Nicki Shields: five unlikely epic drives

Descending from a long line of petrolheads, Nicki Shields spends her days on the cutting edge of motorsports technology as the pit-lane reporter for the FIA Formula E Championship – the F1 for electric cars – as well as presenting motorsport shows for CNN, ITV and Sky Sports. Taking a break from life in the fast lane, Nicki tells The Club about five of her most memorable motoring adventures.

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El Chalten to El Calafate, Argentina

My husband and I drove around this region of Patagonia for our honeymoon. The landscape was unlike anything I’d ever seen: huge expanses of land overlooked by majestic mountain tops. You never lose sight of the mountains, they are either right in front of you or in your rear-view mirror. Every now and then we’d come across a lake or river with the most incredible piercing-blue water.

Car of choice: Tesla Model X P100D

Photo: Getty Images

Circuit de Monaco, France

I drove this circuit with Bruno Senna in his McLaren 675LT Spider. His uncle, legendary racer Ayrton Senna, won the Grand Prix six times, and we spoke about the differences between driving in the 1980s compared with now. It’s a street circuit, so the track goes right through the actual town, and it’s open to the public most of the year.

Car of choice: McLaren 675LT Spider

Photo: Getty Images

Rome to Tuscany, Italy

The drive from Rome to Tuscany along the smaller, sweeping roads is stunning. Take the SP493 to Lake Bracciano, before joining the SP3a to Tolfa, and be sure to stop for lunch at a small coastal town called Capalbio, where you’ll find Rosso e Vino alla Dogana – the restaurant serves the freshest octopus and calamari I have ever tasted.

Car of choice: McLaren 720S

Photo: Getty Images

Punta Del Este to José Ignacio, Uruguay

The track for the Formula E race in Punta Del Este is right on the beach – as is the compound from where we presented the race coverage. It’s worth taking the 31km coastal drive from there up to José Ignacio – dubbed the ‘Monaco of South America’, thanks to the international jet-setters it attracts. It’s busy over Christmas and New Year, but totally deserted for the rest of the year.

Car of choice: BMW i8

Photo: Getty Images

London to Goodwood, UK

Goodwood is my spiritual home. I usually drive there from London on the A3, but come off early and take the lovely country roads that lead through the South Downs. The Festival of Speed (every summer) is the best time to visit: it showcases cars throughout history, and you’ll probably spot the odd celebrity or motorsports star as well.

Car of choice: 1951 Jaguar C-Type

Photo: Getty Images

Nicki Shields

Nicki Shields: five unlikely epic drives

El Chalten to El Calafate, Argentina

Circuit de Monaco, France

Rome to Tuscany, Italy

Punta Del Este to José Ignacio, Uruguay

London to Goodwood, UK

El Chalten to El Calafate, Argentina

Circuit de Monaco, France

Rome to Tuscany, Italy

Punta Del Este to José Ignacio, Uruguay

London to Goodwood, UK

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