Beaky Sims tells us what it was like to work on the revolutionary gas turbine Lotus 56B

Chris Hessey - recorded October 2025

Download the audio here [http://www.engineersbench.com/phil/GaryPodcast/MP3s/TheMechanicsGallon_ChrisHessey_111025.mp3] - coming soon on YouTube - 62 mins. Our guest this time is Chris Hessey who had a thirty year career in Formula One. Chris is unusual in that he never worked in the lower formulae, he jumped straight into Grand Prix racing from being a master mechanic in a garage. We go from 1984 with Ram Automotive through Leyton House March, Simtek, Williams, Pacific Grand Prix, Benetton finally ending up in Formula E with Virgin Racing. [https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLtJs1nm2DgilGby4mftkYrl5DHCtOZ-lsQnpd_cR-PPSSxaXk6TyUAt276hjRY9xBC6PZcrWXOswHEUDUt2yAxiPeQyzq_dYwkISPGz4bxFBghtjSoOys-PpVAbto3yHsIwh2ej2Pw4BL6S9Pw-v0Dti7CZLecxpdxZRU3KrHJNoiDdYvUVTtnj7PYGH/w355-h400/WhatsApp%20Image%202025-10-02%20at%2014.31.06.jpeg]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLtJs1nm2DgilGby4mftkYrl5DHCtOZ-lsQnpd_cR-PPSSxaXk6TyUAt276hjRY9xBC6PZcrWXOswHEUDUt2yAxiPeQyzq_dYwkISPGz4bxFBghtjSoOys-PpVAbto3yHsIwh2ej2Pw4BL6S9Pw-v0Dti7CZLecxpdxZRU3KrHJNoiDdYvUVTtnj7PYGH/s1317/WhatsApp%20Image%202025-10-02%20at%2014.31.06.jpeg

Beaky Sims tells us what it was like to work on the revolutionary gas turbine Lotus 56B

Download the audio here [http://www.engineersbench.com/phil/GaryPodcast/MP3s/TheMechanicsGallon_BeakySims-Lotus56B_231224.mp3], also on the YouTube channel [https://youtu.be/HVhgYg3HQCg]. [https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHQsxjJ-2Y9mggEC8RbvNmPMymusjJ0ETXAXPFiAjF3D-2JzsITWsz8RujaDk_98DqGCAWLUEpR8m_vMD79aFKpyeF-YgtPb0h1uvGARmwgp1gc-HHFqYTaNTcVVGriE9jQZZQFKiGfVU017rTVy8spyY75y-lfl3y9wi7oY4_hvl0ykB7SAiCR3n63pq/w400-h283/764.jpg]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHQsxjJ-2Y9mggEC8RbvNmPMymusjJ0ETXAXPFiAjF3D-2JzsITWsz8RujaDk_98DqGCAWLUEpR8m_vMD79aFKpyeF-YgtPb0h1uvGARmwgp1gc-HHFqYTaNTcVVGriE9jQZZQFKiGfVU017rTVy8spyY75y-lfl3y9wi7oY4_hvl0ykB7SAiCR3n63pq/s3600/764.jpg Reine Wisell pictured in the 56B in the Silverstone pitlane at the 1971 British GP. Picture courtesy of the Supercharged Collection [http://www.superchargedcollection.com/].

John Miles explaining the principles of anti-squat and anti-dive suspension pioneered on the Lotus 72

Download the audio here [http://www.engineersbench.com/phil/GaryPodcast/MP3s/TheMechanicsGallon_JohnMiles-AntiSquatAntiDive_231224.mp3], also on the YouTube channel. [https://youtu.be/CPn_f5QasqM] [https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSgdouCCSoudGrNbDni89c2PAzPx4JrebAF-KJH4SxIa8CaLxwbt-fAuNHljrQV6m4VpjC2lqq54Wyu1EygDcrtg74dZeJiK9O8V0Z_5ZPTYxTf0hyphenhyphendKxiYYcpNcAqmULvjm017xepBwZX_2e-RLBjSaQibr2LMqx-TWNPJ55Tm90LzC05Zj7JzxlZRGV/w400-h285/890.jpg]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibSgdouCCSoudGrNbDni89c2PAzPx4JrebAF-KJH4SxIa8CaLxwbt-fAuNHljrQV6m4VpjC2lqq54Wyu1EygDcrtg74dZeJiK9O8V0Z_5ZPTYxTf0hyphenhyphendKxiYYcpNcAqmULvjm017xepBwZX_2e-RLBjSaQibr2LMqx-TWNPJ55Tm90LzC05Zj7JzxlZRGV/s1672/890.jpg Beaky Sims pictured with John Miles in the Lotus 64 at the 1969 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Picture courtesy of the Supercharged Collection [http://www.superchargedcollection.com/]

Peter Burns, part 1 of 2, recorded 23rd January 2023

Download part 1 of the audio here [http://www.engineersbench.com/phil/GaryPodcast/MP3s/PeterBurns-part1of2_230123.mp3]   Our guest this time is Peter Burns, who, although not on the front line in the pitlane, still wracked up 35 years in motorsport. After being involved with the organisation of the inaugural Dubai Grand Prix in 1983, he then worked for McLaren in Formula One, being in at the very start of hospitality provided by the teams for their sponsors. In this role he got to know very well people like Alan Prist, Ayrton Senna, David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen. Having been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2017, Peter is now working with Parkinson's charities, in 2021 he was part of a team who swam the Solent to the Isle Of Wight, raising £47,000. This year they will again swim, this time around the Isle Of Wight! For more information and if you'd care to donate, please visit their website at www.positivelyparkinsons.co.uk [http://www.positivelyparkinsons.co.uk] The Grand Prix Trust is a charity formed over 30 years ago by Jackie Stewart to help former F1 employees when times are hard. Both Peter and I are involved with them. Please visit their website at www.grandprixtrust.com [http://www.grandprixtrust.com] You can also watch it on Gary's YouTube channel [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFuw2Cz8W1bYc0e-_D-AXshMxT_zXCDS4]. [https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBZiZyIxda18QuSc6lFiu6tRH6C3tzlghGi4bBSf5Yn-rBy5ps4PnIq4ZhjzpKnqI4rFgNSgDXCsJmGToFDS1mQB__YEE9KzQmY2iT46J4KztM0tTLpSR5BKbtgcW-W8Mg7kAU3WWlqga29GvwYGbymC_fc3n_wF_zjZtoo7GvvzOEsLKoDkCvpGW4Q/w400-h214/1.png]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBZiZyIxda18QuSc6lFiu6tRH6C3tzlghGi4bBSf5Yn-rBy5ps4PnIq4ZhjzpKnqI4rFgNSgDXCsJmGToFDS1mQB__YEE9KzQmY2iT46J4KztM0tTLpSR5BKbtgcW-W8Mg7kAU3WWlqga29GvwYGbymC_fc3n_wF_zjZtoo7GvvzOEsLKoDkCvpGW4Q/s638/1.png

Ron Tauranac

[https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgrXwfbWSDBHABxIKmvAohchByAQ7SxQoWR0LmdHQcPKnUTA7wu22gRFPd8hdGZbsG-xZ2cc-FTdcFIFwdf84czCAhGWQZGdlPNSgz8-aQDkne4b3YOozwGrt39OsZieV_WZz84ZKO_iuSnkmYQaPoQXcBnvrvUeq3LBWahdB0mg6JJlD0yBzyUr4mg/w400-h264/Screenshot%202023-01-19%20at%2017.33.51.png]https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgrXwfbWSDBHABxIKmvAohchByAQ7SxQoWR0LmdHQcPKnUTA7wu22gRFPd8hdGZbsG-xZ2cc-FTdcFIFwdf84czCAhGWQZGdlPNSgz8-aQDkne4b3YOozwGrt39OsZieV_WZz84ZKO_iuSnkmYQaPoQXcBnvrvUeq3LBWahdB0mg6JJlD0yBzyUr4mg/s2310/Screenshot%202023-01-19%20at%2017.33.51.png Another interview from our archive, this time with the late Brabham and Ralt designer Ron Tauranac. Notoriously reticent to be interviewed, I heard from him after I sent him a copy of the interview, he said he wished he had said more! Ron is interviewed by my friend Alan Morgan. Audio podcast is here [http://www.engineersbench.com/phil/GaryPodcast/MP3s/TheMechanicsGallon_RonTauranac_190123.mp3]. You can also watch the interview at https://youtu.be/pPHC1JY0kW4 [https://youtu.be/pPHC1JY0kW4]