0:00:04 > 0:00:06I'm Sir Chris Hoy, Olympic cycling champion,
0:00:06 > 0:00:10and lifelong fan of rally driving.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15Now I'm going to retrace the steps of one of my all time sporting heroes,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18'90s rally legend, Colin McRae.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Colin McRae is straight-up a god. That guy's amazing!
0:00:25 > 0:00:28'With the help of his friends and family...'
0:00:28 > 0:00:29It's spectacular.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33'..I'm on a mission to uncover what made him such a revered driver.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35'By attempting to drive like Colin...'
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Aye, you're doing all right.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'..I'll discover
0:00:42 > 0:00:46'a man who lived life to the limit. And drove to the limit, too.'
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Like all geniuses he had his flaws.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52But he was respected around the world.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57Colin was definitely one of my biggest inspirations.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03'Now I'm going to experience the Colin McRae story...from the driver's seat.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Right now, I wish I'd taken up rallying. It's so much fun.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20As a professional cyclist, I've been crowned world champion
0:01:20 > 0:01:2311 times, and Olympic champion on six occasions...
0:01:25 > 0:01:28But that doesn't stop me looking for the next big thrill.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36This is my purpose-built track car.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38'A toy that helps me feed my love of speed.'
0:01:41 > 0:01:45I think all young boys want to be racing drivers at some point.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50I suppose there are similarities between cycling and track driving.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53If you don't think ahead, then things happen too quickly.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55COMMENTATOR: Two laps to go here. Kucynsky of Poland
0:01:55 > 0:01:58has the head of the race at the moment.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00I love cycling and I love cars, too.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I don't suppose you have to be one or the other, you can be both.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09COMMENTATOR: Here comes Hoy going over the top.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Awang trying to hold him off.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Chris Hoy accelerating away here.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18There's a crash at the back but Hoy takes the gold medal.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20An emphatic victory, wasn't it?
0:02:20 > 0:02:23'Of course, when it comes to driving, I'm just an amateur,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25'but that hasn't stopped me wondering what life might have
0:02:25 > 0:02:30'been like had I chosen a different route...like Colin McRae.'
0:02:30 > 0:02:35It wasn't just about the winning. He was the best driver of his time and the world champion,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38but it was the way he did it that was so special.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43Sadly, Colin died when a helicopter he was piloting crashed in 2007.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48The tragedy also claimed the life of his son and two other people.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50But for legions of fans,
0:02:50 > 0:02:54his success as a rally driver is still an inspiration.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Colin was just a born winner.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59It was all about being the fastest, the best and the quickest.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02COMMENTATOR: Amazingly. McRae turned a one-minute-14-second deficit
0:03:02 > 0:03:04into a 36-second win.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07When he was behind a wheel, there was nothing else like it.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09He was in his own world.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11His legacy WILL live on,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14because he was an all-action hero.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16How will you attack tomorrow?
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Just attack again, 100%.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21He was flat-out all the time.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25COMMENTATOR: A runaway victory for Colin McRae and co-driver Derek Ringer.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28He was the people's champion.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30CROWD CHEERS
0:03:30 > 0:03:33He will live on in our memories for ever.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37COMMENTATOR: Colin McRae, 1995 World Rally Champion.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40CROWD CHEERS
0:03:40 > 0:03:43'Now I'm going to retrace the steps of Britain's first World Rally Champion,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46'and with the help of his friends and family,
0:03:46 > 0:03:51'attempt to drive just like Colin.'
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I'm massively looking forward to the next few days.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55It's such a tragic story, as well,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57that I'm sure it will be quite difficult at times, too.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03I don't expect to be any good at rally driving at all.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05I think I'll really enjoy it,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08but I'm under no illusions I'm any kind of Colin McRae II.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Before I meet those who knew him best,
0:04:13 > 0:04:18I want to understand what made Colin McRae legendary,
0:04:18 > 0:04:24so I'm getting the low-down from a man who knows what it takes to drive a rally car.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Meet American rally driver Ken Block.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33Block is a superstar, famous for his trademark urban rally driving, which
0:04:33 > 0:04:35has become an internet phenomenon.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41In terms of driving style, Ken is as close as it gets to McRae,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45so with the help of archive footage I wanted
0:04:45 > 0:04:48to grill him on what made Colin tick.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52The pure appreciation of having fun with the car was something
0:04:52 > 0:04:54that we shared quite genuinely.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57we loved to just play with these cars.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00It was so aggressive at that time.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Colin was definitely one of my biggest inspirations,
0:05:02 > 0:05:07because of the way he drove those cars in those days.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09This is when I first got interested in rally,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11just when he'd won the world title.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Switching on TV, you watch this
0:05:13 > 0:05:15and can't fail to be excited by the style
0:05:15 > 0:05:17in which he approached the rally stages.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Full commitment, absolutely flat-out,
0:05:19 > 0:05:20it is spectacular.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25'Bravery seems to be a key ingredient in a rally driver's make-up
0:05:25 > 0:05:30'and Colin's mantra, "If in doubt, flat-out" often gave him the upper hand.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34'But this approach also earned him the nickname "Colin McCrash".'
0:05:37 > 0:05:42This is Finland. I think he crashed three different times in this rally.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45There's another one, same rally.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52'Colin was also the first rally driver to gain notoriety in the USA,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56'helped by his spectacular performance in America's first-ever televised rally.'
0:05:56 > 0:06:01Colin came over the first year we had the X Games rally competition.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04It was a very exciting time.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Our team-mate was one of the biggest legends in the sport, Colin McRae.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- COMMENTATOR:- One thing for sure, McRae cannot afford a slip-up...
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Colin made just a tiny mistake,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18right at the end of the last stage.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- COMMENTATOR:- And he rolls it over!
0:06:21 > 0:06:24The most amazing thing for us is you can see him
0:06:24 > 0:06:26down-shift from second to first
0:06:26 > 0:06:29as he's rolling the car.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31The guy just had so much experience and, hey,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34if it does land back on its wheels, he wanted to be ready.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Landed on its wheels and he took off.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39- COMMENTATOR:- He's going after it, can he do it?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42And he lost a second or two.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- COMMENTATOR:- He doesn't do it, he takes the silver!
0:06:44 > 0:06:48I just did the transition too much on the jump,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50it hooked in on the front and over we went.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52Dude, Colin McRae is straight-up a god!
0:06:52 > 0:06:54This guy come out here,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56throws the car. I don't even know if he lost time!
0:06:56 > 0:06:57The guy's amazing!
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Here we go.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02'Another thing Colin is famous for is his computer game.'
0:07:05 > 0:07:06Good recovery.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11'The legend's franchise sold over 10 million copies worldwide,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13'making him a household name.'
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Your reactions are quite good, that's good.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20'I just hoped my driving would be better in a few days' time,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22'when I would be doing this for real.'
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I'm not good at talking and driving at the same time.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29And we have a decent crash.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39My first meeting with the McRae family is at Colin's farm in Lanarkshire.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43The house he and his wife Alison made their family home.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- Hello.- Alison. Pleased to meet you. How are you?- I'm good, thank you.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49To be here today, meet his family and see where it all started,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52it's a great privilege.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- I heard it's always like this in Lanarkshire.- It's always like this.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59'My guide for the next few days would be Colin's dad, Jimmy,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01'who, as a five-time British Rally Champion,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04'can take some of the credit for his son's glittering career.'
0:08:04 > 0:08:06I'm very excited to meet Jimmy.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09A legend in his own right.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11People talk about him as Colin's dad,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14but I think they forget that Colin actually used to be Jimmy's son.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16He was five-times British Rally Champion,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18a real icon in the sport.
0:08:20 > 0:08:27'To my amazement, Colin's treasured car collection is still housed here.'
0:08:27 > 0:08:28It's like an aircraft hanger.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Yeah, yeah.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Wow.
0:08:37 > 0:08:44- Bigger than your usual family garage then.- Yeah, just a bit.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46It's quite a machine to look at.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47Definitely, yeah.
0:08:48 > 0:08:54Every car we uncovered revealed another part of this fascinating story.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57The auto-test Mini he drove, aged 14.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02The Talbot Sunbeam he learnt to rally in.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10This was built for...the Scottish Championship, it was then.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13And his first professional car.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16You're slightly bigger than Derek.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19The Legacy was the start of his World Championship career.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23That was the stepping stone into the world championship.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26'But there was one car that Jimmy had a special connection with.'
0:09:26 > 0:09:28This looks pretty special.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29This is the Sierra Cosworth.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Ah, yes.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32This was originally my car.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Won the Scottish Rally with this one, the one-and-only time.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37"One careful family owner"(!)
0:09:37 > 0:09:41'Rallied by Jimmy, Colin and his brother Alister,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45'this family heirloom played a part in all their careers.'
0:09:45 > 0:09:47How did he handle that?
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- That's when he beat me, so... - Pretty well, then. - ..he did all right.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51"He did all right"!
0:09:51 > 0:09:54The thing about this car,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58- it's road-legal, so I can take that out just now.- Is that an offer?
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- That's an offer, yeah.- What a treat!
0:10:01 > 0:10:05'Jimmy was going to take me back to where it all started for Colin.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17'We were going to find out exactly how his son became a rally legend.'
0:10:17 > 0:10:19I know a shortcut here.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21We'll head up this gravel road a bit.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23- It's pretty good.- Nice one.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25'And I had feeling it might be a bumpy ride.
0:10:41 > 0:10:47'Colin's driving ability was obviously in his DNA.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50'but I know from personal experience that it takes hard work to
0:10:50 > 0:10:52get to the top of your game.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57'His story starts on two wheels.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03'By the age of 13, Colin showed promise on a motorbike
0:11:03 > 0:11:06'and had befriended Scottish junior champion Robbie Allan.'
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Could you see in Colin straight away this competitive instinct?
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Was there something about him?
0:11:13 > 0:11:16The basics of the balance and the throttle control of a motorbike,
0:11:16 > 0:11:17he had straight away.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20What he then was able to do was adapt the skills he had.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22He very quickly got to the stage where
0:11:22 > 0:11:24he was Scottish champion in his age group.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25That was within months.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Straight away, that's shown the sort of determination
0:11:27 > 0:11:30and the competitive edge he had.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34'Within a year Colin, had taken the Scottish Junior Scrambles crown
0:11:34 > 0:11:39'making a name for himself as one of the best young talents in the country.'
0:11:39 > 0:11:41When I was doing BMX as a kid,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44I always looked up to the older guys, or guys that had beaten me,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46and think, "What was it they did that was different?"
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Did Colin look to guys like yourself?
0:11:48 > 0:11:51The bottom line is, he was better than everybody else in his own age group,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53so he had to look at where the next target was,
0:11:53 > 0:11:54the next challenge.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57If the challenge was somebody older, more experienced,
0:11:57 > 0:11:58that's where you go.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01It's great to see so many kids out enjoying the facility here.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04There could be a Colin McRae of the future out there just now.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08A future world champion, in motocross or anything, it doesn't matter.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09- Even cycling.- You never know!
0:12:09 > 0:12:11THEY LAUGH
0:12:12 > 0:12:15But, to his mother's relief, Colin didn't want to be
0:12:15 > 0:12:19a motorcyclist. He wanted to follow in his father's footsteps
0:12:19 > 0:12:22and become a professional rally driver.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Colin, you're 19 now and doing your first Lombard RAC rally.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Uh-huh.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28How old were you when you first rallied?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Just about four weeks after
0:12:30 > 0:12:33my 17th birthday.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- He didn't waste much time, Tony. - What's it like, Margaret, being surrounded by this lot?
0:12:38 > 0:12:40My biggest problem is Colin,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43because I don't think he knows his limitations yet.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44He hasn't found his yet.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47He has a few rough edges to be filed off.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52In 1988, Colin entered the Scottish Rally Championship
0:12:52 > 0:12:55in a humble Vauxhall Nova,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59one of the slowest cars in the ten-stage competition that year.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03COMMENTATOR: Jimmy McRae set out for what he hoped would be his winning drive
0:13:03 > 0:13:04in his major home event.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09But keeping up with his father's Sierra would be impossible,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11never mind challenging that year's favourite.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14COMMENTATOR: Reigning British champion, David Gillanders,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16from Aberdeen, back behind the wheel
0:13:16 > 0:13:19of his four-wheel drive Metro 6R4.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Gillanders drove a Metro
0:13:21 > 0:13:26that was so powerful it was eventually banned.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29But that didn't stop Colin having a go.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Five...four...three...two...one...
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Go!
0:13:39 > 0:13:42The speed he was able to get out of that little machine
0:13:42 > 0:13:44was just incredible sometimes.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47COMMENTATOR: Displaying more than a touch of natural ability,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Colin McRae, son of British Open champion Jimmy,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54was the most remarkable result of the day.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59Just a few rallies into the season, to everybody's amazement,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Colin was keeping up with the big players.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07So, Colin, ninth in the Scottish, you must be very pleased?
0:14:07 > 0:14:08Very, very pleased.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12I never thought I would be back here today in this position.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I would have been happy just to win my class.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17I thought it would be quite difficult even to
0:14:17 > 0:14:20get into the top 20 with the competition we had.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22What one's the best, though?
0:14:22 > 0:14:24I'm not going to say!
0:14:24 > 0:14:29Then Colin and Jim were able to source a Sierra Cosworth.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34It was capable of winning and we wanted to do that.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Now McRae junior had a fighting chance of beating
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Gillanders in his monster Metro.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47COMMENTATOR: Gillanders was determined in his attack
0:14:47 > 0:14:48on the Championship lead.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51He raced on to finish over a minute ahead of McRae.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56Colin and his co-driver Derek were steadily catching the leader of the pack.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Colin was an iconic driver.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04He had that spark that made people want to see him drive.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Two right plus over crest.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11All those early days, it was, "This is young Colin, Jimmy's son."
0:15:11 > 0:15:13But it wasn't so long before it was,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17"This is Jimmy, Colin's dad."
0:15:17 > 0:15:23By the final rally of the '88 season, Colin was poised to win
0:15:23 > 0:15:24the Scottish title.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27If you or Gillanders don't finish today, you win the Championship?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29If we both retire, we win the championship.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32I have to beat him and I think he's like to beat me, as well.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34It'll be good fun.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37You've been rallying for the same length of time as his age!
0:15:37 > 0:15:38That's a lot of rubbish.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I've been competitive for about four years.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43I've rallied off and on for about 12,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45so we keep this in perspective.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53The 20-year-old was ready for a showdown.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05But early in the rally, Gillanders lost control of his mighty Metro.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11COMMENTATOR: Disaster for Gillanders, crashing on the first stage.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16Out of the rally and the Championship.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20With his rival gone, Colin had won the Scottish Championship
0:16:20 > 0:16:23but in a sign of things to come, he drove flat-out anyway.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33COMMENTATOR: The laurels, then, for Colin McRae and co-driver Derek Ringer,
0:16:33 > 0:16:35and the champagne corks were popping.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41It must be annoying for you, cos you were never able to win the Scottish Championship.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It's true - he's done a few things I've never done.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45A good omen, maybe.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48About half a mile from the end of the first stage, we saw Gillanders
0:16:48 > 0:16:50piled off in the ditch.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52I could hardly drive to the end for laughing.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54HE LAUGHS
0:17:00 > 0:17:03My next meeting with Jimmy is at the Sweet Lamb rally
0:17:03 > 0:17:05complex in Mid Wales.
0:17:05 > 0:17:11Eventually, I'm going to emulate Colin McRae by driving a world-class rally car.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17But to get there, I must first learn the basics in a Talbot Sunbeam...
0:17:17 > 0:17:20which is exactly what Colin did.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Basically, this car is a replica of what
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Colin started with when he was 18 years old.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29It's a nice little car.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32The basic starting point is, feel the car moving.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35If you find the car's not wanting to turn in,
0:17:35 > 0:17:37just a wee jab of the handbrake...
0:17:37 > 0:17:39- To bring the nose in?- Yup.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42To the handbrake, round that one.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45You can just about keep it in a slide all the time.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47That's impressive.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Let the clutch back out and back on the throttle.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52The wheel spin then keeps the car
0:17:52 > 0:17:54- in momentum on the sideways.- OK.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Throwing a rally car round a corner is like learning an intricate
0:18:00 > 0:18:05dance routine - something that Colin had down to a fine art.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Everybody's heard of a handbrake turn which
0:18:08 > 0:18:10we use on a very tight corner.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Normally a hairpin, which is just up here.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Down into second. First gear,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16turn, clutch in, handbrake on.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Clutch out, back on power.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21You're raring to go, then?
0:18:21 > 0:18:24'Back at Sweet Lamb, I was ready for my attempt at cornering.'
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Carry on, let's go.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Very good. You OK?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35You control the slide with your throttle.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38See if you can do a spin round the cone there.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Break. Throttle.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Keep it going... throttle, throttle, throttle.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Throttle. There you are.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Aye, you're doing all right.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54'I could see how Colin's experiences on motorbikes helped him.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57'Rallying is all about balancing the car,
0:18:57 > 0:19:00'and understanding how it reacts to the slightest of movements.'
0:19:00 > 0:19:03- This is fun, isn't it?- Aye!
0:19:05 > 0:19:07That's it. That was good.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Keep it going. That's it.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13'Fortunately, my career on two wheels seems to have stood me in good stead.'
0:19:13 > 0:19:15JIMMY LAUGHS
0:19:15 > 0:19:18You have the hang of the handbrake all right now.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20I can see you taking up rallying!
0:19:20 > 0:19:21This is a lot of fun.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23I could do this all day.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29I think that was probably the most fun I've had behind the wheel.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Being a hooligan, sliding about in the mud.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Jimmy McRae next to you, telling you what to do.
0:19:35 > 0:19:36It doesn't get much better.
0:19:36 > 0:19:42He's probably better at that than I would be on his pushbike.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47'But riding a bike is a world away from my final challenge -
0:19:47 > 0:19:51'driving a World Rally-spec Subaru Impreza.'
0:19:51 > 0:19:55It'll be more intimidating, bigger, louder, faster.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56But as long as I take it steady,
0:19:56 > 0:19:58I should be all right and keep it on the road.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00That's the most important thing.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I can totally understand why Colin was hooked on rallying.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Right now, I wish I'd taken up rallying.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07It's so much fun.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11'Colin was signed by Subaru in 1991.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16'At the age of 23, he was at last professional rally driver.'
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Starting the '91 season
0:20:18 > 0:20:20with pro driving, Subaru,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23was a major step forward in both Colin's and my careers.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26I don't think it was a surprise. It was a risk.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Cos Colin was relatively unproven at that stage.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34He started out in the British Rally Championship,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36which he won two years on the trot.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43His spectacular driving style endeared him to the fans
0:20:43 > 0:20:46and fortunately, his new employers had deep enough pockets to keep
0:20:46 > 0:20:48providing him with new cars.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53There were a few ups and downs,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55but generally, we were quicker than everyone else.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58The second year he won the Championship, I think
0:20:58 > 0:20:59he won every rally.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02He started to show the place for Colin was the World Championship.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07By the '93 season, Subaru were ready to give their young superstar
0:21:07 > 0:21:09a shot on the world stage.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11It was, after all,
0:21:11 > 0:21:1417 years since any other British driver
0:21:14 > 0:21:15had won a world rally.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19It was that important to Colin, that important to the whole sport.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Despite huge investment,
0:21:23 > 0:21:28the team were yet to win a single rally in the World Championship.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30There was a real desperation
0:21:30 > 0:21:31for this car to win.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Subaru had invested a lot of money in the car,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36so there was a huge amount of pressure.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42But in the car he'd won two British titles in, Colin was totally at ease.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45COMMENTATOR: McRae is now right in the middle of that fantastic
0:21:45 > 0:21:47five-car fight for the lead.
0:21:47 > 0:21:48He proved he could fight.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51That turned him from a possible leader
0:21:51 > 0:21:54to the potential winner.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57COMMENTATOR: McRae is setting a storming pace.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58Over seven seconds faster than any
0:21:58 > 0:22:00of his opposition on this long, twisting stage.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03He moves from fourth to first place.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Francois Delecour closes to within seconds.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Delecour is driving right on the limit.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12You could see he felt that this was his time.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16COMMENTATOR: McRae fights back as they start the last stage.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19At that point, everyone in the team was on tenterhooks.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22We were only leading by a handful of seconds.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Derek, can we have your time, please?
0:22:25 > 0:22:31As the results came in, the final outcome was impossible to call.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36It was a nail-biting thing, watching on the other side of the world.
0:22:36 > 0:22:37But Colin had done it.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40COMMENTATOR: For McRae, a moment to savour.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41Success at last.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Your son has just won his first
0:22:44 > 0:22:46World Championship rally.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48It was something very, very special.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51It was Colin's first win. It was Subaru's first win.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54It was the start of a new era for Colin and for the team -
0:22:54 > 0:22:56it really put us on the map.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Colin, you've waited a while for this.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Yeah, the whole team has.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05We've been working so hard for three years now.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Just glad we've got it. I'm sure the rest will come a lot easier.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12By 1995, Subaru's fortunes were changing.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16They had a powerful new car, the Impreza,
0:23:16 > 0:23:21and had signed up double-world champion Carlos Sainz to lead the team.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Carlos was able to give us quite a lot of experience as a big driver.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28He was able to push the team.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31But I don't think we'd have seen the best of Carlos
0:23:31 > 0:23:35if we hadn't had a young gun like Colin.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38My ambition is to be world champion.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41If we can continue next year as we have been
0:23:41 > 0:23:43at the moment, there's a possibility.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46To start with, Colin just quietly
0:23:46 > 0:23:48looked up to him, slightly in awe.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50But it didn't last for very long.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Colin was soon determined to knock him off his perch
0:23:54 > 0:23:55and prove who was the fastest.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59An internal battle started to develop
0:23:59 > 0:24:01between Colin and Carlos.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05COMMENTATOR: At the head of the field, it's a Subaru war.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10Colin was one of the toughest team-mates I have.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Sometimes he beat me, sometimes I beat him.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21COMMENTATOR: Carlos Sainz takes over the lead but he's been caught by Colin McRae.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26The young Scot, with Derek Ringer on the pacenotes,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29is driving an absolute stormer.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34With two rallies to go McRae was just ahead of Sainz in the race
0:24:34 > 0:24:36for the drivers' prize.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40We were headed for the world title.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44One of our drivers, Carlos Sainz or Colin, would be world champion.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49But Subaru were worried that the fight might end in a crash.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53In the penultimate rally of the season, the pair were way ahead of the pack
0:24:53 > 0:24:56when they were ordered to stop racing each other.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58I had to say, "Look, guys, I don't need a battle.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01"From here on, you'll follow the order you're in now,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03"so it's team orders."
0:25:03 > 0:25:08But when the order came, Colin was in second place.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15We're fighting for the Championship, why should I have to finish second?
0:25:15 > 0:25:18There are other issues. We're running a team for Subaru
0:25:18 > 0:25:20to win the manufacturers' title.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22It would be foolish to fight inside the team.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27It's the reality of being in a professional team.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Next thing we know, Colin is going flat-out everywhere.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40COMMENTATOR: McRae is inspired. He is going for broke.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44You can be sure Colin was never going to give up.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50COMMENTATOR: McRae reels him in and overhauls him.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54- COMMENTATOR:- The Subaru team, sensing McRae is pressing on regardless,
0:25:54 > 0:26:00resort to desperate and dangerous tactics to slow him down.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04McRae has other ideas.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08In Spain, Colin recorded a faster time than Carlos
0:26:08 > 0:26:15but his disobedience had jeopardised his chances of winning anything.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18It's hard to remember what I said in the heat of the moment,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21but I'm sure I threatened he wouldn't be at the final round
0:26:21 > 0:26:24of the Championship in Britain if he disobeyed team orders
0:26:24 > 0:26:26and we'd just gift the Championship to Carlos.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Colin, on paper, you've won this rally.
0:26:31 > 0:26:32Is that the situation.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Yeah. We've had to book in a minute late now.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37So we're second.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40So this was categorical team orders?
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Yeah, that's what it was.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Colin was forced to give the victory to Sainz,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49meaning they went to the final rally of the season on equal points.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52The situation that occurred in Catalunya
0:26:52 > 0:26:55probably gave us an extra edge
0:26:55 > 0:26:58on the last round of the Championship.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01You're in an enviable position, Colin,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03being the only Brit
0:27:03 > 0:27:05to be able to bring the World Championship back
0:27:05 > 0:27:06to your home country.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I'd be kidding myself if I said there's no pressure.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12I just have to deal with it the best I can,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14get on with it and do the best job I can.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19COMMENTATOR: Colin McRae was sounding a loud warning
0:27:19 > 0:27:21to his rivals.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Determined to become Britain's first-ever World Champion,
0:27:24 > 0:27:29Colin McRae drove like never before in front of his home crowd.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32COMMENTATOR: Again, he was posting faster times than Carlos Sainz.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34He gained another 15 seconds.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39I can no more at the moment. I'm driving as fast as I can.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44Quite simply, he was unbeatable.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47COMMENTATOR: Colin McRae on course for the world title,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50pushing the Impreza to the limit, sometimes beyond it.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56I don't think anybody really took in
0:27:56 > 0:27:59that Britain had a chance to win the World Rally Championship, then he delivered.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03It was the biggest moment for British rallying.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07The spectators lined up for it.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10It was just incredible to drive through that.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- COMMENTATOR:- Even the sun came out as Colin McRae steered the Subaru
0:28:13 > 0:28:14safely home to victory.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17Then when we passed the finish line,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21the feeling of relief was incredible.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Spot on!
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- COMMENTATOR:- Then the triumphant return of Colin McRae.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36It was to be the start of a very long party.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44CROWD CHANT
0:28:44 > 0:28:46- COMMENTATOR:- For Colin McRae, the end of an epic journey,
0:28:46 > 0:28:501,500 miles, which has taken him into the motor-sport record books.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52The first man in 13 years to retain the RAC title,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and Britain's first world champion.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57You had to be driving flat-out, did you not?
0:28:57 > 0:29:02Probably faster than flat-out sometimes. You'd need to ask Derek.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04He'd done what no Briton had ever done before.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06And no Scot had ever done before.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08He was fiercely proud of that.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10And he's become the World Rally Champion.
0:29:15 > 0:29:20Soon, I'm going to recreate Colin's famous victory by driving
0:29:20 > 0:29:22the legendary WRC Impreza.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32'For my next lesson,
0:29:32 > 0:29:35'I'm at a disused aerodrome awaiting an old friend of Colin's...
0:29:35 > 0:29:37'Ken Block.'
0:29:37 > 0:29:38How are you doing, mate?
0:29:40 > 0:29:42That's some entrance!
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Had to get you started somehow.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48I'll be driving Colin's Subaru Impreza.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50Have you any advice you can give me?
0:29:50 > 0:29:54The main thing is don't crash Colin's cars!
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Right.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57Basically,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00one of the big things of learning to drive a rally car
0:30:00 > 0:30:02is learning the weight transfer,
0:30:02 > 0:30:05how you put the car into over-steer, how you control it,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07and get the maximum speed out of it.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09You want to get down the stages
0:30:09 > 0:30:11quick as humanly possible.
0:30:11 > 0:30:12Like this.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22It may look like a thrill ride, but this rally car has been set up
0:30:22 > 0:30:24to handle just like a rally car would on gravel.
0:30:41 > 0:30:42Using amazing dexterity,
0:30:42 > 0:30:46Ken was demonstrating how to keep the car perfectly balanced at all times.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00- Do you still get a buzz out of doing this?- Oh, yes!
0:31:11 > 0:31:14To succeed in the Imprezza, I needed to take note.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Especially as there was just one obstacle left for Ken to tackle.
0:31:21 > 0:31:22A Vulcan bomber.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51So, Chris. How did you like it?
0:31:51 > 0:31:53That was amazing. Absolutely...
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Like nothing else I have done,
0:31:55 > 0:32:00honestly. I was trying to watch you as well as we were going,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03but literally, it was just so aggressive and full-on,
0:32:03 > 0:32:08there's tyre smoke coming in, it's an assault on your senses.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11This car is a bit more violent, it slides around,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14it's a little more dramatic than you would like to drive on the gravel,
0:32:14 > 0:32:16keeping things in a nice straight line
0:32:16 > 0:32:20and getting as much grip as possible, always a faster technique.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23If you can get that mastered in that car,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26- you should be very proud of yourself.- Yes!
0:32:30 > 0:32:35After his 1995 world title, Colin was at an all-time high.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Where's the bar?
0:32:37 > 0:32:41And away from the track, he married the girl of his dreams.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46Wooing Alison, that was a long-term project, it didn't happen overnight.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49Every time I went out at the weekend he was always there,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52in the background, asking me out.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57- He wore her down and she eventually gave in.- Colin had it all.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00He was the fastest rally driver of his generation.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02But his inconsistency opened the door to an up and coming rival.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05The new kid on the block was Tommi Makinen,
0:33:05 > 0:33:10who was driving a Mitsubishi Lancer. That was the car that began to set
0:33:10 > 0:33:13the standards for the next two or three years.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Tommi - many, many congratulations, an absolutely superb drive.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Thank you. Feeling very great, I am very happy.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25The Finn beat Colin to the world title in 1996,
0:33:25 > 0:33:30'97, '98, and '99.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34It's an unbelievable feeling.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37But Colin and the Subaru team didn't like coming second.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41We had as good a car as anybody, probably better at some events,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44and circumstance just played against him.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47It was just a disaster, there's no words can describe it.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51When you've fought so hard for so many years, to lose it
0:33:51 > 0:33:55three Ks from the end of the penultimate event, it's a disaster.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59The losses had put Colin's relationship with Subaru under serious strain.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04I did try looking after him like my own son, I tried battling with him,
0:34:04 > 0:34:09arguing with him, shouting at him, coercing him, bribing,
0:34:09 > 0:34:10I tried anything.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13I still want to win rallies and championships,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15I don't want to have a good wage
0:34:15 > 0:34:17and finish third and fourth, I want to win.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23In the end, the team couldn't stop their frustrated star from seeking pastures new.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Yeah, there was quite an atmosphere, really.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Some of sadness, some of bitterness, upset.
0:34:31 > 0:34:36I think it was good for both parties that Colin moved on.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39'After a string of near-misses, his new partnership with Ford
0:34:39 > 0:34:42'could be just what he needs to take him back to the top.'
0:34:42 > 0:34:47Colin's new employers had high hopes for their latest car, the Focus.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52They were looking for a very, very high-profile driver for the 1999 season.
0:34:52 > 0:34:53I had no problem convincing
0:34:53 > 0:34:58the Ford management that Colin McRae would be exactly
0:34:58 > 0:34:59what we were looking for.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05Ford made Colin the highest-paid rally driver in history.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09'From a wage of ten grand at Subaru in 1991
0:35:09 > 0:35:14'to a £3 million a year contract with Ford in 1999.'
0:35:14 > 0:35:16It was by far the biggest amount
0:35:16 > 0:35:20ever paid to a rally driver and of course, the money talked.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24But Colin had gone from a proven car he knew well
0:35:24 > 0:35:27to one with teething problems that was unfamiliar.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31'..heading towards a splash...'
0:35:31 > 0:35:34And without the firm hand of his old boss to keeping in check,
0:35:34 > 0:35:38McRae often pushed his new machine beyond its limits.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Malcolm was our team boss, there's no doubt,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44and Colin respected that fact,
0:35:44 > 0:35:48but I think Malcolm couldn't really control Colin.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51If you give Colin a couple of inches he will create a mile
0:35:51 > 0:35:52out of it straight away.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02A combination of extreme driving and mechanical failures meant that
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Colin finished just three out of 14 rallies in 1999.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10I think the fact was that when Colin crashed,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12it generally was end of rally.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18But his uncompromising commitment to being the fastest
0:36:18 > 0:36:21was earning him more respect than ever before.
0:36:21 > 0:36:26Sometimes he just pushed a little bit too hard for the win,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29because he was a winner, and God loves a winner.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37Colin's approach - win or bust, fastest stage time or nothing -
0:36:37 > 0:36:40is exactly what the fans want to see.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41It's what made Colin great.
0:36:41 > 0:36:45By 2000, Colin had a legendary reputation,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49but winning championships requires a more calculated approach.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52His record could have been even better if he had just taken
0:36:52 > 0:36:56just a slightly more cautious approach to things.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03But away from the madness of rally driving, Colin was growing up.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07He and Alison had bought a farm in their home county of Lanarkshire
0:37:07 > 0:37:09and were starting a family.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14And McRae's new-found responsibility was changing him as a driver, too.
0:37:14 > 0:37:19Come 2001, he seemed to have finally bonded with his Focus.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28It started to come good. The partnership began to work.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32As the season progressed, the car and Colin got quicker and quicker.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36But standing in his way was a young English star, driving for his old team.
0:37:38 > 0:37:44The battle for the drivers' crown was between Colin and Richard Burns.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47I don't really give a damn who is behind me,
0:37:47 > 0:37:48I want to do the best I can.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51I just want to win the championship, it doesn't matter who I beat.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Obviously Richard is going to be one of the most competitive people.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00McRae had a big point to prove against the Subaru driver
0:38:00 > 0:38:02in what was hailed as the "Battle of Britain".
0:38:09 > 0:38:12By the final rally of the season, Colin led by a single point.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16All he needed to do was to drive faster than Burns
0:38:16 > 0:38:20and the world championship would be his.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23'It was very much a '95 situation.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28'There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to win.'
0:38:28 > 0:38:31'That day was more or less just celebrating,'
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Colin just had to drive round, really.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54'Tree, sky, road, tree, sky, road,'
0:38:54 > 0:38:57bing, bang, bosh.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01My word. What an accident. But that's Colin McRae.
0:39:01 > 0:39:02That was it.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07Normally the first thing a driver does is push the start button again
0:39:07 > 0:39:10but I knew at the time, I knew halfway through the accident,
0:39:10 > 0:39:12we wouldn't be pushing the start button again,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15and it wasn't the rally, it was the championship.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20Once again, after all the hopes and expectations,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Colin had pushed it too far.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26It was hard to swallow, it must have made him
0:39:26 > 0:39:31check himself for the future, to realise how stupid I was to throw that away.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35I made a mistake, I cut a corner just a bit too much and there was a hole
0:39:35 > 0:39:38on the inside and it flipped the car upside down.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Desperately disappointing for you.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43It is, we were trying to win the championship,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45things like that can happen.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Sorry for the whole team, it was so near but we haven't got it again.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54All I will say is, take a look at the look on my face.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58It was Colin's last real chance at the championship.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Two years later he left the WRC to seek pastures new.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13'I am in Merzouga, Morocco,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17'where Colin came to prepare for his next big challenge.'
0:40:17 > 0:40:20I think a lot of people, when they talk about Colin McRae
0:40:20 > 0:40:24they think about the world rally but really, his career was very diverse,
0:40:24 > 0:40:27he took part in a number of aspects of motorsport
0:40:27 > 0:40:32and the Paris-Dakar rally was one of the biggest ones he was involved in.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35'Unable to find the right offer from a WRC team,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37'Colin turned to endurance racing,
0:40:37 > 0:40:42'finishing third in his class at Le Mons before competing in the Dakar twice.'
0:40:44 > 0:40:47The Dakar rally is the ultimate off-road marathon.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50The last time Colin entered it in 2005,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52it stretched from Barcelona,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55through the deserts of North Africa, before finishing in Senegal.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05'It seemed that rather than enjoy a little time off,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08'Colin was intent on taking things up a gear.'
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- How are you?- Great.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15What was it about the Dakar rally that Colin found so exciting?
0:41:15 > 0:41:21He had seen from the past, his idol Ari Vatanen had come from rallying
0:41:21 > 0:41:25and come to Dakar and was very successful.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29It's a fantastic challenge, one of the greatest
0:41:29 > 0:41:33challenges in motor sport, to come and do well in Dakar.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38He came actually to here to do some testing in 2004 and 2005,
0:41:38 > 0:41:44with the Nissan Dakar car, because you have the dunes very close,
0:41:44 > 0:41:49and you have wide-open desert to the other side, so it was an ideal place.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52To me it seems, the thought of me trying to do the Tour de France,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56I couldn't imagine riding for three weeks in a row, I'm a sprinter, I do short-distance events,
0:41:56 > 0:42:00to me that's what it seems like for rally driver, used to doing these short, intense stages.
0:42:00 > 0:42:06You wonder why you would want to do that. Because it's a pretty gruelling event.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10You're talking about 550 kilometres here on a special stage.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12It's pretty hard work.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16I was about to get a taste of the world's longest rally,
0:42:16 > 0:42:21courtesy of Jimmy. And he lined up a very special vehicle.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25Developed by Colin's brother Alister, the McRae Enduro.
0:42:27 > 0:42:32This beast of a 4x4 is powerful enough to lug through the finest sand,
0:42:32 > 0:42:36is able to run for 2,000 kilometres on a single tank,
0:42:36 > 0:42:39can cool itself in the searing heat,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42and has suspension that soaks up the toughest of terrains.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Designed especially for the Dakar,
0:42:46 > 0:42:50the Enduro is quite simply a beast of a car.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55I'm sure Colin would have loved to have raced in this.
0:42:55 > 0:43:01What the family would have liked to have seen would be both Alister and Colin driving this
0:43:01 > 0:43:04at Dakar at some point, obviously doing well if we could.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Let's go for it, eh.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10I've no idea what the best way to experience what the Dakar rally is
0:43:10 > 0:43:15other than to get out there in the cars that Colin and the guys would have driven in,
0:43:15 > 0:43:17just to see what the terrain is like.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20But this is quite an intimidating environment to do it in!
0:43:20 > 0:43:24A lot of the danger is the element of surprise, things that come out of nowhere.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27Where's the cup holder?
0:43:27 > 0:43:30There's no air-conditioning either!
0:43:30 > 0:43:32- Let's do it.- OK!
0:43:42 > 0:43:44Not bad for a diesel.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57Jimmy didn't start rallying until he was in his 30s,
0:43:57 > 0:44:02and as a result, he missed out on international competitions like the Dakar.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04But I had a feeling that had he started a little younger,
0:44:04 > 0:44:08he would have made a name for himself on the world stage.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22It's like a big playground, isn't it?
0:44:23 > 0:44:28Sadly, Colin never experienced the thrill of his brother Alister's creation.
0:44:28 > 0:44:33But at least Jimmy's been able to get his teeth into this 1.8 ton monster vehicle.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51Winning the Dakar requires an equal mix of man and machine
0:44:51 > 0:44:55and the true test of that was looming on the horizon.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01To me, the dunes look like they are the ones you could have some spectacular issues out there.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03I think the dunes are the most difficult.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10You need the most experience to get through.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13And we're heading up there now so I've got very little experience
0:45:13 > 0:45:16and you've got none! Let's go and have a look.
0:45:22 > 0:45:23Scream if you want to go faster.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33I'm looking forward to this.
0:45:35 > 0:45:36Here we go.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50It's looming out of the horizon. All of a sudden it just starts.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52The Sahara desert is an unforgiving place,
0:45:52 > 0:45:56but it wasn't hard to see why Colin jumped at the chance to rally here.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12In 2005, Colin blew the competition away.
0:46:12 > 0:46:17By the time he reached Africa, he had built up an unbelievable lead of over five minutes.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23And on my adventure Jimmy was also getting into the groove.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31I couldn't even see that. It just came out of nowhere.
0:46:31 > 0:46:36The McRae family truly are a legendary dynasty of rallyers.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38But the reason Colin was so spectacular was
0:46:38 > 0:46:41because he pushed his car to the absolute limit.
0:46:42 > 0:46:47A few stages from the 2005 finish, he wiped out.
0:46:50 > 0:46:55Once again, his flat-out style saw another dream in tatters.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59The car dug in the sand and then flipped over.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07Back in the desert, I hoped we wouldn't have a similar experience.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13But then we got completely stuck.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Where did it all go wrong, Jimmy?
0:47:15 > 0:47:19You have got handbrake on, haven't you?
0:47:19 > 0:47:21It's not going to move far!
0:47:22 > 0:47:24So if this happened in the race itself,
0:47:24 > 0:47:30obviously you would be doing it with a bit more urgency, but would this be game over...?
0:47:30 > 0:47:3235 or 40 degrees of heat.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34How much effort can you put in to it?
0:47:37 > 0:47:40My respect for Colin was growing by the minute.
0:47:42 > 0:47:47But then we found a magic button that made life a whole lot easier.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53So it comes out from the car itself.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55That's pretty cool.
0:47:55 > 0:47:56Oh, nice.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Thanks to the car's self-lifting mechanism,
0:47:58 > 0:48:00it was my turn at the wheel.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02Keep your foot flat on the throttle.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Keep it there, first gear.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Jimmy is a very brave man.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22I wanted to make my teacher proud.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25And if there's one thing I've learned from Colin,
0:48:25 > 0:48:29it's that in these situations, it's best to drive as fast as possible.
0:48:29 > 0:48:32I saw you grabbing the side there, Jimmy! I saw you!
0:48:51 > 0:48:52Wha-hay!
0:48:54 > 0:48:55That was fun!
0:49:01 > 0:49:05Our day in the desert was over. And what a day it had been.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12- It's been some day. - It has, and a half.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16It's been really worth the trip to get here to just see what it
0:49:16 > 0:49:18was all about.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21This is real special Dakar sand dunes.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24I apologise for the slight airborne moment we took.
0:49:24 > 0:49:29I thought the airborne moment, we were flying home from there!
0:49:29 > 0:49:31I'm really starting to understand how versatile Colin
0:49:31 > 0:49:34was as a driver and his ability to turn his hand to anything
0:49:34 > 0:49:39with an engine, he could get into it and he could do incredible things.
0:49:39 > 0:49:43And it was one of these guys, if he was going to do something,
0:49:43 > 0:49:48he wanted to do it properly. And he was one of the boys. as well.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51It was a team effort, as far as he was concerned.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53People do become specialised in what they do and focus on that
0:49:53 > 0:49:56and that's all they do, but Colin just seemed to have this
0:49:56 > 0:49:59ferocious appetite, determination, and he'd turn his hand to anything.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03How does it make you feel, and Margaret, when people tell you
0:50:03 > 0:50:07stories about Colin and about how he impacted on their lives?
0:50:07 > 0:50:11It makes you very proud. It's a fantastic achievement.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15I'm sure he would have continued with the Dakar.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19Today was fantastic. Thank you very much for that.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23I probably won't take up the offer of coming cycling with you.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25Any time you want, Jimmy. Any time!
0:50:27 > 0:50:31Despite leaving the WRC, Colin continued to follow his dreams
0:50:31 > 0:50:34and to push himself even further.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39By 2006, he was back in Scotland planning a return to rallying
0:50:39 > 0:50:41but as a budding entrepreneur.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47He designed a purpose-built rally car called the McRae R4.
0:50:49 > 0:50:54This concept vehicle was to be aimed at the semi-professional market.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58After years of work, he debuted car in 2007.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05But, the R4 Project was to remain unfinished.
0:51:06 > 0:51:10'Former world champion rally driver Colin McRae is feared dead, along with
0:51:10 > 0:51:14'three other people, after a helicopter crash near his home in Lanarkshire.'
0:51:14 > 0:51:18'Colin McRae's five-year-old son and two family friends were also killed.'
0:51:20 > 0:51:23'Today, the fatal accident enquiry ruled that the deaths would
0:51:23 > 0:51:28'have been avoided if Colin McRae had not taken unnecessary
0:51:28 > 0:51:31'and unsafe risks by flying too low, too fast.'
0:51:33 > 0:51:37'It states... For a private pilot such as Mr McRae lacking
0:51:37 > 0:51:41'the necessary training, experience or requirement to do so,
0:51:41 > 0:51:43'embarking upon such demanding,
0:51:43 > 0:51:48'low-level flying in such difficult terrain was imprudent,
0:51:48 > 0:51:52'unreasonable and contrary to the principle of good airmanship.'
0:51:55 > 0:52:00It was really really sad. I really miss him. I miss him a lot.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07'In a statement, McRae's father Jimmy said he was an inspiration
0:52:07 > 0:52:10'and role model to motorsport fans the world over.'
0:52:11 > 0:52:15'Coming to pay tribute, fans and friends of Colin McRae,
0:52:15 > 0:52:17'the champion rally driver and sporting hero.'
0:52:22 > 0:52:25It was a very long night remembering all those great
0:52:25 > 0:52:30scenes of Colin in his rally car and great memories together.
0:52:34 > 0:52:38It is a massive loss to motorsport and all his friends and family.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47The circumstances of the crash are well documented.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54But I wanted Jimmy to know his son will always have
0:52:54 > 0:52:56a place in motorsport history.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59It's hard to express the effect his life has had on so many people
0:52:59 > 0:53:01and the legacy that is left behind.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04The generation he inspired that are still rallying now,
0:53:04 > 0:53:09but the generation seeing him as this icon and true legend of the sport.
0:53:09 > 0:53:10To be honest,
0:53:10 > 0:53:14I don't think Colin realised what type of following he had.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17Younger generation drivers that are here today have played the game
0:53:17 > 0:53:23and it's a way people start in the sport, it's really an honour.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29The term "legend" gets used too much these days that it applies
0:53:29 > 0:53:32absolutely wholeheartedly for Colin.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36He certainly makes me proud that he has left the legacy.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46Five years after Colin's untimely death,
0:53:46 > 0:53:50I am going to recreate his most inspiring victory...
0:53:51 > 0:53:56..by driving the same rally stage he clinched the 1995 world title on.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00It brings it home just how short life is
0:54:00 > 0:54:04and the way he lived his life, he tried to enjoy every moment of it
0:54:04 > 0:54:07and make the most of it, and it's the one thing that comes
0:54:07 > 0:54:12across every person you meet who knew Colin, he had this passion for life.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15And it was infectious.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18As a top cyclist, I am used to endless training.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20But I am not sure if anything can prepare me
0:54:20 > 0:54:22for the challenge that awaits.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Taking control of a genuine WRC Subaru Impreza.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36In the hands of a professional, this finely tuned four-wheel-drive beast
0:54:36 > 0:54:40is capable of breakneck speeds no matter what terrain you throw at it.
0:54:45 > 0:54:46The stakes couldn't be higher.
0:54:48 > 0:54:53But fortunately, I will have Colin's co-driver from 1995 by my side.
0:54:53 > 0:54:58- Derek Ringer. Good to meet you.- Good to meet you. This is your car today.
0:54:58 > 0:55:03This is it, the iconic WRC car. This is what it means.
0:55:03 > 0:55:08I am pretty intimidated and quite scared but looking forward to it.
0:55:08 > 0:55:12What should I expect in terms of a step up from the Sunbeam
0:55:12 > 0:55:13to this monster?
0:55:13 > 0:55:16Well, it would be like going from a Shetland pony to
0:55:16 > 0:55:18a thoroughbred racehorse.
0:55:18 > 0:55:19Let's put it that way.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24Excited but nervous.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28I want to keep it on, upright, off its roof,
0:55:28 > 0:55:32and not damage the car but hopefully have a lot of fun.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41It's a massive honour to be out there
0:55:41 > 0:55:44and to get this opportunity to drive alongside Derek
0:55:44 > 0:55:47and to drive in the seat Colin used to drive in, and do the best
0:55:47 > 0:55:51I can to do him proud and do Jimmy proud.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54OK, Chris. We're ready to go. I've got the notes here.
0:55:55 > 0:56:00It's quite slippy in places today but we've got some fast corners.
0:56:00 > 0:56:04I was finally ready for the drive of my life.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08I just hoped I could make Jimmy proud.
0:56:08 > 0:56:09Where's the button?
0:56:12 > 0:56:16Five, four, three, two, one.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22170.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28It snagged a little bit.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35He's come to terms with that pretty quickly. Very good.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38As I attempted to tame the Impreza,
0:56:38 > 0:56:41I suddenly understood something Colin once said.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45If in doubt, flat out.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06He's going to be piped in by the bagpiper.
0:57:06 > 0:57:12Colin McRae, the RAC Network Q winner, once again.
0:57:12 > 0:57:17Bang on time, the champion, the cross of St Andrew
0:57:17 > 0:57:22waving at Chester racecourse. Up onto the ramp he comes.
0:57:22 > 0:57:291,445 miles later, he comes back the champion, the winner of the Network Q...
0:57:29 > 0:57:32Colin McRae.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47It's mixed emotions coming to the end of his journey and experience
0:57:47 > 0:57:53of meeting Colin's teammates and his crew, his family and friends.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55Still grinning.
0:57:55 > 0:57:58You can see me through the windscreen with the teeth poking through the smile.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01And the tongue sticking out trying to concentrate.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04I've had such a great time, it's been fantastic and I am sad
0:58:04 > 0:58:08it's over, but also sad Colin isn't here to be part of the whole.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10His legend lives on.
0:58:33 > 0:58:35Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd