The Real Driving Force Behind F1 Teams

Compared to some sports, Formula One has a light schedule. Before the coronavirus sent its calendar into a spin it was due to hold 22 races this year which is just two thirds of the number in NASCAR. Each Grand Prix only lasts for around 60 laps and each team only fields two cars. So why do they have an average of more than 500 staff?

There is good reason for this turbocharged headcount. Unlike NASCAR, each F1 race takes place in a different country so teams need extensive travel and logistics departments. That’s just the start.

Tucked inside each F1 car is around 1.3 kilometers of wiring and more than 300 sensors, some of which give readings around 1,000 times per second. It allows the teams to make tiny changes to the cars as they are hurtling around the tracks at more than 200 miles per hour. This can mean the difference between winning and losing as the grid is often separated by just thousandths of seconds.

It makes F1 cars equivalent to high-speed supercomputers and the more the teams invest in them, the greater their chances of victory.

Keeping their wheels turning doesn’t just require gasoline but also an army of software engineers and developers to produce programs which compute vehicle performance. That’s in addition to the aerodynamicists and engineers who actually design and build the cars, the crews who run them and even the catering team which feeds them when they are on the road. It wasn’t always like this.

The F1 championship was launched in 1950 and for the first 30 years its races ran as ad hoc, almost amateur, events. Each team made separate deals with each event organizer and television coverage was patchy since races could be cancelled at the last moment if there weren’t enough cars to fill the grid.

Brabham team owner Bernie Ecclestone seized the opportunity to change this and in 1981 convinced the teams to sign a contract, called the Concorde Agreement, which committed them to race. He took this to broadcasters who could then guarantee coverage. Ecclestone’s company Formula One Promotions and Administration (FOPA) took a share of the proceeds with the remainder going to the teams and F1’s regulator the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

The guaranteed TV exposure drove up sponsorship rates giving the teams more money to spend on cutting edge technology in a bid to win. In turn, their staff numbers accelerated and they attracted the world’s leading drivers. This made F1 even more appealing to broadcasters leading to further rises in its rates which continued to fuel the cycle of growth. The impact of this can be seen on the graph below which shows the headcount of Britain’s Williams team, one of the oldest outfits in F1.

Some of racing’s most well-known names, including Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill, helped to steer Williams to nine F1 team championships. It has won the title more times than any other squad except for Ferrari but unlike its Italian rival, Williams has remained in family hands. Its co-founder Sir Frank Williams still owns 52.3% of the team’s shares though this could be about to change.

Williams hasn’t won the F1 title since 1997 but the team took a decision last month that could dramatically boost its chances. Completely out of the blue it announced “the commencement of a ‘formal sale process'” and explained that this could involve the “sale of the whole company.”

It is the latest twist in the saga of the team which was founded in 1977 with just 17 staff. According to its latest financial statements, this tally had accelerated to 635 by the end of 2018 putting Williams’ HR director Nicola Salter in pole position when it comes to influencing the fabric of the team. She has been working there since 2001 and revealed to us her formula for success.

What does your job involve?

My job is all about ensuring that Williams creates value through our people. This involves working closely with our senior leaders and managers to ensure we create the culture, strategy and organization that deliver performance and create a great place to work.

What was the career path that you took to get here?

My HR career started in the public sector working for the police. I also spent a brief spell in local government as an HR Manager. My time working in the police made me realise how much I enjoy working in fast paced and results orientated environments.

What skills do you need to do your job?

You have to enjoy working with people obviously, but it is also important to be results orientated, determined and agile in order to thrive in a motorsport environment. You also need strong communication skills and be a proven team player.

Why did you choose a job in the motorsport industry?

I thrive in environments where there is a common purpose, focused goals and a passion for results. I am also very competitive by nature.

What are you looking forward to most about the F1 season restarting?

Seeing our cars back on track. Our year is very much defined by the race calendar and getting back to some sense of normality will be very welcome. We are competitive people and want to go racing.

What does a typical day involve?

It is often said when you work in F1 that no one day is ever the same. We are currently working hard to make Williams a great place to work developing a culture, environment and organization than enables people to deliver results.

What is the highlight of your day?

Going to work! In normal circumstances, talking to Sir Frank Williams when he is around the factory is also always a highlight.

What do you like most about your job?

I work with a great team of people on a daily basis in an amazing, inspiring environment and industry.

What is the biggest challenge in your job?

Definitely time to do more. Multitasking and having to continuously change and adapt to get results – but this is part of the challenge.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?

There have been many highlights in my careers, but by far nurturing talent and then seeing people develop through their careers makes me proud.

What advice would you give to someone looking for a job in the motorsport industry?

The motorsport industry can be difficult to get into but there are many career paths and roles, plus a wealth of information available on the internet. As well as job expertise and experience, we look to hire people who have good communication skills, can make decisions under pressure, are driven to succeed and are team players, the latter being especially important.