Mark Anstead of the Sunday London times gets a MINI driving lesson from current BMW/Williams F1 driver (and soon to be with McLaren/Mercedes) Juan Pablo Montoya at the famous F1 track Silverstone. Here's an excerpt:

“I will be judging you on your speed but also your control,” he warns after one corner, referring to the moment that will come when I take the wheel and try to emulate some of what I am seeing. “I want to see good heel-and-toe control,” he adds. Then, sounding a little like Obi-Wan Kenobi, he says: “You still have much to learn.”

…”Now remember that the road is wide and you need to use as much of it as possible. If you take a corner in the middle you are making the car work a lot harder. These are wet conditions so you can't be aggressive with the steering or you'll get into trouble. Just use the basic racing line: one smooth line from one side of the road to the apex of the turn and back out to the other side again. Okay?”

Easier said than done. I find myself gazing far too much at the speedometer or the road immediately in front. Apparently I am being way too short-sighted. “Look ahead more so you can plan your turns,” Montoya shouts over the engine. “You are looking in front too much. Forget the speedometer: try to feel your speed.”

You can read the entire article here.

Talk about pressure… it's probably nerve-racking enough to be driving a MINI at Silverstone for the first time let alone sitting next to one of the most demanding F1 drivers out there.