Johnny Herbert is known for winning big races like the Le Mans 24 Hours and Formula 1 races. But when asked about his favorite cars from his career, he doesn’t choose the ones he won with.
He talks about the Bentley Speed 8, which he raced at Le Mans and Sebring in 2003. Even though people thought it was like an Audi R8, Herbert says it was better because many parts were completely new. He liked how it looked and how it performed.
Herbert also mentions the Lotus 107, which he drove in Formula 1 from 1992 to 1994. He loved how exciting it was to drive, especially because of its big tires and diffusers. He liked that he could push it to the limit in every corner. Even though it broke down a lot, he still enjoyed driving it.
He says, “You could wrestle those cars and that’s how I thought it should be – you should fight these cars and they should fight back.”
He also liked the Lotus 102, its predecessor, but he thought it was slower. Despite the improvements made to later versions of the 107, like adding active suspension, Herbert still preferred the earliest version because it felt more fun to drive.
He drove the 107 for a long time, even when it wasn’t performing well. He raced it until 1994 when Lotus introduced the 109. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much success with it, and the team eventually collapsed.
Herbert’s love for cars that challenged him, even if they weren’t always reliable, shows his passion for racing and the thrill of competition.
