Monaco GP Pit lane experience with Williams Racing

My earliest memory of Formula 1 is watching Nigel Mansell win the British Grand Prix in the Williams FW14 racing car back in 1992, when I was just 8 years old. Even back then I knew I wanted to be a mechanic, but I could never have imagined my career would one day take me to the point where I would be personally invited into the Pit lane as a guest of the Williams F1 team. Fast forward 32 years and that's where we are now! But before I describe my experience of the Pit lane, I first need to back up a little and explain how I got here.

The reason I'm in Monaco for the Grand Prix is because the weekend package of flights, hotel and tickets to the races were all supplied by DENSO as my prize for winning the League Of True Mechanics for a third consecutive year running, retaining my title of being ranked number 1 in the UK and Ireland. As a consultant mechanic, dealing exclusively with unusual and complicated issues it's vital that I stay on top of my game. I'm constantly looking for new ways to develop, enhance and maintain the knowledge and skills I have, enabling me to continue diagnosing the most complex faults accurately. Therefore entering the LOTM seemed an obvious choice, giving me a chance to not only review my existing knowledge for my own personal growth and development but to compete on a national level with the hopes of proving what I'm capable of, to instil confidence in any prospective clients. Hopefully achieving the hat trick and retiring from the contest undefeated will do that.

Cut to the day before I'm due to fly out to Monaco, the excitement and anticipation for the trip has already been building up more and more each day, when I receive a very special email from Craig Woodhouse, the head of Communications for Williams Racing, where he writes:

"Dear Edd. We would firstly like to congratulate you on such an amazing achievement and that you’re heading out this weekend to Monaco. We are delighted to be able to say that we would love to welcome you into the paddock/pit lane for a tour tomorrow"

I felt like Charlie Bucket when he got the Golden Ticket to go and meet Willy Wonka, only my golden ticket was to get me in to a place much cooler than a chocolate factory! Waiting eagerly at the meeting point I was greeted by Charlie, the teams hospitality and events manager wearing the very cool uniform of the crisp white shirt with the team name and sponsors emblazoned on. After being handed a paddock pass I was whisked off down the hill and behind the curtain, in this case the curtain being an iron door beyond which lay the paddock area. Next came the full tour, getting to see the press area, the paddock club and the row of team 'motorhomes'. I put motorhomes in inverted commas because they are not like any motorhome I've ever seen before. Imagine large pre-fabricated buildings that are transported in sections from race to race and constructed to provide a hospitality area and base of operations for the teams.

As we entered the Williams motorhome, we passed through the ground floor bar and bistro area, headed upstairs to see the racing sims and a fine dining area where I was thrilled to immediately spot the Team Principle James Vowles having lunch with some V.I.P's. We continued to the top floor, an open air rooftop bar, which overlooked the marina full of super yachts, it was quite a view I can tell you! After a quick 'pit stop' there and a refreshing drink to 're-fuel' we headed down to the pit lane. As we weaved through the paddock area, we casually passed various celebrities and drivers including Lando Norris, Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo, before being overtaken on foot by the Formula 1 legend Jackie Stewart proving he is still the flying Scot!

The pit lane itself was a feast for the senses. A veritable smorgasbord of sights, smells and sounds. The sights of all the cars & garages proudly displaying their team colours and branding brightly, the smells of the exhaust fumes as these highly tuned engines were being fired up and the incredible sounds of the same engines roaring! As we passed by the different team garages, each one was a hive of activity with teams of mechanics working hard to get the cars ready for the next race. Before I know it, we are at the Williams garage and the barrier is opened to let us in. I'm greeted by Craig Woodhouse and we chat for a bit before he introduces me to Ben Howard, the Chief Mechanic. I'm sure for most F1 fans meeting the drivers would be the ultimate thrill, and don't get me wrong, there is no doubting how cool those guys are, but for me, in my job, having the opportunity to meet and chat to the man who is the Chief Mechanic for a Formula 1 team was easily more exciting. It has to be every mechanics dream job, what Ben does week in and week out, getting to work on the actual Formula 1 cars, being part of the racing team, getting to see all the action of the races up close and getting to travel the world whilst doing so is what most of us could only ever dream of.

What struck me most about Ben was how humble and unassuming he was and also how generous he was with his time! On a race weekend when they are at their busiest he took the time to explain his job to me, how some of the processes in the garage worked and what his team of mechanics were working on right at that moment. This was just after the second practice session of three, the day before the qualifiers and already both drivers had 'touched' the walls/barriers and caused damage to their cars. Logan Sargent's car was having it's rear wishbone replaced and Alex Albon's car was being fully scanned by laser to assess damage. Evidently the part of the body that had been the point of contact with the barrier/wall looked perfectly fine to the naked eye but when it had been stress tested it did not conform to the strict regulations required for safety reasons so had to be replaced. Ben talked me through the traffic light system they have before they can even crank the engine, pointed out some of the different stations where he and the engineers would operate and explained some of the challenges they can face such as having to adhere to a strict curfew in the garage, something I have to admit, I wasn't aware of, I always assumed they would be working through the night if necessary. When Ben returned to his station, Charlie and Craig continued my Pit Lane education by taking the time to show me some of the features of the area outside of the garage. They explained about the specifics of the markings on the ground where the driver had to stop and the equipment for the mid race pit work giving me lots of nuggets of information that will definitely serve to enhance my enjoyment of watching the pit stops during F1 races on TV in the future.

The whole experience was nothing short of phenomenal and something I will never forget. The thing I will take most from this experience was the feeling of being surrounded by greatness and how mentally invigorating that was. Whether you are a fan or not, there is no disputing that Formula 1 is the elite sport of the motor industry and represents only the best of the best, or as they would say in Monaco, the crème de la crème. This really shone through with each member of the team I was lucky enough to meet, something they all seemed to share in common, was being very friendly, very understated yet exuding competence and proficiency. From the hospitality manager, the Chief Mechanic through to the Head of Communications, they all seemed to be running on very high octane fuel and driven towards a shared goal of delivering excellence, their enthusiasm and passion was infectious. As someone who has always been very passionate about what I do, it was a great feeling to be amongst like minded individuals and I came away feeling more motivated than ever to continue pursuing my own personal growth in the Motor Industry and continue striving to be the best at what I do, just as they are! I went in a Williams fan and came out wanting to work for them and wishing I could have been a member of the team myself and I think that says it all!

Written by Edward Hunt