was your intention when you were writing it?
Ben: "Primarily I wanted to make people safer and have more fun when they are driving. It is an easy way to have a crash and I found it out when I crashed my first car and my second car when I was very young, I was young and stupid and thought I was a good driver, but I wasn't as skilled as I thought. I thought why not spare other people the same misfortune. I have learned a lot in my career. I have done a lot of different types of driving, I have been driving in very extremely environments, in extreme cold, in extreme heat, high speed through different cities all over the world and I paid attention to what I have learnt, so it would be great to share that, as well as to share some great stories from movies. The book is packed with stories from Bond, Fast and Furious, Spiderman, Batman, they are all there, as well as the stories from Top Gear. Hopefully, it is a great collage and an entertaining way to learn some good survival skills”.
Wojtek: Is your book the best gift you can give to Jeremy for this Christmas?
Ben: "Oh! He needs to read it! It the best gift to anybody who wants to fill the Christmas' socks with something interesting”.
Wojtek: I think that I will buy some more copies of it. Thank you very much, Ben, for sharing all this memories with me and I am sure that your book will be a routine-breaking lecture!
Ben: "I can guarantee! Pleasure for me as well. Thank you very much!”
