After lengthy delays, the 25th James Bond film “No Time To Die” is set to hit theaters on September 30th, 2021. Not to miss a perfect promotional opportunity, Aston Martin decided to let their F1 drivers have a go in a selection of their iconic Bond cars for a Sky Sports F1 feature.
At the Silverstone track, F1 commentator David Croft reveals a DB5 hidden in the back of a truck to Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll. Former F1 driver turned commentator Martin Brundle joins the fun, along with Sky F1’s TV host, Natalie Pinkham,
The first challenge for the drivers is to drift around a left-handed corner in a DB5-lookalike. The high-powered stunt car is a sight to behold in itself, looking every bit as gorgeous as an original DB5, with the kind of power needed for the high-octane stunts seen on screens. The double is rumored to be built off a BMW E46 chassis, and while the precise details have been disputed, the engine note certainly sounds like that of a straight-six.
Stroll has the first crack at the drift, only to spin all three times he tried. On the other hand, four-time World Champion Vettel completed a smooth slide around the corner after almost clouting the tire wall on the first go. Brundle was up next, and despite failing to sustain the drift the first two tries, he makes amends with a few donuts.
The next challenge was another donut, one that mirrors a stunt from the new Bond movie, expertly demonstrated by stunt and ex-rally driver Mark Higgins. A surprising amount of effort goes into capturing the perfect scene into one of those signature Bond car chases. According to Higgins, the crew spent seven weeks in Italy for a sequence that may last only five minutes in the film.