What's it like to work on a Formula 1 car and rub shoulders with the greatest racing drivers in the world? We discussed the busy life of an F1 mechanic with Lotus F1 Team's, Greg Baker.
Baker is the chief mechanic who supervises the entire crew. After Baker sees to the vehicles, each E22 car (driven by Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado) is maintained by a No. 1 mechanic and three No. 2 mechanics.
Auto123: Greg, how did you get involved in motorsport?
Baker: “I worked for a sports-car team many years ago. I moved up to Formula 1 with Arrows in 1997, the year Damon Hill joined the team. I did 5 years there, and moved here when Renault took over. I've been here 12 years. Quite some time.”
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| Greg Baker, 2014 USGP, Austin (Photo: René Fagnan) |
Auto123: What's your role here at the Lotus F1 team?
Baker: “My role is to make sure that the specs of the two cars are correct. It's also sorting out faults with cars, as well as the everyday management. There's a lot of paperwork, and stuff with the computers now. I'd prefer to work more on the cars!”
Auto123: What is the main prerequisite to work in this environment?
Baker: “You got to be passionate about motorsport. If you want to work in Formula 1, you have to be very highly motivated. It's 19 races a year, and being away some 180 days out of the country.”
Auto123: What else?
Baker: “Experience is a big thing. You need to be able to work quickly, under pressure, and to make precise decisions as we have a limited time to work on the cars.”
Auto123: The first thing is to get a degree as a motor-vehicle mechanic, then to work on grassroots racing cars. How do you get to F1?
Baker: “It's very hard now to bring new mechanics into F1 who haven't got the experience, and train them up. We kind of introduce them to the factory, into the build side of it, then they kind of come straight out to an F1 weekend. We are a big enough team; we can accommodate people and bring them in slowly. As long as we can see that they've got potential, we can bring them along.”
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| Lotus F1 Team garage. (Photo: Lotus) |
Auto123: You obviously work long hours here at the circuit...
Baker: “Yes. Friday is usually an 18-hour day, and if we get four hours of sleep before Saturday, that's pretty good. We travel a lot, we spend 10 hours in airplanes travelling economy class then there's jetlag. It's a busy life.”
Auto123: Does the new format of the race weekend make things a bit easier for you?
Baker: “Well, the parc fermé procedure has made a huge difference. Going back a few years, we'd arrive on the Thursday and basically work non-stop until the Sunday night. There were several engine changes to perform, plus taking care of the third car. It's a lot more regulated nowadays. At least we get some sleep now.”
Auto123: Your schedule between races is also hectic, I think.
Baker: “If the race was held in Europe, the guys would finish working on the cars on Sunday night. They fly back to the UK on Monday, have Tuesday off, and they can work on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, preparing the cars for the next event. The cars will then go on the Friday (or that weekend) to the next event, so the guys will have Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off then fly out on early Wednesday for the next race.”
Auto123: You have two big breaks during the year, in August and in December.
Baker: “Yes, and the good thing about F1 is that we know all the dates in advance, so we can pretty much plan our whole year. The guys know exactly when they'll have time off. They spend enough time out of the country that we try to get them back home with their families as often as possible.”
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| Lotus F1 mechanics at work. (Photo: Lotus) |
Auto123: Are the young mechanics different from the guys of your generation?
Baker: ‘The job has changed incredibly. Fifteen years ago you'd finish your work and go out to have a beer; whereas now, the guys finish and ask to go for a run or go to the gym. It has become more of a business now. The new generation of mechanics are not athletes yet, but physically they are very fit.”
Auto123: Formula 1 has turned into an international spectacle with the appearance of movie stars, rock stars, celebrities, and crowned heads. You're lucky to meet all these people!
Baker: “For us, it's a job. We're so used to having drivers around, and to work in such a glamorous environment. We bring people in and they're blown away by what they see. They come in the garages, and they can't believe what they see. But for us, it's a working place. It's just another day at the office. Sometimes, we kind of lose track of how lucky we are...”
Auto123: What are your favourite Grand Prix locations?
Baker: “Montreal is a great place, Austin also, Singapore too. They're probably the best places throughout the year.”
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