The changes that resulted from F1’s evolution into a truly global player

When I look back over the years I’ve been involved in motor racing and in particular Formula 1, it’s amazing to see the extent of the changes. Whether those were for good or bad,
or somewhere between those points, depends on your perspective.

I stepped on to the employment ladder by way of a mechanical engineering apprenticeship with a company specialising in steam and nuclear boilers, a good grounding in practical engineering, but not what I wanted as a career. My training was to be a draughtsman, which helped me to hone my skills since I’d always enjoyed freehand drawing and sketching. While being able to use a computer, with programs that remove the need for a set square or an eraser, is now perhaps more of a prerequisite for design jobs, let’s not forget that Adrian Newey’s office still contains a drawing board and a set of French curves.