Some Formula One Folklore

This article is a story.  It’s called folklore as, although certainly based on a true story, it has come to the story teller through various sources with slightly differing versions of events and is not first hand experience.  It also took place many years ago and recollections on detail may have faded.  Furthermore, it’s the sort of story that anyone who has worked in motorsport could probably tell you a version of, that they heard within a team at some point.  This is why this is folklore and no names will be used.

Photo by Red Bull Racing.

Back in the day when teams were able to test privately, Team A set up a test at a race track.  Chief Designer B drew up the test programme that involved using both their current race cars and drivers, Driver C and Driver D.  Both cars were the same except for one small detail.  Driver C’s car had been fitted with a re-designed part.  This was a part that had no influence on the speed or handling of the car but had been redesigned for improved durability.  

All morning Driver C worked through his programme without problems, whilst Driver D was all over the place.  He couldn’t match Driver C’s times and complained vociferously throughout the session.  It wasn’t fair.  How could he be expected to match C’s times when C had an upgrade he didn’t?  No amount of explaining helped.

After lunch, Chief Designer B took Driver D to one side for a quiet talk.  D was right.  It wasn’t fair.  Whilst they had been at lunch, D’s car had been given the same upgrade.  Driver D was delighted.  He jumped back in his race car and smashed it all afternoon, putting in fast lap after fast lap.

Of course, you’ve guessed the punchline.  No changes had been made to D’s car.  He had the same car in the afternoon as he had in the morning.  

Why did Chief Designer B do this?  It wasn’t because he thought Driver D was an idiot.  Quite the opposite; D was a respected driver and valued collaborator.   Chief Designer B was an outstanding person manager as well as a great designer.  He understood that to get the best out of D, he needed to restore D’s confidence in the car and the team.  The little white lie achieved that instantly.  I somehow think that D knew this.  I certainly don’t believe any team would get away with a little subterfuge like that today; there’s too much data available.  

Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen.

We have all seen successful drivers mysteriously lose their form and suddenly struggle for results.  Sometimes the driver and the team just don’t gel.  Other times, for any number of reasons, the driver and the team can lose confidence in each other and the relationship breaks down. The driver moves teams.   Then the fans look on in awe when a driver all the commentators had said had lost their way, is suddenly back in the points and on the podium.

Title-winning F1 team boss Ross Brawn says that the seven-time world champion was single-minded but also a huge team player. Source: CNN.

It is the job of the team principal to make sure that the team and driver are working well together.  It is their job to create the conditions for success.  The team boss is like the conductor at a classical music concerto, ensuring that the orchestra and the soloist are able to pull off the performance together. These “soft skills” are vital.  We can all see the effect when they are not there.  The success of a team is as much down to the management of the people in the team as the technology.  

By Clare Topic

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