World's Toughest Driving Tests (2010) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
These are some of the hardest to drive and most dangerous machines on the planet.
It's brutal, physical, and dangerous work.
Now, celeb pals Will Mellor and Kirsten O'Brien have been set a challenge - to learn to drive these incredible vehicles, race them against each other and prove who's the better driver.
I don't want to sound too confident, but at the end of the day, the word "girl" comes into it! Hello! I think he'll be thinking he can take me down, so there may be tears.
Who's going to win? Me! To master these awesome vehicles takes months.
Brake! Brake! But Will and Kirsten have just days.
Oh, no! Don't make me do that again, man! In less than a week, they'll be examined, scrutinised Didn't we go over this?! I know! and tested.
And they'll race, in the world's toughest vehicles, head to head to the finish line.
Come on, O'Brien! Come on! Smoke rings without smoking - that's how cold it is.
They'll be living with the people No way! behind the machines.
That's the toilet?! Yes.
It'll be intense That was incredible! emotional I feel really guilty.
and - at times - terrifying.
It'll be the crash course of their lives.
This is the most frightening thing! Oh, we're going to hit it! We did! Are Will and Kirsten up to the job? Can they handle the pressure? I've not been this scared for a very, very long time.
And ultimately, who will win and prove they're the better driver? This week's first driving test starts in Romania, where Will and Kirsten will be competing against each other for the first time.
So what do you think you're asking? "Where's the train?" The trouble is, you get a sentence out in a language, but then you don't understand No, they're going to go And we're going to go Their first challenge is to get to their destination for themselves.
Where are we going? A place called Pitesti.
Whilst Kirsten's trying to find the right platform, Will's mind's elsewhere.
Can we get a coffee? Have we got time? Let's get a coffee.
It's ages! It goes at quarter past.
I could've got a coffee.
I'm just having a flick through the papers, and I've come across a little treat in the form ofTV's Will Mellor! So the thing is, when we arrive, I'll be able to go, "Hey, ooh, superstar!" Kirsten O'Brien and Will Mellor are unlikely mates.
Former kids' TV presenter Kirsten's a busy broadcaster.
And Will charmed the nation with his acting in Hollyoaks and Two Pints.
They share a mutual passion for motors.
Come on! I love cars and I love driving.
The first car I bought was a Fiesta - boy racer.
When you drive a car that's cute and fun, you can get away with a lot.
With a friendship fuelled by competition and rivalry, now they're embarking on their biggest battle yet - travelling around the world to prove who is the better driver.
I've totally resigned myself that it's going to be a harsh week.
Have you? Yeah.
A plane, a train and a taxi cab later, they've finally arrived at their destination.
Look at this! What they don't know is that they're about to walk into Pitesti, Romania's biggest army training base.
Hello, welcome.
I am officer on duty.
New recruits train for three months to make the grade as tank drivers.
But Will and Kirsten have less than a week to learn to master one of the military's most awesome machines.
I'm completely at a loss as to what's going to happen next.
They're about to discover what this week's vehicle will be.
I'm slightly worried there might be a big explosion, and I might do a shock trump! Sorry! I'm so sorry! Oh, my Jesus! Meet the TR-85M1, Romania's biggest and most powerful battle tank.
This hellfire monster weighs in at nearly 50 tonnes and would set you back £1.
5 million.
With its arsenal of anti-aircraft machine guns, cannons and smoke grenades, it can take on the most lethal enemy.
In four days' time, this is the machine Will and Kirsten will be racing in to prove who is the better driver.
Oh, man.
That's mint.
I don't think it is.
It's good! Their teacher this week is Captain Lucien Oancea.
An expert tank commander, he's served in Bosnia and Afghanistan.
We will teach you how to drive the TR-85M1, which is very difficult.
So what do you feel about it? Do we get to fire the guns? Well, I'll assure you that you'll get very friendly with the tank this week.
But if these two want to be taken seriously as soldiers, they need to look the part.
Looks a bit serious.
Will's keen to get into his fatigues, and his kit's off again.
There's summat about putting the old army gear on - makes you feel a bit more of a man! What have you got that for?! She's put me in it.
Thank you.
You look like if I did that, you'd fall back.
I know.
I'm like a kid on the first day at school.
They're ready to report for duty, but Will needs to work on his army etiquette.
Where is your bag now? My bag's in there.
We will wait for you, no problem.
And Will, one more thing Yes, sir? The chewing gum is quite a bad habit, so OK, no chewing gum.
Sorry.
Thank you very much.
If they think Captain Oancea's tough, time to meet the commander of the base.
Attention.
Gosh! Commander Pisu's keen to hammer home just how serious the week ahead will be.
Will and Kirsten will be training with their individual tank crews.
Their teams will also take part with them in the final race.
This is the A team! Home for Will this week is a shared dormitory with three burly blokes.
So this is going to be your room, together with your crew.
In the same room? Yes.
That's the policy.
Welcome to my home sweet home.
Will loves nothing more than to relax in his six-bedroom mansion in the country.
I'm very proud that I can have a house like this.
I come from a very humble background, a council estate.
I wanted to have space.
I love just chilling out.
Feet up and TV on.
And this is where I will spend most of my evenings, once the kids have gone to bed.
Any bed? Do we choose? Well, that one over there.
This mine here? Now Will has to buckle down to the Romanian army's house rules.
This is your dresser.
So everything should be put in the dresser.
OK, then.
Maintain your room, and get some rest.
The reality of army life is starting to sink in.
I mean, shit, I'm sleeping 3ft away from a guy I met 25 minutes ago.
I just want me wife next to me! Or on me own.
I think way down on the list would be three blokes in a room, to be honest.
Home for Kirsten's a much more grand affair.
The officers' quarters are a step up from Will's four-bedded dorm.
This is fabulous.
I genuinely am really, really chuffed with this.
If someone had said this is the quality of the room beforehand, I wouldn't have believed it.
It's dinner time for Will, and the captain and crew have laid on a Romanian speciality.
I don't know what I just chewed, but it definitely wasn't chicken.
This is a soup made from the belly of the cow.
It's very nice.
Do you eat cow? I eat cow, but not usually the belly of the cow.
I think I'll be leaving that.
Trainee officer Garoo is Kirsten's neighbour, and she's ordered in pizza.
'Hello.
' How are you doing, darling? What are you up to? I just had some stomach-lining soup, which was nice Some what?! You know the stomach lining of a cow? They put that in soup.
Gosh! Yes, it's full-on, kid.
We're having a pizza, but we've a problem in that we bought wine but haven't got a corkscrew.
Oh, you've bought wine as well! 'Mmm.
Listen,' I've got to get off, because I'm being rude, cos I've got a guest in my room.
'Oh, sorry!' Sorry to disturb you and your social party.
I'm sharing a room with three other men.
'Are you?!' Yeah.
'It is bad.
All right, all right.
' Bye.
He's a little bit weirded out, because he hasn't slept in close proximity with three other men before.
So he's a bit Exciting! I don't think that's the word he's using! She's having a pizza party, isn't she? Oh, dear me.
Does this give you a sense of where we are? Right, it's freezing.
Look over your shoulder.
That's a wild dog, just chilling.
There's lots of them round here.
After a first day of Romanian army life, Will's struggling with the tough regime.
You know, you've got to abide by their rules.
I think it's a good thing in some ways, but for me it's a bit of a shock to the system today.
Definitely a shock.
Kirsten's having second thoughts about learning to drive the 50-tonne war machine.
You say, "Let's go round the world and learn to drive different vehicles", and the interpretation of that is going to be broad - I understood that.
What I hadn't anticipated is being in a vehicle that obviously is used in war.
And let's not forget, in all of this, there's a challenge, and I've got to beat Will in all of this.
And that, all things aside, has to be my ultimate goal.
It's 6.
30am the next morning at Pitesti Army Barracks in Romania.
Before the competition gets going, Will's already slacking.
Will, wake up, man! It's 6, um30 minutes.
At least Private O'Brien's keen.
I'm glugging this, cos I think it'll be the nicest coffee all day.
Come on, Will.
Hurry up! I'm trying! This is where the engine is If Will and Kirsten are going to master the skills to drive the army tank, they need to buckle down to a tough training regime.
Every day for the next three days, they must take three lessons to teach them the vital skills to pass daily tests in the battle tank.
If you're unsure, hit the brake.
At the end of the week, they'll go head to head in the final race.
As well as learning to drive the tank, Will and Kirsten need to cope with the cramped conditions, unusual controls and restricted vision.
If they fail to master the vital skills to drive this incredible machine, Captain Oancea will pull them from the competition.
Signals.
You will make the sign to start the engine.
Before Will or Kirsten are allowed at the controls of the real army tank, they have to prove they can handle the basics.
What's going on? That's it, fool! After the classroom, they graduate to this a tank simulator, Romanian style.
Time for lesson one - a virtual run in the simulator to teach them 28 different steps to starting the tank.
The parking levers - you check it.
It's on.
Yeah.
We just put the gel power on.
Steering? Yeah.
If that wasn't enough to deal with, unlike driving a car, there's no windscreen, so they'll have to get used to seeing out of a letterbox-sized window.
You're going to be Red One and I'm going to be Red.
OK? I can't hear you.
You're going to be Red One.
Will's up first and monitoring his every move is Captain Oancea.
Here we go.
'Fuel switcher.
' Fuel pump.
Snow power.
Let's go! Air pressure, everything.
He was perfect.
Will is faultless getting the tank going.
Can he also remember how to switch it off? Red One.
The engine's stopped.
He seems to be a natural.
'I might say it was excellent.
' I didn't have a soldier like that in years.
Thank you very much! I have to say that.
Thank you very much.
Very good.
Very good.
I can't say better than that - the best soldier in years! 'I think she's going to have to do very well to beat me.
' Get in! Now it's Kirsten's turn in the hot seat, but is her memory as good as Will's? I've instantly forgotten everything.
Oh, my God! I have instantly forgotten everything! Here we go.
Cuplare masa is on.
Oil is on.
I'm looking right now and she's doing it slowly, but in the right order.
Neutral.
Neutral, neutral.
But pretty soon, Kirsten starts busking it.
Still in neutral.
First gear.
Still pressing the handbrake.
It's been a bad start-up.
Can she make amends and switch the simulator off correctly? She forgot the air tanks.
OK.
Good stop.
Put that off.
Kirsten's already finding the learning curve a little steep.
A lot to take in and obviously with the slight language barrier, sometimes I'm like, "Do we do that before or afterwards?" They say, "Yes," and I'm like, "No, which is it? I need to know.
" It's a little bit of an Will Mellor! Beautiful duck! Captain Oancea's not impressed.
Please take your place.
He needs Kirsten and Will to get serious.
It's their first ever test in the battle tank and it's vital they learn to communicate with their tank crews.
By the end of this day, we will know if we can go further to the next level.
Are you up to that? OK.
We will see, then.
In test one, they must pull off two basic manoeuvres in the battle tank - a 360-degree turn, then reverse the tank back to the start/finish line.
I'm a bit nervous actually.
I just want to In this first test, Will and Kirsten must listen to their commander's instructions and read signals from the banksman, the driver's eyes on the ground.
But first, they have to remember everything they learned in the simulator.
Jesus! And we are in neutral and first there, yeah.
This will be the first time Will and Kirsten have ever driven the tank.
Woo hoo! Here we go, boys! Should I just stay in first gear, Commander? Use second gear.
Will's first obstacle is a 360-degree turn.
He has to listen to his commander's instructions and read the banksman's signals.
'OK, OK.
Left, left, left!' Yes, yes.
But he's struggling to control the tank in the ice.
See this snow.
There's a little bit of skid on that.
That'll be interesting.
'OK, OK.
Left, left.
' He's listening to his tank crew.
'Perfect, perfect.
Accelerate.
' That's about being a tanker - to rely on other people at some point.
Yeah.
'Hurry, hurry.
I understand.
Yes, I will do.
' Will steers the tank to safety.
It's the final manoeuvre.
Can Will stay focused and reverse the 50-tonne tank? I'm looking at the instructor.
'Accelerate!' I've got my foot flat down.
This is fantastic! Will's got to grips with teamwork and it's a solid first drive in the tank.
'It's like a childhood fantasy, isn't it? I'm in a tank!' It's a proper combat tank, you know.
It's It's brilliant! It's Kirsten's turn.
Can she match Will's success? She's started the tank up well and is powering towards the 360.
Look at how concentrated she is.
OK, let's do this roundabout! But there's a problem.
Oh, no! She's stalled.
If this was a real combat situation, Kirsten's just put the lives of her crew in danger.
'OK, now push the button.
' If she can't drive the tank as part of a team, Captain Oancea will fail her and she won't make it to the final race in three days' time.
OK, good.
Going to go into reverse, everybody, yeah? 'Yes.
' Kirsten demonstrates she's a better team player on the reverse.
'Yes.
Very good.
' Now let's do it again and I'll get it.
Finally, she pulls off the manoeuvre, but have Kirsten and Will done enough in their first test to impress Captain Oancea? 'At this point,' I have to say I'm very impressed by their attitude.
They are very willing to learn.
After her first test in the tank, Kirsten's having self doubts.
'You're relying on someone in your ear and someone with flags.
'If I can't understand,' then I'm an absolute numpty.
Things are going to ramp up and the difficulty's only going to increase with this.
Unlike Kirsten, Will's feeling confident.
Last night, I'd never really met these guys properly, but today, because we've had a good day, we've got on and we're a team now, so are we going to win? We'll win! We are first! Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Still to come for Will and Kirsten who will prove they're the better driver when they go head to head in less than three days' time? Captain Oancea is about to turn up the heat.
Tonight, we'll have a special operation.
Don't let us down.
The going is going to get even tougher.
Ugh! Damn! How will they cope with a combat situation under a barrage of enemy fire? Oh, my God! It's kicking off, now! And who will win the first ever World's Toughest Driving Test? Hey, Will! Wake up! It's dawn and after bonding with his tank crew, Will's settling into army life.
I like the fact that I don't have to think much for myself.
In day-to-day life, if someone tells me to do something, I don't like doing it, but in this environment, I quite enjoy it.
It's just 48 hours till the final race, so Captain Oancea's taking it up a gear.
Today is going to be a massive jump from just initiation training to a real training day.
Will and Kirsten still have two vital skills to master before going head to head.
First, they must learn to balance the 50-tonne tank.
So in this second lesson, they're going to hone their balancing skills by practising with a 4x4 on a giant seesaw.
After driving the vehicle up the ramp, they must find the balance point and hold it for two seconds by careful control of the accelerator, brake and clutch.
It's not good news for Kirsten.
I've driven an automatic for years.
Really? Yeah, it eliminates the whole You don't drive a clutch? I've JUST got a clutch car.
But for Kirsten, getting to grips steering her new manual motor is a work in progress.
Reversing on a hill is one of the most difficult manoeuvres you can do in a car.
It's tight! There are times when I come to a stop and I've forgotten to put my foot on the clutch.
Handbrake on, trying not to stall.
You've got to know when to take the handbrake off Like that! That was quite good! If Kirsten thinks steering her little Mini's tough, can she remember her clutch control and balance the vehicle on a seesaw? I'm bricking myself.
She's struggling to accelerate and brake gracefully and it's a jerky start.
Can Kirsten carefully use the clutch and balance the vehicle? Just under two seconds - not good enough.
Now, Kirsten's got to control the balance going backwards.
Can you see it, O'Brien? Oh my God, this is scary.
Panicking, she's hit the brakes too early.
She's stopped.
Oh, God, now I'm scared! I think she's a little bit nervous now.
Can she use her clutch correctly and pull off a hill start to correct her error? One second Two seconds Kirsten's made the grade, balancing for two seconds! Will's feeling the pressure but he's ready to fight back with his own game plan.
It's about keeping the revs, making it nice and smooth and don't clang it.
Carefully using his brake and clutch, Will's showing beautiful control of the 4x4.
One second Two seconds HE GIGGLES Yeah, man! It's an excellent first run but Will's determined to impress Captain Oancea.
Come on, son.
Let's get this one bang on, no slamming.
Can Will reverse up the seesaw and improve on his two-second score? One second Two seconds Three Four seconds! Found it, then! He's got that move on a point.
Perfect.
That was like rock'n'roll, that, son! Will's feeling cocky but what does Captain Oancea think? The most important thing you gain from this challenge is, find your balance and you always control the tank.
OK, yeah.
Are we OK to have a go on rough terrain, do you think? Yes, definitely.
Kick on! We'll do that.
But don't be too confident.
Oh, I'm not, don't worry! It's a huge difference from yesterday.
He's thinking, "And when I get Will in that tank "and let him go free he's going to go nuts.
" I'm not! I'll go a bit nuts but, I mean, come on! In preparation for the final race, Will and Kirsten must now drive the battle tank for the first time in rugged terrain.
This place is very important for us.
We train our drivers here in really rough conditions, so they'll have no problems on the battlefield.
In this next test, they must face two tough obstacles that form a vital part of the final race and put into practice the balancing skills learned in the 4x4.
First, they must drive the vehicle up a ramp, find the balance point, then land it smoothly.
The second obstacle is the deadly anti-tank ditch.
Dug by enemy forces, it's designed to trap the vehicle.
In a real combat situation, if a driver can't steer the tank through it, it could mean life or death for the crew.
Before approaching the ditch, they must turn the turret around, then balance the tank carefully on entry before accelerating fiercely to get out of the other side.
To be honest, I was a little bit nervous about it.
It is difficult for a professional.
It could be very difficult for them.
We've not even been over a small bump in this thing.
All we did was go round some tyres and round a tree.
I mean, this is a proper leap, it's not like a step.
Can I close the hatch? Yeah.
Oh, hello! Now, they must drive the tank for the first time with the hatch shut.
This isn't comfy at all! Not only is it claustrophobic, they only have a letter box-sized window to see out of.
You want to get close to the letter box to see out, but you need a bit of distance in case you "GANG!" like that.
Will's first up and he's mustering up all his courage to face the daunting task ahead.
Accelerate.
Good luck! Thank you.
Here we go! Come on, people, let's have a good round now.
OK, OK, OK.
His first obstacle is the ramp.
Get it wrong and the tank might topple over and risk the lives of the crew.
Can Will put the balance skills learned on the seesaw into practice? More, more, more, more, more! Oh, that was a big one! He's failed to make a smooth landing.
Sorry, I hit the accelerator, then braked at the last minute! Will accelerated too hard to get up the ramp, panicked at the top and hit the brake.
Big mistake.
The full 50 tonnes of the tank swung forward, smashing it into the ground.
Luckily, the crew are OK but Will's hurt his back.
But there's no time for pain.
Having turned the tank's turret 180 degrees, can Will face the toughest obstacle yet - the anti-tank ditch? Cautious on his way in.
Brake, brake, brake.
Brake, release.
Brake, release.
Accelerate, accelerate, there, there! Will's slamming down the accelerator hard.
But he's lost control of the tank.
Oh, my gosh, he's gone back down! He's gone back down.
Oh! Damn! The purpose of the anti-tank ditch is to trap the tank and Will's fallen right into it.
If he was in a real battle situation, Will would be a sitting duck for the enemy.
Wish I hadn't seen that now cos that That really troubles me.
Accelerate? Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate.
Second attempt and his crew try to talk him out.
Still no good.
No, no! If Will can't get out on his third attempt Captain Oancea will abort the test to protect the crew's safety.
OK.
Accelerate, accelerate! There, there, there, there, there! Yeah! OK! Will's done it, but his back's taken a battering and his pride's dented.
God! Oh my Lord, that first one hit so hard! It went right up me arm - boom! I was like that, oh! I tell you what - the stress! Really good! Having seen rival Will struggle with his balance in the test, Kirsten's worried about handling the 50-tonne tank.
It's much smaller, a Jeep going down on a little seesaw, but it's going to be times-ten in a tank and there are going to be massive crashes down.
Into first gear, yes? Yes! Kirsten gets stuck in but will the ramp bring her crashing back down to earth, like it did Will? Look how slow she's going.
Easy, easy! She's taken her time to find her balance point.
Yes! Yes! Very good, yes! Come on! It's a textbook landing.
We're going into second gear! Yes.
Unlike Will, Kirsten's landing is smooth and perfectly controlled.
Very good, very good.
I can't believe I messed up, honestly.
Can Kirsten pull off the anti-tank ditch that was Will's undoing? Brake, now.
Easy, easy.
Easy.
Oh, my God.
She's lined up the tank well and carefully braking and accelerating.
There it is, there's the tank going down.
Brake OK, accelerate! Now, now, now! Come on! She's stormed it and timed her acceleration perfectly.
Yes! Come on! I don't believe it! Got it first time.
I loved that! Will! As soon as I start thinking, "I've got this," I get too complacent.
I'm going to crush him.
Yeah! Tomorrow Tomorrow.
the same.
More.
The competition's hotting up but it's what Captain Oancea thinks of Kirsten and Will's performance that really counts.
I was happy with you, Kirsten, first.
You went, you started very well.
Overall, you were fantastic.
Will, as I was expecting, you're ambitious.
I am far too overambitious.
When you approached the first obstacle, you hit the gas repeatedly.
Like, that being said, I'm definitely sure we can go for the challenge for tomorrow.
It will be even more difficult because it's a combat situation and that's what the tank is for.
Congratulations for today and you did very well.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
With just one day of training left until the final race, Kirsten's on a high after aceing today's test.
This is madness.
I'm a woman in a tank in the Romanian army and I've just flippin' nailed it! I couldn't be happier with that performance, I couldn't be more thrilled.
And I'm going to bed happy tonight.
But Will's still struggling after not performing as well as Kirsten.
I made a mistake, because I went first and I think I rushed it a bit.
It won't happen again, I can't let my boys down.
And I'm not going to.
In 24 hours, Will and Kirsten are hoping to go head to head for the first time in the Romanian army tank.
Captain Oancea's ready to put them through the final part of their gruelling training.
Today is a very busy day, so what I want you to do after breakfast, I want you to go back in your room and pack everything, we leave this base in 30 minutes and we are not coming back.
Oh, God.
No more! Tired and just getting used to the barracks, Will's now got to tell Kirsten.
Listen, you've got to bring all your stuff with you.
I've got to what, sorry? You've got to pack all your stuff.
Like pack mypack my case up? 'Everything.
' Everything? They've got no idea where they're going, or even where they're sleeping.
O'Brien, you div! Socks! The final race will take place here, in the freezing minus-15 conditions of the Romanian wilderness.
Until they go head to head tomorrow, this is their new home.
This is definitely testing every bit of me.
Wild dogs outside.
There's wolves and bears in the woods.
Unlike Will, Kirsten's up for a spot of camping.
I like this, you know, I'm quite excited.
What's funny, as well, is the floor is pine, for warmth, and there's a nice smell, as well.
Now, Captain Oancea wants them to realise that they're not just driving a tank - they're driving a lethal war machine equipped with cannons and two machine guns.
With that comes the massive responsibility of being able to handle firearms safely.
A few days ago, the sound of tank fire left Will and Kirsten shaken.
Oh, my Jesus! So they can learn to respect the dangers involved in handling a real weapon, they must complete their third lesson - handling a real gun at the shooting range.
It's like some giant audition for a Hollywood movie.
Flippin' heck.
Didn't ask for that.
Will, Kirsten.
Yeah.
These are real bullets, real weapons.
We don't play here.
OK.
All tank drivers must undergo weapons training with live rounds.
It's the first time Kirsten's handled a firearm in her life.
Oh, I'm shitting myself.
I'm really frightened.
OK, good.
The Stockport kid Will's loving it.
Will's going to come over going, "Whoo-hoo!" and I'm just like The danger of it overwhelms me.
Four out of four! Ha-ha! I've killed them all! Despite completing the artillery lesson, Kirsten's still uncomfortable about handling a gun.
Yeah, I have fear and respect for it.
So I wouldn't say we became friends.
I did the job.
So OK, the main objectives, we're done here.
With their firearms training complete, it's time for Will and Kirsten to face their third and final test before tomorrow's big race.
It's the dead of night and, in freezing conditions of minus 17, Will and Kirsten must face a disorientating and terrifying combat mission with only night vision to guide them.
That night vision is incredible.
God, I feel so SAS with these.
This test is broken down into three stages.
In stage one, Will and Kirsten must carefully drive the tank through the deserted village, avoiding the obstacles as they go.
Stage two is the rescue.
They must use their night vision to find the assistant gunner, or loader, and get him back on board.
In the third stage, Will and Kirsten must get their crew back home to base safely.
Good evening, everybody.
Now, tonight we're are going to have a special operation.
It will be a very high stressful situation.
Don't forget, the visibility will be very, very, extremely limited.
What do you think? Are you up to? Yeah.
Yeah.
Don't let us down.
This is about keeping my nerve.
It's not a situation where you can afford to be any sort of girly, squealy, "urgh!".
I've got to stay focused.
Not only is Kirsten responsible for £1.
5 million worth of machine, she's got her rescue mission and the safety of the crew on her shoulders.
In this first stage of the mission, can Kirsten safely navigate the tank through the obstacles in the village? Oh, my gosh.
Oh, gosh.
Easy, easy, easy.
Left, left.
Come on, kids.
Easy.
Easy.
That it? That's it.
Go to second gear now.
Whoo! 'Very quick.
She found her way to pass through the damaged village.
' She was pretty precise.
I'm going straight on, yeah? Yeah.
She's made to stage two - the rescue mission.
But can she find the fourth member of her crew - the loader - and get him on board? Left.
Struggling with her night vision, Kirsten can't seem to see him.
That it? She's panicking.
Oh, my gosh.
Are we picking up the guy, yeah? Yeah.
My arms are killing She's found the loader now.
Now the loader gets in.
Whoa.
OK, everybody, good luck, here we go.
With her man now in the tank, Kirsten's on to stage three.
What's about to happen next will shock Kirsten to the core.
Oh! Oh, my The enemy are shooting from deep within the forest.
No way! Nowstop.
Under a hail of bullets, Kirsten's crew fire back.
She needs to make a decision, fast.
I'm getting us out of here.
As the final test before tomorrow's big race, Captain Oancea's thrown in enemy fire to be sure they can handle the tank under pressure.
What Whoa, here we go! It's kicking off now! Can she drive the tank under pressure and get the crew home safely? Auxiliary.
Auxiliary.
I've got nothing left to give.
It's high pressure.
She'll just have to concentrate.
You don't have the time to panic.
It's a successful mission for Kirsten, but she's exhausted.
What she's just experienced is the standard demands a tank driver has to endure.
I've never done anything as physically exerting as that, in a small space with someone yelling in your ear, with all that noise AND in the dark.
I'm absolutely drained.
It's Will's turn.
Can he pull off a more impressive rescue than rival Kirsten? Come on, now.
Let's have this, boys.
It's stage one of the mission.
Can Will handle the poor visibility and steer the tank through obstacles in the village? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
It's a bad bend in there, you know.
He's a bit too close to the wall of the house.
Right, right, right.
It's full right, it's full right, it's full right, it's full right.
He's clear and on to stage two.
Yeah, doing great.
He found his way.
There he goes.
But can Will get to grips with night vision, find his loader and rescue him? OK, right, right, right.
Right, right, wait, wait, wait.
Yes, I'm waiting, I'm waiting.
Yeah, now the loader is getting in the tank.
Yes, he's doing actually very good.
Go, go.
He's got his man on board.
It's stage three.
Can Will prove to Captain Oancea that he can handle the tank under the pressure of enemy fire? Go on, boys.
Well done.
This is the beginning of an absolutely lunatic experience.
Here we go! Yes! Jesus Christ! Can Will keep his mind on the job and bring his tank home safely? Jesus Christ! He's in the zone.
Will's buzzing and he's finally completed his mission.
Whoo! OK, OK, OK.
Ha-ha! Oh, my Lord.
It's like the biggest high and now you're coming down to earth.
My head's buzzing.
It's like I'm It's weird, it's Will and Kirsten have given their last test everything they had.
I never, ever, ever thought it was going to be that difficult.
I never said it was going to be easy.
I'm knackered.
Drained.
Me, too.
But it's the final race which will decide who is the better driver.
I just wanted to say tomorrow the final challenge will It will show us who's going to be the winner.
Brilliant.
So Thank God you said that.
Thank you, again, Captain.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Will and Kirsten have passed their gruelling training and earned the right to go head to head tomorrow.
But right now, all they want to do is sleep.
It's got to be one of the hardest weeks ever.
Let me justgo home and die.
I just want the people to Oh, God, are you going to talk all night?! Just shut your trap.
Shut up.
I've got Honestly, I can't bear it! Oh, I can't Just shut your trap.
Shut your trap.
It's race day.
Smoke rings, without smoking.
That's how cold it is.
I'm frozen.
I've even got my army gloves on! And time for Will and Kirsten to give the performance of their lives and go head to head in this week's toughest driving test.
It all boils down to one challenge.
One big challenge.
I just hope I've got enough fight left in me.
And I'm scared today that they're going to put a lot of the elements from this week together.
So that anti-tank ditch will be back, and I'm just worried I'll run out of steam.
This tough obstacle course, across rugged terrain, is designed to push Will and Kirsten to their limits, and will test all the skills they have learnt, so far, in the battle tank.
First, they must navigate their tanks out of a snow-bound dugout, go over the ramp, cross the bridge then through the deep ditch.
Next, they must weave the vehicle through the ruined village.
Then face the toughest obstacle of all - the anti-tank ditch.
Finally, it's a sprint home to the finish line.
This time, for real, up against you to try andtake you down, beat you! I like you, as a fella.
You're all right.
You moan a lot about fires and camping, but The thing is, I am a bit of a dick but I'm a nice one! For their own safety, the Romanian army won't allow Will and Kirsten to race these machines at the same time.
So, the race will be staggered.
Today will test their friendship, and whoever completes the race in the best time will win.
Just remember.
Our best army tank is in your hands.
So, don't let me down.
And, go to your tanks! I don't want to fail this, I want to win this.
Listen, guys, we must go as fast as we can, yeah? Let's go! Will's in the hot seat first.
Go! Go! Go! Go! He makes it out of the dugout, smoothly, and powers towards the ramp.
Two days ago, Will failed to land the ramp smoothly, and hurt his back.
Very easyaccelerate This time, he's balancing the tank well.
It's a good manoeuvre.
Nice.
Come on! Yes! It's time for Kirsten to start.
OK, Go! Go! But she's not moving.
I can't actually get the hand The tank's handbrake is jammed.
Who put this handbrake on?! Push the foot brake with your foot! Go! Finally, Kirsten's out of the blocks.
Which way are we going? She's keen to make up the time.
Second gear, now! Yes! Kirsten's first obstacle is the ramp.
Go! OK! Desperate to speed up, she sprints through.
The narrow bridge is the next obstacle for Will.
It's a close call.
Right, right And the commander's worried speedy Will's getting carried away.
Wait, wait, wait, wait! Will's next obstacle is the deep trench.
Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Perfect! Yeah! Will's powering on, and in less than four minutes he's reached the halfway point of the race.
His viewing window's covered in mud, and as he approaches the village he can hardly see where he's going.
I can't see! Panicking, he has to slow down.
Go left or right? Right! Right! Right! Driving cautiously through the village has cost Will.
Close behind, Kirsten's gaining on him.
Yes, go, go! She's straight over the bridge and her next obstacle's the ditch.
Woo-hoo! Let's do this! Kirsten clears it effortlessly, and hits the halfway mark at four minutes, to pull level with Will.
But she's about to have a second stroke of bad luck.
I've got an alarm going off! Left! Left! We have a problem.
Major problem?! She's got no idea what's happened.
Brake, now! Now! Now! Now! What's that mean? The turret is blocked.
Is that a bad thing? The tank's turret is jammed, and she's been ordered, by the crew, to make an emergency stop.
They can't proceed safely unless the problem is fixed.
The clock's ticking.
Is it all over for Kirsten? Will's feeling confident.
But it's not over yet.
He's still got his biggest fear to face again - the anti-tank ditch.
It was his undoing two days ago.
Will it break him again? Try and get this right.
Come on, man! Can he remember to balance the tank safely and accelerate at exactly the right moment? Brake, brake, brake, brake Will's slammed his foot down, hurling the 50-tonne tank forward, and out of the ditch.
Move! Move! Move! Yeah! Yeah! Come on! Having conquered his fear, Will's sprinting back home safely.
I can see the home straight, boys! He completes the course in 9 minutes, 8 seconds.
Oh, I'm out of breath! Kirsten's still stranded.
Has the tank malfunction cost her the race? We're going now, yes? Wait.
Uh! All right.
After an agonising 2 minutes and 9 seconds stood still, the commander gives Kirsten the all-clear.
Kirsten's finally off again, and can't risk any more setbacks.
Powering through the village.
Going left or right? Easy, easy Can Kirsten handle the dreaded anti-tank ditch? A few days ago she aced it.
But was that just luck? Her approach is meticulous and she is showing no fear.
Here we go! Hitting the accelerator at just the right time, she's aced it again.
Woo-hoo! Nice one! Despite her run of bad luck see where we're going.
Kirsten's fighting to the end and makes a final sprint home.
As Kirsten's tank malfunctioned, her finishing time was 11 minutes and 12 seconds.
Before captain Oancea can decide on the winner, he wants to get to the bottom of the problem with Kirsten's tank.
What was the problem? Yeah, don't know what the turret was, but it wasn't my problem, so I just wouldn't let it beat me! Wouldn't let it beat me.
After having the tank inspected, 2 minutes and 9 seconds has been deducted from Kirsten's time.
There's now nothing between them.
For me, it's such a hard decision because it's a photo finish for both of them.
But, it can be only one winner, so I've made my decision.
Captain Oancea's final decision will also be based on their performance across the week.
In test one, Will impressed in his first drive in the battle tank This is fantastic.
while Kirsten struggled.
Oh, no Kirsten's driving turned a corner in test two and she aced the anti-tank ditch that was Will's undoing.
Come on! In test three, they both proved they could handle the pressure of enemy fire.
Now it's the moment of truth.
Today you had a photo finish.
It has to be, only one.
I had to talk with the commander, the tank commanders and the crews.
Some of you were worked even harder than the other one so, that being said the winner is Kirsten.
No way! Any time! It's quite emotionaloh, don't even get me started on that! Oh, man! I'm going to have to stop now.
I've got upset about that.
I don't want to cry in front of the soldiers.
Really, really proud.
It's hard to go home, thinking I've failed.
But I couldn't have drove any better.
Kirsten did the same.
Maybe she deserved to win.
This has been tough, this has been hard.
And to win, on this one phew! Well he's going to have to do some fighting back.
Next time, come on! Next time, can Will level the scores back home, in the UK, as they tackle the docklands' most powerful workhorse? The 70-tonne, 16m-high straddle carrier.
You are joking?! As they battle to conquer the World's Toughest Driving Test, they'll face up to their fears and face up to each other.
Shut up! We've hit a new low, here, people.
It's brutal, physical, and dangerous work.
Now, celeb pals Will Mellor and Kirsten O'Brien have been set a challenge - to learn to drive these incredible vehicles, race them against each other and prove who's the better driver.
I don't want to sound too confident, but at the end of the day, the word "girl" comes into it! Hello! I think he'll be thinking he can take me down, so there may be tears.
Who's going to win? Me! To master these awesome vehicles takes months.
Brake! Brake! But Will and Kirsten have just days.
Oh, no! Don't make me do that again, man! In less than a week, they'll be examined, scrutinised Didn't we go over this?! I know! and tested.
And they'll race, in the world's toughest vehicles, head to head to the finish line.
Come on, O'Brien! Come on! Smoke rings without smoking - that's how cold it is.
They'll be living with the people No way! behind the machines.
That's the toilet?! Yes.
It'll be intense That was incredible! emotional I feel really guilty.
and - at times - terrifying.
It'll be the crash course of their lives.
This is the most frightening thing! Oh, we're going to hit it! We did! Are Will and Kirsten up to the job? Can they handle the pressure? I've not been this scared for a very, very long time.
And ultimately, who will win and prove they're the better driver? This week's first driving test starts in Romania, where Will and Kirsten will be competing against each other for the first time.
So what do you think you're asking? "Where's the train?" The trouble is, you get a sentence out in a language, but then you don't understand No, they're going to go And we're going to go Their first challenge is to get to their destination for themselves.
Where are we going? A place called Pitesti.
Whilst Kirsten's trying to find the right platform, Will's mind's elsewhere.
Can we get a coffee? Have we got time? Let's get a coffee.
It's ages! It goes at quarter past.
I could've got a coffee.
I'm just having a flick through the papers, and I've come across a little treat in the form ofTV's Will Mellor! So the thing is, when we arrive, I'll be able to go, "Hey, ooh, superstar!" Kirsten O'Brien and Will Mellor are unlikely mates.
Former kids' TV presenter Kirsten's a busy broadcaster.
And Will charmed the nation with his acting in Hollyoaks and Two Pints.
They share a mutual passion for motors.
Come on! I love cars and I love driving.
The first car I bought was a Fiesta - boy racer.
When you drive a car that's cute and fun, you can get away with a lot.
With a friendship fuelled by competition and rivalry, now they're embarking on their biggest battle yet - travelling around the world to prove who is the better driver.
I've totally resigned myself that it's going to be a harsh week.
Have you? Yeah.
A plane, a train and a taxi cab later, they've finally arrived at their destination.
Look at this! What they don't know is that they're about to walk into Pitesti, Romania's biggest army training base.
Hello, welcome.
I am officer on duty.
New recruits train for three months to make the grade as tank drivers.
But Will and Kirsten have less than a week to learn to master one of the military's most awesome machines.
I'm completely at a loss as to what's going to happen next.
They're about to discover what this week's vehicle will be.
I'm slightly worried there might be a big explosion, and I might do a shock trump! Sorry! I'm so sorry! Oh, my Jesus! Meet the TR-85M1, Romania's biggest and most powerful battle tank.
This hellfire monster weighs in at nearly 50 tonnes and would set you back £1.
5 million.
With its arsenal of anti-aircraft machine guns, cannons and smoke grenades, it can take on the most lethal enemy.
In four days' time, this is the machine Will and Kirsten will be racing in to prove who is the better driver.
Oh, man.
That's mint.
I don't think it is.
It's good! Their teacher this week is Captain Lucien Oancea.
An expert tank commander, he's served in Bosnia and Afghanistan.
We will teach you how to drive the TR-85M1, which is very difficult.
So what do you feel about it? Do we get to fire the guns? Well, I'll assure you that you'll get very friendly with the tank this week.
But if these two want to be taken seriously as soldiers, they need to look the part.
Looks a bit serious.
Will's keen to get into his fatigues, and his kit's off again.
There's summat about putting the old army gear on - makes you feel a bit more of a man! What have you got that for?! She's put me in it.
Thank you.
You look like if I did that, you'd fall back.
I know.
I'm like a kid on the first day at school.
They're ready to report for duty, but Will needs to work on his army etiquette.
Where is your bag now? My bag's in there.
We will wait for you, no problem.
And Will, one more thing Yes, sir? The chewing gum is quite a bad habit, so OK, no chewing gum.
Sorry.
Thank you very much.
If they think Captain Oancea's tough, time to meet the commander of the base.
Attention.
Gosh! Commander Pisu's keen to hammer home just how serious the week ahead will be.
Will and Kirsten will be training with their individual tank crews.
Their teams will also take part with them in the final race.
This is the A team! Home for Will this week is a shared dormitory with three burly blokes.
So this is going to be your room, together with your crew.
In the same room? Yes.
That's the policy.
Welcome to my home sweet home.
Will loves nothing more than to relax in his six-bedroom mansion in the country.
I'm very proud that I can have a house like this.
I come from a very humble background, a council estate.
I wanted to have space.
I love just chilling out.
Feet up and TV on.
And this is where I will spend most of my evenings, once the kids have gone to bed.
Any bed? Do we choose? Well, that one over there.
This mine here? Now Will has to buckle down to the Romanian army's house rules.
This is your dresser.
So everything should be put in the dresser.
OK, then.
Maintain your room, and get some rest.
The reality of army life is starting to sink in.
I mean, shit, I'm sleeping 3ft away from a guy I met 25 minutes ago.
I just want me wife next to me! Or on me own.
I think way down on the list would be three blokes in a room, to be honest.
Home for Kirsten's a much more grand affair.
The officers' quarters are a step up from Will's four-bedded dorm.
This is fabulous.
I genuinely am really, really chuffed with this.
If someone had said this is the quality of the room beforehand, I wouldn't have believed it.
It's dinner time for Will, and the captain and crew have laid on a Romanian speciality.
I don't know what I just chewed, but it definitely wasn't chicken.
This is a soup made from the belly of the cow.
It's very nice.
Do you eat cow? I eat cow, but not usually the belly of the cow.
I think I'll be leaving that.
Trainee officer Garoo is Kirsten's neighbour, and she's ordered in pizza.
'Hello.
' How are you doing, darling? What are you up to? I just had some stomach-lining soup, which was nice Some what?! You know the stomach lining of a cow? They put that in soup.
Gosh! Yes, it's full-on, kid.
We're having a pizza, but we've a problem in that we bought wine but haven't got a corkscrew.
Oh, you've bought wine as well! 'Mmm.
Listen,' I've got to get off, because I'm being rude, cos I've got a guest in my room.
'Oh, sorry!' Sorry to disturb you and your social party.
I'm sharing a room with three other men.
'Are you?!' Yeah.
'It is bad.
All right, all right.
' Bye.
He's a little bit weirded out, because he hasn't slept in close proximity with three other men before.
So he's a bit Exciting! I don't think that's the word he's using! She's having a pizza party, isn't she? Oh, dear me.
Does this give you a sense of where we are? Right, it's freezing.
Look over your shoulder.
That's a wild dog, just chilling.
There's lots of them round here.
After a first day of Romanian army life, Will's struggling with the tough regime.
You know, you've got to abide by their rules.
I think it's a good thing in some ways, but for me it's a bit of a shock to the system today.
Definitely a shock.
Kirsten's having second thoughts about learning to drive the 50-tonne war machine.
You say, "Let's go round the world and learn to drive different vehicles", and the interpretation of that is going to be broad - I understood that.
What I hadn't anticipated is being in a vehicle that obviously is used in war.
And let's not forget, in all of this, there's a challenge, and I've got to beat Will in all of this.
And that, all things aside, has to be my ultimate goal.
It's 6.
30am the next morning at Pitesti Army Barracks in Romania.
Before the competition gets going, Will's already slacking.
Will, wake up, man! It's 6, um30 minutes.
At least Private O'Brien's keen.
I'm glugging this, cos I think it'll be the nicest coffee all day.
Come on, Will.
Hurry up! I'm trying! This is where the engine is If Will and Kirsten are going to master the skills to drive the army tank, they need to buckle down to a tough training regime.
Every day for the next three days, they must take three lessons to teach them the vital skills to pass daily tests in the battle tank.
If you're unsure, hit the brake.
At the end of the week, they'll go head to head in the final race.
As well as learning to drive the tank, Will and Kirsten need to cope with the cramped conditions, unusual controls and restricted vision.
If they fail to master the vital skills to drive this incredible machine, Captain Oancea will pull them from the competition.
Signals.
You will make the sign to start the engine.
Before Will or Kirsten are allowed at the controls of the real army tank, they have to prove they can handle the basics.
What's going on? That's it, fool! After the classroom, they graduate to this a tank simulator, Romanian style.
Time for lesson one - a virtual run in the simulator to teach them 28 different steps to starting the tank.
The parking levers - you check it.
It's on.
Yeah.
We just put the gel power on.
Steering? Yeah.
If that wasn't enough to deal with, unlike driving a car, there's no windscreen, so they'll have to get used to seeing out of a letterbox-sized window.
You're going to be Red One and I'm going to be Red.
OK? I can't hear you.
You're going to be Red One.
Will's up first and monitoring his every move is Captain Oancea.
Here we go.
'Fuel switcher.
' Fuel pump.
Snow power.
Let's go! Air pressure, everything.
He was perfect.
Will is faultless getting the tank going.
Can he also remember how to switch it off? Red One.
The engine's stopped.
He seems to be a natural.
'I might say it was excellent.
' I didn't have a soldier like that in years.
Thank you very much! I have to say that.
Thank you very much.
Very good.
Very good.
I can't say better than that - the best soldier in years! 'I think she's going to have to do very well to beat me.
' Get in! Now it's Kirsten's turn in the hot seat, but is her memory as good as Will's? I've instantly forgotten everything.
Oh, my God! I have instantly forgotten everything! Here we go.
Cuplare masa is on.
Oil is on.
I'm looking right now and she's doing it slowly, but in the right order.
Neutral.
Neutral, neutral.
But pretty soon, Kirsten starts busking it.
Still in neutral.
First gear.
Still pressing the handbrake.
It's been a bad start-up.
Can she make amends and switch the simulator off correctly? She forgot the air tanks.
OK.
Good stop.
Put that off.
Kirsten's already finding the learning curve a little steep.
A lot to take in and obviously with the slight language barrier, sometimes I'm like, "Do we do that before or afterwards?" They say, "Yes," and I'm like, "No, which is it? I need to know.
" It's a little bit of an Will Mellor! Beautiful duck! Captain Oancea's not impressed.
Please take your place.
He needs Kirsten and Will to get serious.
It's their first ever test in the battle tank and it's vital they learn to communicate with their tank crews.
By the end of this day, we will know if we can go further to the next level.
Are you up to that? OK.
We will see, then.
In test one, they must pull off two basic manoeuvres in the battle tank - a 360-degree turn, then reverse the tank back to the start/finish line.
I'm a bit nervous actually.
I just want to In this first test, Will and Kirsten must listen to their commander's instructions and read signals from the banksman, the driver's eyes on the ground.
But first, they have to remember everything they learned in the simulator.
Jesus! And we are in neutral and first there, yeah.
This will be the first time Will and Kirsten have ever driven the tank.
Woo hoo! Here we go, boys! Should I just stay in first gear, Commander? Use second gear.
Will's first obstacle is a 360-degree turn.
He has to listen to his commander's instructions and read the banksman's signals.
'OK, OK.
Left, left, left!' Yes, yes.
But he's struggling to control the tank in the ice.
See this snow.
There's a little bit of skid on that.
That'll be interesting.
'OK, OK.
Left, left.
' He's listening to his tank crew.
'Perfect, perfect.
Accelerate.
' That's about being a tanker - to rely on other people at some point.
Yeah.
'Hurry, hurry.
I understand.
Yes, I will do.
' Will steers the tank to safety.
It's the final manoeuvre.
Can Will stay focused and reverse the 50-tonne tank? I'm looking at the instructor.
'Accelerate!' I've got my foot flat down.
This is fantastic! Will's got to grips with teamwork and it's a solid first drive in the tank.
'It's like a childhood fantasy, isn't it? I'm in a tank!' It's a proper combat tank, you know.
It's It's brilliant! It's Kirsten's turn.
Can she match Will's success? She's started the tank up well and is powering towards the 360.
Look at how concentrated she is.
OK, let's do this roundabout! But there's a problem.
Oh, no! She's stalled.
If this was a real combat situation, Kirsten's just put the lives of her crew in danger.
'OK, now push the button.
' If she can't drive the tank as part of a team, Captain Oancea will fail her and she won't make it to the final race in three days' time.
OK, good.
Going to go into reverse, everybody, yeah? 'Yes.
' Kirsten demonstrates she's a better team player on the reverse.
'Yes.
Very good.
' Now let's do it again and I'll get it.
Finally, she pulls off the manoeuvre, but have Kirsten and Will done enough in their first test to impress Captain Oancea? 'At this point,' I have to say I'm very impressed by their attitude.
They are very willing to learn.
After her first test in the tank, Kirsten's having self doubts.
'You're relying on someone in your ear and someone with flags.
'If I can't understand,' then I'm an absolute numpty.
Things are going to ramp up and the difficulty's only going to increase with this.
Unlike Kirsten, Will's feeling confident.
Last night, I'd never really met these guys properly, but today, because we've had a good day, we've got on and we're a team now, so are we going to win? We'll win! We are first! Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Still to come for Will and Kirsten who will prove they're the better driver when they go head to head in less than three days' time? Captain Oancea is about to turn up the heat.
Tonight, we'll have a special operation.
Don't let us down.
The going is going to get even tougher.
Ugh! Damn! How will they cope with a combat situation under a barrage of enemy fire? Oh, my God! It's kicking off, now! And who will win the first ever World's Toughest Driving Test? Hey, Will! Wake up! It's dawn and after bonding with his tank crew, Will's settling into army life.
I like the fact that I don't have to think much for myself.
In day-to-day life, if someone tells me to do something, I don't like doing it, but in this environment, I quite enjoy it.
It's just 48 hours till the final race, so Captain Oancea's taking it up a gear.
Today is going to be a massive jump from just initiation training to a real training day.
Will and Kirsten still have two vital skills to master before going head to head.
First, they must learn to balance the 50-tonne tank.
So in this second lesson, they're going to hone their balancing skills by practising with a 4x4 on a giant seesaw.
After driving the vehicle up the ramp, they must find the balance point and hold it for two seconds by careful control of the accelerator, brake and clutch.
It's not good news for Kirsten.
I've driven an automatic for years.
Really? Yeah, it eliminates the whole You don't drive a clutch? I've JUST got a clutch car.
But for Kirsten, getting to grips steering her new manual motor is a work in progress.
Reversing on a hill is one of the most difficult manoeuvres you can do in a car.
It's tight! There are times when I come to a stop and I've forgotten to put my foot on the clutch.
Handbrake on, trying not to stall.
You've got to know when to take the handbrake off Like that! That was quite good! If Kirsten thinks steering her little Mini's tough, can she remember her clutch control and balance the vehicle on a seesaw? I'm bricking myself.
She's struggling to accelerate and brake gracefully and it's a jerky start.
Can Kirsten carefully use the clutch and balance the vehicle? Just under two seconds - not good enough.
Now, Kirsten's got to control the balance going backwards.
Can you see it, O'Brien? Oh my God, this is scary.
Panicking, she's hit the brakes too early.
She's stopped.
Oh, God, now I'm scared! I think she's a little bit nervous now.
Can she use her clutch correctly and pull off a hill start to correct her error? One second Two seconds Kirsten's made the grade, balancing for two seconds! Will's feeling the pressure but he's ready to fight back with his own game plan.
It's about keeping the revs, making it nice and smooth and don't clang it.
Carefully using his brake and clutch, Will's showing beautiful control of the 4x4.
One second Two seconds HE GIGGLES Yeah, man! It's an excellent first run but Will's determined to impress Captain Oancea.
Come on, son.
Let's get this one bang on, no slamming.
Can Will reverse up the seesaw and improve on his two-second score? One second Two seconds Three Four seconds! Found it, then! He's got that move on a point.
Perfect.
That was like rock'n'roll, that, son! Will's feeling cocky but what does Captain Oancea think? The most important thing you gain from this challenge is, find your balance and you always control the tank.
OK, yeah.
Are we OK to have a go on rough terrain, do you think? Yes, definitely.
Kick on! We'll do that.
But don't be too confident.
Oh, I'm not, don't worry! It's a huge difference from yesterday.
He's thinking, "And when I get Will in that tank "and let him go free he's going to go nuts.
" I'm not! I'll go a bit nuts but, I mean, come on! In preparation for the final race, Will and Kirsten must now drive the battle tank for the first time in rugged terrain.
This place is very important for us.
We train our drivers here in really rough conditions, so they'll have no problems on the battlefield.
In this next test, they must face two tough obstacles that form a vital part of the final race and put into practice the balancing skills learned in the 4x4.
First, they must drive the vehicle up a ramp, find the balance point, then land it smoothly.
The second obstacle is the deadly anti-tank ditch.
Dug by enemy forces, it's designed to trap the vehicle.
In a real combat situation, if a driver can't steer the tank through it, it could mean life or death for the crew.
Before approaching the ditch, they must turn the turret around, then balance the tank carefully on entry before accelerating fiercely to get out of the other side.
To be honest, I was a little bit nervous about it.
It is difficult for a professional.
It could be very difficult for them.
We've not even been over a small bump in this thing.
All we did was go round some tyres and round a tree.
I mean, this is a proper leap, it's not like a step.
Can I close the hatch? Yeah.
Oh, hello! Now, they must drive the tank for the first time with the hatch shut.
This isn't comfy at all! Not only is it claustrophobic, they only have a letter box-sized window to see out of.
You want to get close to the letter box to see out, but you need a bit of distance in case you "GANG!" like that.
Will's first up and he's mustering up all his courage to face the daunting task ahead.
Accelerate.
Good luck! Thank you.
Here we go! Come on, people, let's have a good round now.
OK, OK, OK.
His first obstacle is the ramp.
Get it wrong and the tank might topple over and risk the lives of the crew.
Can Will put the balance skills learned on the seesaw into practice? More, more, more, more, more! Oh, that was a big one! He's failed to make a smooth landing.
Sorry, I hit the accelerator, then braked at the last minute! Will accelerated too hard to get up the ramp, panicked at the top and hit the brake.
Big mistake.
The full 50 tonnes of the tank swung forward, smashing it into the ground.
Luckily, the crew are OK but Will's hurt his back.
But there's no time for pain.
Having turned the tank's turret 180 degrees, can Will face the toughest obstacle yet - the anti-tank ditch? Cautious on his way in.
Brake, brake, brake.
Brake, release.
Brake, release.
Accelerate, accelerate, there, there! Will's slamming down the accelerator hard.
But he's lost control of the tank.
Oh, my gosh, he's gone back down! He's gone back down.
Oh! Damn! The purpose of the anti-tank ditch is to trap the tank and Will's fallen right into it.
If he was in a real battle situation, Will would be a sitting duck for the enemy.
Wish I hadn't seen that now cos that That really troubles me.
Accelerate? Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate.
Second attempt and his crew try to talk him out.
Still no good.
No, no! If Will can't get out on his third attempt Captain Oancea will abort the test to protect the crew's safety.
OK.
Accelerate, accelerate! There, there, there, there, there! Yeah! OK! Will's done it, but his back's taken a battering and his pride's dented.
God! Oh my Lord, that first one hit so hard! It went right up me arm - boom! I was like that, oh! I tell you what - the stress! Really good! Having seen rival Will struggle with his balance in the test, Kirsten's worried about handling the 50-tonne tank.
It's much smaller, a Jeep going down on a little seesaw, but it's going to be times-ten in a tank and there are going to be massive crashes down.
Into first gear, yes? Yes! Kirsten gets stuck in but will the ramp bring her crashing back down to earth, like it did Will? Look how slow she's going.
Easy, easy! She's taken her time to find her balance point.
Yes! Yes! Very good, yes! Come on! It's a textbook landing.
We're going into second gear! Yes.
Unlike Will, Kirsten's landing is smooth and perfectly controlled.
Very good, very good.
I can't believe I messed up, honestly.
Can Kirsten pull off the anti-tank ditch that was Will's undoing? Brake, now.
Easy, easy.
Easy.
Oh, my God.
She's lined up the tank well and carefully braking and accelerating.
There it is, there's the tank going down.
Brake OK, accelerate! Now, now, now! Come on! She's stormed it and timed her acceleration perfectly.
Yes! Come on! I don't believe it! Got it first time.
I loved that! Will! As soon as I start thinking, "I've got this," I get too complacent.
I'm going to crush him.
Yeah! Tomorrow Tomorrow.
the same.
More.
The competition's hotting up but it's what Captain Oancea thinks of Kirsten and Will's performance that really counts.
I was happy with you, Kirsten, first.
You went, you started very well.
Overall, you were fantastic.
Will, as I was expecting, you're ambitious.
I am far too overambitious.
When you approached the first obstacle, you hit the gas repeatedly.
Like, that being said, I'm definitely sure we can go for the challenge for tomorrow.
It will be even more difficult because it's a combat situation and that's what the tank is for.
Congratulations for today and you did very well.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
With just one day of training left until the final race, Kirsten's on a high after aceing today's test.
This is madness.
I'm a woman in a tank in the Romanian army and I've just flippin' nailed it! I couldn't be happier with that performance, I couldn't be more thrilled.
And I'm going to bed happy tonight.
But Will's still struggling after not performing as well as Kirsten.
I made a mistake, because I went first and I think I rushed it a bit.
It won't happen again, I can't let my boys down.
And I'm not going to.
In 24 hours, Will and Kirsten are hoping to go head to head for the first time in the Romanian army tank.
Captain Oancea's ready to put them through the final part of their gruelling training.
Today is a very busy day, so what I want you to do after breakfast, I want you to go back in your room and pack everything, we leave this base in 30 minutes and we are not coming back.
Oh, God.
No more! Tired and just getting used to the barracks, Will's now got to tell Kirsten.
Listen, you've got to bring all your stuff with you.
I've got to what, sorry? You've got to pack all your stuff.
Like pack mypack my case up? 'Everything.
' Everything? They've got no idea where they're going, or even where they're sleeping.
O'Brien, you div! Socks! The final race will take place here, in the freezing minus-15 conditions of the Romanian wilderness.
Until they go head to head tomorrow, this is their new home.
This is definitely testing every bit of me.
Wild dogs outside.
There's wolves and bears in the woods.
Unlike Will, Kirsten's up for a spot of camping.
I like this, you know, I'm quite excited.
What's funny, as well, is the floor is pine, for warmth, and there's a nice smell, as well.
Now, Captain Oancea wants them to realise that they're not just driving a tank - they're driving a lethal war machine equipped with cannons and two machine guns.
With that comes the massive responsibility of being able to handle firearms safely.
A few days ago, the sound of tank fire left Will and Kirsten shaken.
Oh, my Jesus! So they can learn to respect the dangers involved in handling a real weapon, they must complete their third lesson - handling a real gun at the shooting range.
It's like some giant audition for a Hollywood movie.
Flippin' heck.
Didn't ask for that.
Will, Kirsten.
Yeah.
These are real bullets, real weapons.
We don't play here.
OK.
All tank drivers must undergo weapons training with live rounds.
It's the first time Kirsten's handled a firearm in her life.
Oh, I'm shitting myself.
I'm really frightened.
OK, good.
The Stockport kid Will's loving it.
Will's going to come over going, "Whoo-hoo!" and I'm just like The danger of it overwhelms me.
Four out of four! Ha-ha! I've killed them all! Despite completing the artillery lesson, Kirsten's still uncomfortable about handling a gun.
Yeah, I have fear and respect for it.
So I wouldn't say we became friends.
I did the job.
So OK, the main objectives, we're done here.
With their firearms training complete, it's time for Will and Kirsten to face their third and final test before tomorrow's big race.
It's the dead of night and, in freezing conditions of minus 17, Will and Kirsten must face a disorientating and terrifying combat mission with only night vision to guide them.
That night vision is incredible.
God, I feel so SAS with these.
This test is broken down into three stages.
In stage one, Will and Kirsten must carefully drive the tank through the deserted village, avoiding the obstacles as they go.
Stage two is the rescue.
They must use their night vision to find the assistant gunner, or loader, and get him back on board.
In the third stage, Will and Kirsten must get their crew back home to base safely.
Good evening, everybody.
Now, tonight we're are going to have a special operation.
It will be a very high stressful situation.
Don't forget, the visibility will be very, very, extremely limited.
What do you think? Are you up to? Yeah.
Yeah.
Don't let us down.
This is about keeping my nerve.
It's not a situation where you can afford to be any sort of girly, squealy, "urgh!".
I've got to stay focused.
Not only is Kirsten responsible for £1.
5 million worth of machine, she's got her rescue mission and the safety of the crew on her shoulders.
In this first stage of the mission, can Kirsten safely navigate the tank through the obstacles in the village? Oh, my gosh.
Oh, gosh.
Easy, easy, easy.
Left, left.
Come on, kids.
Easy.
Easy.
That it? That's it.
Go to second gear now.
Whoo! 'Very quick.
She found her way to pass through the damaged village.
' She was pretty precise.
I'm going straight on, yeah? Yeah.
She's made to stage two - the rescue mission.
But can she find the fourth member of her crew - the loader - and get him on board? Left.
Struggling with her night vision, Kirsten can't seem to see him.
That it? She's panicking.
Oh, my gosh.
Are we picking up the guy, yeah? Yeah.
My arms are killing She's found the loader now.
Now the loader gets in.
Whoa.
OK, everybody, good luck, here we go.
With her man now in the tank, Kirsten's on to stage three.
What's about to happen next will shock Kirsten to the core.
Oh! Oh, my The enemy are shooting from deep within the forest.
No way! Nowstop.
Under a hail of bullets, Kirsten's crew fire back.
She needs to make a decision, fast.
I'm getting us out of here.
As the final test before tomorrow's big race, Captain Oancea's thrown in enemy fire to be sure they can handle the tank under pressure.
What Whoa, here we go! It's kicking off now! Can she drive the tank under pressure and get the crew home safely? Auxiliary.
Auxiliary.
I've got nothing left to give.
It's high pressure.
She'll just have to concentrate.
You don't have the time to panic.
It's a successful mission for Kirsten, but she's exhausted.
What she's just experienced is the standard demands a tank driver has to endure.
I've never done anything as physically exerting as that, in a small space with someone yelling in your ear, with all that noise AND in the dark.
I'm absolutely drained.
It's Will's turn.
Can he pull off a more impressive rescue than rival Kirsten? Come on, now.
Let's have this, boys.
It's stage one of the mission.
Can Will handle the poor visibility and steer the tank through obstacles in the village? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
It's a bad bend in there, you know.
He's a bit too close to the wall of the house.
Right, right, right.
It's full right, it's full right, it's full right, it's full right.
He's clear and on to stage two.
Yeah, doing great.
He found his way.
There he goes.
But can Will get to grips with night vision, find his loader and rescue him? OK, right, right, right.
Right, right, wait, wait, wait.
Yes, I'm waiting, I'm waiting.
Yeah, now the loader is getting in the tank.
Yes, he's doing actually very good.
Go, go.
He's got his man on board.
It's stage three.
Can Will prove to Captain Oancea that he can handle the tank under the pressure of enemy fire? Go on, boys.
Well done.
This is the beginning of an absolutely lunatic experience.
Here we go! Yes! Jesus Christ! Can Will keep his mind on the job and bring his tank home safely? Jesus Christ! He's in the zone.
Will's buzzing and he's finally completed his mission.
Whoo! OK, OK, OK.
Ha-ha! Oh, my Lord.
It's like the biggest high and now you're coming down to earth.
My head's buzzing.
It's like I'm It's weird, it's Will and Kirsten have given their last test everything they had.
I never, ever, ever thought it was going to be that difficult.
I never said it was going to be easy.
I'm knackered.
Drained.
Me, too.
But it's the final race which will decide who is the better driver.
I just wanted to say tomorrow the final challenge will It will show us who's going to be the winner.
Brilliant.
So Thank God you said that.
Thank you, again, Captain.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Will and Kirsten have passed their gruelling training and earned the right to go head to head tomorrow.
But right now, all they want to do is sleep.
It's got to be one of the hardest weeks ever.
Let me justgo home and die.
I just want the people to Oh, God, are you going to talk all night?! Just shut your trap.
Shut up.
I've got Honestly, I can't bear it! Oh, I can't Just shut your trap.
Shut your trap.
It's race day.
Smoke rings, without smoking.
That's how cold it is.
I'm frozen.
I've even got my army gloves on! And time for Will and Kirsten to give the performance of their lives and go head to head in this week's toughest driving test.
It all boils down to one challenge.
One big challenge.
I just hope I've got enough fight left in me.
And I'm scared today that they're going to put a lot of the elements from this week together.
So that anti-tank ditch will be back, and I'm just worried I'll run out of steam.
This tough obstacle course, across rugged terrain, is designed to push Will and Kirsten to their limits, and will test all the skills they have learnt, so far, in the battle tank.
First, they must navigate their tanks out of a snow-bound dugout, go over the ramp, cross the bridge then through the deep ditch.
Next, they must weave the vehicle through the ruined village.
Then face the toughest obstacle of all - the anti-tank ditch.
Finally, it's a sprint home to the finish line.
This time, for real, up against you to try andtake you down, beat you! I like you, as a fella.
You're all right.
You moan a lot about fires and camping, but The thing is, I am a bit of a dick but I'm a nice one! For their own safety, the Romanian army won't allow Will and Kirsten to race these machines at the same time.
So, the race will be staggered.
Today will test their friendship, and whoever completes the race in the best time will win.
Just remember.
Our best army tank is in your hands.
So, don't let me down.
And, go to your tanks! I don't want to fail this, I want to win this.
Listen, guys, we must go as fast as we can, yeah? Let's go! Will's in the hot seat first.
Go! Go! Go! Go! He makes it out of the dugout, smoothly, and powers towards the ramp.
Two days ago, Will failed to land the ramp smoothly, and hurt his back.
Very easyaccelerate This time, he's balancing the tank well.
It's a good manoeuvre.
Nice.
Come on! Yes! It's time for Kirsten to start.
OK, Go! Go! But she's not moving.
I can't actually get the hand The tank's handbrake is jammed.
Who put this handbrake on?! Push the foot brake with your foot! Go! Finally, Kirsten's out of the blocks.
Which way are we going? She's keen to make up the time.
Second gear, now! Yes! Kirsten's first obstacle is the ramp.
Go! OK! Desperate to speed up, she sprints through.
The narrow bridge is the next obstacle for Will.
It's a close call.
Right, right And the commander's worried speedy Will's getting carried away.
Wait, wait, wait, wait! Will's next obstacle is the deep trench.
Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Perfect! Yeah! Will's powering on, and in less than four minutes he's reached the halfway point of the race.
His viewing window's covered in mud, and as he approaches the village he can hardly see where he's going.
I can't see! Panicking, he has to slow down.
Go left or right? Right! Right! Right! Driving cautiously through the village has cost Will.
Close behind, Kirsten's gaining on him.
Yes, go, go! She's straight over the bridge and her next obstacle's the ditch.
Woo-hoo! Let's do this! Kirsten clears it effortlessly, and hits the halfway mark at four minutes, to pull level with Will.
But she's about to have a second stroke of bad luck.
I've got an alarm going off! Left! Left! We have a problem.
Major problem?! She's got no idea what's happened.
Brake, now! Now! Now! Now! What's that mean? The turret is blocked.
Is that a bad thing? The tank's turret is jammed, and she's been ordered, by the crew, to make an emergency stop.
They can't proceed safely unless the problem is fixed.
The clock's ticking.
Is it all over for Kirsten? Will's feeling confident.
But it's not over yet.
He's still got his biggest fear to face again - the anti-tank ditch.
It was his undoing two days ago.
Will it break him again? Try and get this right.
Come on, man! Can he remember to balance the tank safely and accelerate at exactly the right moment? Brake, brake, brake, brake Will's slammed his foot down, hurling the 50-tonne tank forward, and out of the ditch.
Move! Move! Move! Yeah! Yeah! Come on! Having conquered his fear, Will's sprinting back home safely.
I can see the home straight, boys! He completes the course in 9 minutes, 8 seconds.
Oh, I'm out of breath! Kirsten's still stranded.
Has the tank malfunction cost her the race? We're going now, yes? Wait.
Uh! All right.
After an agonising 2 minutes and 9 seconds stood still, the commander gives Kirsten the all-clear.
Kirsten's finally off again, and can't risk any more setbacks.
Powering through the village.
Going left or right? Easy, easy Can Kirsten handle the dreaded anti-tank ditch? A few days ago she aced it.
But was that just luck? Her approach is meticulous and she is showing no fear.
Here we go! Hitting the accelerator at just the right time, she's aced it again.
Woo-hoo! Nice one! Despite her run of bad luck see where we're going.
Kirsten's fighting to the end and makes a final sprint home.
As Kirsten's tank malfunctioned, her finishing time was 11 minutes and 12 seconds.
Before captain Oancea can decide on the winner, he wants to get to the bottom of the problem with Kirsten's tank.
What was the problem? Yeah, don't know what the turret was, but it wasn't my problem, so I just wouldn't let it beat me! Wouldn't let it beat me.
After having the tank inspected, 2 minutes and 9 seconds has been deducted from Kirsten's time.
There's now nothing between them.
For me, it's such a hard decision because it's a photo finish for both of them.
But, it can be only one winner, so I've made my decision.
Captain Oancea's final decision will also be based on their performance across the week.
In test one, Will impressed in his first drive in the battle tank This is fantastic.
while Kirsten struggled.
Oh, no Kirsten's driving turned a corner in test two and she aced the anti-tank ditch that was Will's undoing.
Come on! In test three, they both proved they could handle the pressure of enemy fire.
Now it's the moment of truth.
Today you had a photo finish.
It has to be, only one.
I had to talk with the commander, the tank commanders and the crews.
Some of you were worked even harder than the other one so, that being said the winner is Kirsten.
No way! Any time! It's quite emotionaloh, don't even get me started on that! Oh, man! I'm going to have to stop now.
I've got upset about that.
I don't want to cry in front of the soldiers.
Really, really proud.
It's hard to go home, thinking I've failed.
But I couldn't have drove any better.
Kirsten did the same.
Maybe she deserved to win.
This has been tough, this has been hard.
And to win, on this one phew! Well he's going to have to do some fighting back.
Next time, come on! Next time, can Will level the scores back home, in the UK, as they tackle the docklands' most powerful workhorse? The 70-tonne, 16m-high straddle carrier.
You are joking?! As they battle to conquer the World's Toughest Driving Test, they'll face up to their fears and face up to each other.
Shut up! We've hit a new low, here, people.