Tailem Bend, South Australia - This is the first footage we’ve seen of David Brabham’s BT62 track-only supercar prototype in action, shot at the brand-new Bend Motorsport Park deep in the outback, about an hour south-east of Adelaide.
Brabham is, of course, the youngest son of Sir Jack Brabham, still the only driver ever to win a Formula One title in a car of his own manufacture. He’s also a former Formula One racer and multiple Le Mans winner in his own right. In 2014 he followed in his father’s footsteps by launching Project Brabham, intended to re-introduce the Brabham name as an automotive manufacturer.
In this video Brabham himself is seen doing dynamic testing (that means flat out!) at The Bend, on a day that could have been ruined by unexpected rain, but which turned out to be a triumph for the new car.
Brabham credited the car’s responsiveness to its power-to-weight ratio and roadholding. Its 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8, designed and built in-house, is rated at 522kW and 666Nm, in a car that weighs less than a ton, with aggressive aerodynamics that give it a claimed 1200kg of downforce.
There is only one way to get more than 100kW per litre out of a naturally-aspirated engine - rev the nuts off it. Crank up the volume and listen to the Brabham scream as it goes flat out down the circuit’s long main straight.
He said afterwards: “The steering is very direct and the car goes exactly where you want it to; there’s a wide window of grip, and the confidence that gives you, even in the wet, is outstanding.”
With testing at The Bend complete, the team will move north, to begin dialling in the car’s set-up and configuration for different driving styles, circuits and conditions, starting at the Algarve International Circuit at Portimao, Portugal, later in June.