PERRY McCarthy has admitted that failing to qualify for a single Formula One race after achieving his dream was ‘heartbreaking’.

McCarthy reached the big time after being signed by Andrea Moda ahead of the 1992 Formula One season.

The team was run by Andrea Sassetti, a shoe manufacturer from Italy, and McCarthy was forced to deal with various problems which led to him feeling like ‘Mickey Mouse on acid’.

The racer’s chance on the big stage was taken away from him.

McCarthy, 56, said: “It was heartbreaking to not qualify for a Formula One race.

“I thought Formula One was where I belonged so I couldn’t wait to get going.

“It had taken a lot of time to get there and a good amount of sacrifice and work so it felt like your tummy had been ripped out time again when you just couldn’t even get in the car or something had gone wrong.

“You just think you’re looking like an idiot.”

McCarthy entered 10 races, but the racer never made a Grand Prix starting grid.

Despite the disappointments, McCarthy has no regrets over agreeing to join Andrea Moda.

McCarthy added: “It was my dream to go into Formula One. You just go in and think this is what I’m going to be doing, I know exactly how bad they are but if I am on the inside maybe I can help them get better and we can achieve something by turning it around.

“That proved impossible because we were so bad.

“It was so far off the pace and unfortunately the car was not just slow – it was dangerous. Bits would fall off of it, the car design was two years old, there was no testing, many of the people in the team were inexperienced and the guy running the team had no previous experience in motor racing.

“There were payment problems to the engine suppliers so at two Grands Prix the engine didn’t even turn up.

“I think from 10 attempts I only went on track five times and the longest run I had was seven laps so you can’t do anything.

“I know some people thought I was completely nuts doing it because it was getting dangerous but my attitude was ‘I have no choice, I have to try and do something with this’.

“Getting to Formula One was amazing because I had made it and all the years of hard work was worth it but it was really hard to then look like Mickey Mouse on acid.”

Echo:

Looking back - Perry McCarthy speaks exclusively to our sports reporter Danny Rust

 

McCarthy was offered the chance to join other teams but was unable to afford the small amount of sponsorship needed because of financing part of his Formula 3000 season.

It was at Basildon College where McCarthy discovered his love for motor racing.

At the age of 18, McCarthy was told by the Chief Instructor of Brands Hatch that he was the best racer he had seen in 20 years and had to go into racing.

McCarthy agreed and worked 12-16 hours a day on North Sea Oil Rigs to get enough money to help fund the start of his dream career in motor racing.

Winning the Formula Ford Star of Tomorrow set McCarthy on his way and, following a broken back injury which ruled McCarthy out of racing for a year, he impressed in Formula Three and Formula 3000 to earn his opportunity and dream move into Formula One.

McCarthy also enjoyed a stint in the United States before joining Andrea Moda.

“I got into Formula One because of what I was doing in Formula 3000 and then I went to America and I had a terribly good run there,” admitted McCarthy.

“It was a small team with hardly any money but I kept getting pole positions. We were on $300,000 when the others were on between $15m-$20m.”

Echo:

Favourite - Perry McCarthy is a big fan of the Monaco Grand Prix

 

Following McCarthy’s disappointing experience in Formula One, he then competed in the world’s oldest active sports car race in endurance racing, 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2002, McCarthy was offered the opportunity to become the original Black Stig on Top Gear’s return.

McCarthy confirmed: “Jeremy Clarkson was at my book launch and said they wanted me to be a secret racing driver called the Gimp.

“I said I wouldn’t do it if they stuck with the name and then they changed it to the Stig, so I agreed to it.

“I knew that I could have a lot of fun being the Stig because it meant all I had to do was drive.”

Top Gear earned rave reviews and the Stig was well-liked.

McCarthy realised that his contract did not allow exposure and so attempted to renegotiate his contract with the BBC. But his stint with the show came to an end after two series.

“They weren’t interested in renegotiating so I left,” McCarthy revealed.

McCarthy did not enjoy much luck during his racing career, but he still looks back with pride.