Ken Tyrrell Tribute Q&A

"No, no, not at all. The opportunity arose, and we took that opportunity. We weren't able to raise enough money to run the team in the way that teams have to be run these days, and we didn't have an engine supplier other than a customer engine. You can't progress like that, and we didn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. So no, we did the right thing."



"In the last year we were supposed to still be running the team as Tyrrell, Bob and I, but they [BAR] made some decisions that weren't in agreement with our agreement with them. So we asked them to let us out of our contract, and they very generously did, and we went into retirement."



"I'm not involved in anything other than the BRDC. I'm fully retired, and I'll no longer be involved with the BRDC after July, because I said I would only do it until the next AGM. So at the moment I'm enjoying going to a few races. I was here last weekend for the Monaco historic meeting. That was nice. I just went to see Bernie, and I said, 'I saw something a week ago that you've got to introduce to F1. It was absolutely fantastic.' He said, 'What, what?' I said 'I saw one F1 car overtake another one!'"



"He's going to get Max to do something about it!"



"The first year was difficult, and the second year I was ill, but now I've got used to it."



"It doesn't affect me like that at all. I watch all the Grands Prix of course. I'd just like to see them get the cars changed so we can get some overtaking. I think it desperately needs that. And it needs it quickly too. They might have a sell-out at Indianapolis this year, but if they don't see anyone overtaking, will they go back next year?"



"In spite of the lack of overtaking, I think it gets better every year. I just love all of it, and I really enjoy all of the races. I never sit down and watch a race on TV and get bored by it. Never. I will not leave the TV. It's a good job the commercials come on, because that gives you time to have a pee or make a cup of tea! I love it, I love Grand Prix racing. It's nice to be here, but I could do without all these people!"



"The amount of money that's being thrown at it for a start is higher, which means that everybody is spending a great deal more. The high tech is good, I just wish that that they'd stop all this crap about traction control and let everybody have it because it's so easy to install, and most of the better road cars have got it. And it's difficult to police, as they've found out and only just recently admitted. And there's the overtaking - that's what I want to see. I desperately want to see something done about the aerodynamics."



"The first time I came here [Monaco] was in 1960, in Formula Junior, with a Cooper and Henry Taylor. We didn't have an entry when we came, but Jabby Crombac got us an entry, and we won the race. Jimmy Clark was leading, but he had a wire come off the ignition, typical Lotus style, and we won the race. So that was our introduction to Monaco, and we've been coming here every year since."



"The great drivers for me are the ones that I've actually seen drive. I saw the end of Fangio's career, and then it would be Stirling, Jimmy, Jackie, then a big leap really to Prost, and then Senna and now I suppose Schumacher. Although Hakkinen's not that far away, is he?"



"Nothing. I'm going to go on holiday all the time, do a bit of shooting in the winter. I'm too old to work now!"