Podcast: Derek Bell, Driving for Ferrari

Motor Sport Podcast

Derek Bell will always be associated with Porsche but he began his F1 and Le Mans careers in Ferraris. In this Motor Sport podcast, He looks back with vivid memory at his rollercoaster time with Enzo

His motor racing career began as a Goodwood marshal but his driving talent could not be disguised for long.

In the latest Motor Sport podcast, Derek Bell shares his vivid memories of his brief spell at Ferrari before making his name at Le Mans.

Starting in single-seaters, Bell won eight races in his first F3 season and had just embarked on a family-funded 1968 season in F2 when a call came through, summoning him to a Ferrari test.

From the archive

Bell describes travelling to Italy, touring the Maranello factory and having lunch with Enzo Ferrari.

He recalls the pole position at his first Ferrari F2 race at Monza, which was enough to secure him a contract. He went on to start in two grands prix that year.

But in a case of being in the right place at the wrong time, he describes falling victim to a pared-back Ferrari race programme.

He turned to sports cars, where once more he was seen by Enzo, in a privately-entered Ferrari 512. Another call from Maranello saw him line up for his first Le Mans race in 1970. And the rest is glorious history.