Watch a McLaren-Mercedes SLR Roadster Drift Monaco’s Hairpins Before F1 QualifyingThere are better ways to spend qualifying morning at Monaco than watching a former rally driver slide a supercar through mountain hairpins at 7am. Probably. But it's hard to think of one right now.That was the scene on the hills above Monaco during the most recent Grand Prix weekend – a small convoy of serious machinery heading into the hills above the principality before filtering back down in time for F1 qualifying. The group included a Porsche 992.2 Speedster, a 992.2 GT3, and a Jaguar. But the car everyone kept looking at was the Mercedes-Benz SLR Roadster, driven by a man named Raul – described as a French and Italian local personality, a former rally driver from the '80s and early '90s, and someone who is apparently "famous for going sideways in any car that he drives."That reputation held up. By the third corner on the route up through the iconic Route de la Turbie, the Seen Through Glass YouTuber Sam Fane could already smell burning rubber. The SLR was already sideways.What Makes the SLR Roadster Such an Unlikely Drift ToolOn paper, the SLR Roadster was never meant for this Due to its automatic gearbox, front mid-engine arrangement, and driving characteristics, some automotive journalists classify the SLR McLaren as a grand tourer – not a precision point-and-squirt sports car.AdvertisementAdvertisementBeneath the long hood sits a hand-built 5.4-liter supercharged V8 from AMG producing 617 horsepower and 575 lb-ft of torque, sent to the rear wheels through a 5-speed AMG Speedshift automatic.That transmission was chosen, per autoevolution, specifically for its ability to handle the engine's enormous torque load.As a convertible, the Roadster was burdened with extra weight compared to the coupe, which affected both performance and handling.Raul apparently considers that a minor detail. During the switchback section of the route, he looped two hairpins in full opposite-lock slides and kept the car moving – with the host watching through the windscreen in something between awe and mild concern. The conversation after the run included the observation that on one straight section, the SLR was still sideways for no particular mechanical reason. "There was one where it was straight and you were still – I was like, 'Oh shit,'" Fane said.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat Raul pointed out afterward is actually interesting from a driver's perspective: the SLR's autobox and limited-slip differential mean the car's behavior in a slide isn't always predictable, and modern sports cars with fully disableable traction control give the driver more control over that dynamic. The SLR doesn't let you switch everything off entirely, which makes what Raul pulls off in the thing even more remarkable. His take on it: "This is auto block and gearbox and manual… with this car you slide is incredible."He also noted he sold over 30 SLRs across his career, which perhaps explains the comfort level.Back Down in Time for QualifyingThe convoy made a coffee stop at a French patisserie the host had discovered a few years earlier during Monaco Historic, which is exactly the right way to spend a Saturday morning in the south of France. Then it was back to Monaco in time for F1 qualifying – where, as it turned out, the SLR wasn't the only McLaren product having a good day.As mornings go, this is hard to beat.