Marcel Tarrès: A Hillclimb Legend's Driving Masterclass (Turckheim 1990, Martini MK56)

Understeer, traction, weight transfer: Marcel Tarrès, multiple French Hillclimb Champion, rewatches his 1990 Turckheim run sector by sector and becomes his own coach. And at Vuillafans that same year, he swaps a blown engine in 1h30 and sets the best time.

Some interviews give you dates and names. Others finally show you how it's done. This one is firmly in the second camp. Marcel Tarrès, multiple French Hillclimb Champion and Martini F2 BMW driver, opens up his memory and his technique, backed by archive footage, for a genuine hillclimb driving masterclass.

Two ways to drive: with the front or with the rear?

It all starts with a simple question: what do you drive a race car with, the front or the rear? Marcel Tarrès explains that there are two schools of thought, then lays out his own: driving "to the track", with precision, aiming for the apex and keeping traction as the guiding thread.

A quick note for newcomers: traction is a car's ability to put power down without the driven wheels spinning. On a narrow mountain road where grip changes from run to run, it can make or break your time.

Understeer or oversteer: why he preferred a car that pushes

This is one of the highlights. Understeer is when the front "pushes" and won't turn as much as you want. Oversteer is when the rear steps out. Many drivers dream of a lively, playful car. Marcel Tarrès explains why, in his eyes, a car that pushes at the front was more efficient.

It goes against the popular image of the driver hanging the car out sideways, but it speaks to anyone who has ever hunted for a few tenths on the clock.

The start, the throttle and no traction control

Back then, no electronics rescued a poor launch. Marcel Tarrès talks about working the throttle: loading the pedal, reading the changing track, and metering power so the car moves forward without wheelspin. He also brings up Ayrton Senna and his way of "pumping" the throttle, a technique that echoes what we still see at standing starts today, but here with no digital safety net.

Martini MK56T: sparks, Kevlar-carbon and titanium

Technical fans will love this part. Marcel Tarrès's Martini MK56T is also a car that scrapes, and shows it. He talks about the spectacle of the sparks and the engineering solutions of the era: floors, Kevlar-carbon plates and titanium skids, discussed notably around the Boyeux Saint-Jérôme episode. Real racing technology, built to withstand the loads and contact of a very low single-seater on mountain roads.

Turckheim, 12 wins: a hillclimb like no other

Twelve wins at Turckheim: the number says everything about the bond between Marcel Tarrès and this event. In the interview, he explains what makes this hillclimb so special to him. It sets the scene for the most original part of the video.

Turckheim 1990: Marcel Tarrès becomes his own coach

This is the heart of the interview. Marcel Tarrès watches his 1990 Turckheim run, split into four sectors, the way an engineer or coach would study telemetry. Where does he lose time? What is the car doing? What would he do differently today?

Sector 1: the start and the straight

Everything is decided in the first few metres: the launch, the traction, then the straight. A concrete look at what "working the throttle" means when nothing corrects it for you.

Sector 2: the hairpin and weight transfer

The horseshoe is a slow, demanding corner. Marcel Tarrès uses it to explain weight transfer under braking: how the car's weight shifts forward as you brake, and how to use that to attack the corner. A great piece of teaching.

Sectors 3 and 4: tyres, the finish and the verdict

The end of the climb covers tyres, the finish line and the overall assessment. The driver separates what was done well from what he would change.

Vuillafans 1990: blown engine after 50 metres, swapped in 1h30, best time

Then there's this story. At Vuillafans in 1990, the engine fails after just 50 metres. End of the story? Not for Marcel Tarrès. The engine is replaced in around an hour and a half, and what follows reads like a script: the best time of the event.

For heritage fans, it also shows what hillclimbing meant at the time: mechanics and drivers capable of turning a setback into a triumph. That spirit connects directly with the DNA of endurance racing and Le Mans, where resourcefulness and preparation also make the difference.

Other drivers mentioned

Along the way, Marcel Tarrès also mentions Daniel Boccard, Anne Baverey and Marc Sourd, names that enrich the French hillclimb scene.

Watch the full interview on YouTube

This article is only a taster: the sector-by-sector analysis, the archive footage and the anecdotes are best enjoyed in full. ▶ Watch the full video on YouTube and subscribe to the Live4Racing channel for regular driver interviews and motorsport stories. Tell us in the comments which hillclimb left the biggest mark on you.

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Many thanks to Pilotes.tv for lending the archive footage that made this analysis possible.

Tags: Marcel Tarrès, hillclimb, driving masterclass, Turckheim 1990, Vuillafans 1990, Martini MK56T, BMW Formula 2, French Hillclimb Championship, understeer, traction, Daniel Boccard, Marc Sourd, Pilotes.tv