Q+A Patty McLaren-Brickett, widow of McLaren founder Bruce
Patty McLaren-Brickett, the widow of McLaren founder Bruce, has retained her links with the team since his tragic death in 1970. She talks to about the founding of McLaren 40 years ago, the early days of the team and her continued interest in Formula 1
“No, it doesn’t. It seems like yesterday, but things have changed so much, and it’s not the motor racing that I knew! It was a very interesting time, really. The Cooper team, with whom Bruce was still racing at the time, couldn’t really afford to race in the Tasman series in Australasia and Bruce decided to do his own thing. He had the approval of the Cooper team initially, and he took the little Cooper car and modified it. The Tasman series was wonderful. All the top drivers of the time, such as Jim Clark and Graham Hill, were competing in it. For them it was just a relaxing period at the end of the year,I guess. They all enjoyed it so much, and we always looked after them.”
How did things develop in the early years for the McLaren team?“It didn’t happen overnight, and it was hard going initially. We were successful in CanAm, of course, but we weren’t as successful in Formula 1 to start with, because it was very difficult back then. In the early days of the team the cars were red for some reason. The Italians are quite passionate about their racing, and I think they thought it was a Ferrari. They were cheering like mad until they realised it wasn’t!”
Bruce won the first grand prix for the team at Spa-Francorchamps in 1968. That must have been special.
”Yes, it was absolutely wonderful. By then the cars were McLaren orange, of course!”
How keen were you for the team to carry on after Bruce died in 1970?“Very keen. I wanted to carry on for the lads, or ‘my boys’ as I always called them.”
How different is the Formula 1 scene today?“I knew that question was coming! It’s so vastly different. In the 1960s we were all great friends. The drivers and the wives were great chums, and we all used to travel together. We’d drive from race to race, sometimes in convoy, and have wonderful times en route. It’s inevitable that things have changed, though, as the sport is very commercial now, and there’s so much money involved.”
Do you still feel like you are part of the McLaren team?“Oh yes I do, very much so. I’m always watching the races on the television, and I love to see the McLaren name still there in the results. I like to think that I’m involved, and I still know lots of the people. I always go to Silverstone – I am a member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club – and I go to the odd European grand prix if I can.”
Who do you keep in touch with from the old days?“I try to keep in touch with all the drivers from the 1960s who are still around, such as Sir Jack Brabham, Tony Brooks and Sir Stirling Moss. [Team boss] Ken Tyrrell is no longer with us, sadly. I enjoy going to events at Goodwood, because I always see old friends there. Both of the meetings [the Festival of Speed and the Revival] are wonderful, and I’m very fortunate because event organiser Lord March invites me to both and I always get the full VIP treatment.
Have you got to know the McLaren drivers over the years?”Oh yes. I enjoyed meeting all of them, although I knew them better a few years ago than today. I haven’t met Kimi yet, but I’ve known all the others.”
What are the aims of the Bruce McLaren Trust?”At the moment it’s really a tribute to Bruce. The office is at the former McLaren family garage, and that’s where the memorabilia is too. I donated most of Bruce’s trophies, and Denny Hulme’s widow [Greeta] will do so too if we can find somewhere larger which can serve as a proper museum and tribute to New Zealand’s great motor racing heroes. New Zealanders are probably as passionate about motor racing as they are about rugby, so we’re trying to find a permanent place for the museum to be established. It’s already open to the public, but it’s quite confined. So they’re raising funds for that purpose.”
Source McLaren
