Robin Shute
Octane|December 2022
 From the flattest corner of England to three victories at Pikes Peak, the most celebrated hillclimb in the USA: meet the new (British) King of the Mountain
James Page
Robin Shute

MARIO ANDRETII PROBABLY put it best when he said that Pikes Peak was pure madness but incredible’ The legendary Italian-born American won the Race to the Clouds in 1969, a time when the Colorado hillclimb was still very much Unser Mountain thanks to the success of Louis, Bobby and Al Unser, but the domestic stranglehold on Pikes Peak weakened during the 1980s, when the rallying superstars from Europe started to make the trip across the Atlantic. They were led by Michele Mouton, who in 1985 became the first non-American driver to take overall victory there. Since then, the likes of Rod and Rhys Millen, Nobuhiro Tajima, Sébastien Loeb and Romain Dumas have maintained international dominance of this very American event.

And now there’s a new King of the Mountain. British racer Robin Shute has won there three times in only five visits pretty impressive for someone who grew up in Norfolk, one of the UK’s flattest counties. His father, Tony, had a long career with Lotus as a development driver and programme leader, and in 2011 Robin started his own career as an automotive engineer with Tesla in California. The West Coast location helped, as did the generous signing-on bonus, which he used as a downpayment on a Corvette C6.

He'd done some circuit racing along the way, and got his first taste of Pikes Peak in 2017. He was working for Faraday Future by then, and the company wanted to generate some publicity by entering the hillclimb with its 1000bhp FF 91. The intention had been for a Formula E driver to take the wheel but, when that deal failed to materialise, Shute found himself in the hot seat.

Bu hikaye Octane dergisinin December 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Octane dergisinin December 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

OCTANE DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
The Pro route to faster lap times
Octane

The Pro route to faster lap times

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+

time-read
2 dak  |
January 2025
The power to corrupt
Octane

The power to corrupt

2024 Aston Martin Vanquish

time-read
2 dak  |
January 2025
Hyperactivate!
Octane

Hyperactivate!

1967 Austin-Cooper MkII 998 by Crafted Classics Tuning Glen Waddington

time-read
2 dak  |
January 2025
De Tomaso Racing Blue Blood
Octane

De Tomaso Racing Blue Blood

IF THE MARQUE De Tomaso is mainly familiar to you through cars such as the Mangusta, the Pantera, maybe the Longchamps and, if you're next-level classic car geek, racers such as the P70, then the sheer variety to be found in this mammoth tome is going to come as something of a shock. There are literally dozens profiled here, and one or two will probably be news to even the most seasoned enthusiast.

time-read
4 dak  |
January 2025
The best watch in the world
Octane

The best watch in the world

We've been here, but it bears repeating these gems will soon be cheaper than a 1st class stamp

time-read
2 dak  |
January 2025
A star is reborn
Octane

A star is reborn

This recently revived coachbuilt beauty made the final four at the Pebble Beach concours in August

time-read
8 dak  |
January 2025
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
Octane

REINVENTING THE WHEEL

The gyroscopically stabilised Gyro-X blurred the line between reality and science fiction. Sam Glover takes the prototype for a spin

time-read
10+ dak  |
January 2025
SAYONARA GT-R
Octane

SAYONARA GT-R

After a remarkable 17-year career, the supercar-humbling Nissan GT-R bows out on a high

time-read
2 dak  |
January 2025
Shiro Nakamura
Octane

Shiro Nakamura

Nissan’s long-standing Chief Creative Officer became architect of the marque’s style-led revival… and is also known as ‘Mr GT-R’

time-read
7 dak  |
January 2025
LIGHT SPARKS
Octane

LIGHT SPARKS

How does the electric Tesla Roadster compare today?

time-read
7 dak  |
January 2025