Home > News > Our blog > The Philips/Williams F1 Driving Academy winner’s day in photos
After months of preparation and anticipation, it came down to this: one powerful car, one iconic race track and one amateur driver about to go where millions of fans would give their eye teeth to follow.
Except, as this photo gallery shows, there was far more to it than just one man and one machine.
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An online game of speed and reflexes, a track assessment day and a series of simulator tests had whittled down the thousands of entrants to one winner and, far from standing alone, he was backed up by a full team from driver coaches to PR handlers.
When Rob Tarlton hit the track in his Williams FW29, he had built up to that moment in a Silverstone Lotus Exige and in a Raikkonen Robertson Racing F3 car.
He’d taken advice from F1 driver Kazuki Nakajima and Superleague pilot Jonathan Kennard.
And, for that morning, he’d been equipped, promoted, managed, interviewed, advised, briefed, debriefed, led around and followed about exactly as if he was the real deal and not a one-shot guest.
Here’s how it looked from the pitlane:
Stuck behind a one-stopping Force India
Raikkonen Robertson Racing provided the F3 car
Just back from Abu Dhabi and no rest
Kazuki Nakajima set a statistical benchmark
Jonathan Kennard was the F3 driver coach
The FW29 was the last traction control Williams
Nakajima never raced in F1 with traction control
One of Nakajima’s last appearances for Williams
F1 cars spend most of their downtime in bits
Five laps await, after practice in the F3 car
The RRR F3 car sits ready and waiting
Winner Rob Tarlton takes his seat
Preparing car and driver for action
Pushing Tarlton out for his installation lap
Sponsor Philips made the day happen
Lap done, Tarlton returns to the garage
15 laps of the national circuit made a warm-up
Manhandling the car back into its bay
Hints and tips from Kennard
The nine unsuccessful finalists watch the winner
Off for another burst of laps in the F3 car
Stars and Stripes on an F1 car
Tarlton on the Silverstone pit straight
A pause before going out for more
Three laps disappears very fast indeed
View from the bridge gantry
Rob Tarlton meets the press
The top three all lapped with Nakajima in this Lotus