Andrea, this time we talk about men
and women. From the positions point
of view, motorsport is probably the
most complex of sports. On-track we
don't have only the players (the
drivers) and the manager (the Team
Manager or Team Principal), but also
the designer, the mechanics, the
engineers at the pit wall or at the
dyno, the strategy experts, the
aerodynamicists, the electronics
wizards. Can we provide the identikit
of an ideal top-level team, also
introducing the right terminology?
Motor sport or, as we said in our
previous instalments, the motor racing
industry, is a particular form of
entertainment because it requires
complex components (cars, engines,
tires, shocks, wings, suspensions, brakes,
clutches, fuel tank etc...). They are so
complex that they decide the success or
the failure of the whole operation more
than the responsibility of the individual,
driver included. This is the most
frequent consideration among general
public. Between the insiders of this
particular kind of entertainment
industry, it's clear that the choice and
adequate use of these components,
betweens the ones available on the
market with the available budget, it's
something the same people are
responsible of. In the end the results are
always a question of how people work.
I've seen many team or organizations fail
despite their perfect HR structure, and
I've seen many team principals be key in
the lack of success because they first
designed an organizational chart and
then took people into account. The
hierarchy and priorities needed by the
planning&control way kill the passion
for racing and the inside fire of people.
The team, like a major company and a
family, is a natural organism that
evolves in time and settles itself
autonomously, stopping in the moment
when everybody finds adequate space
and roles. More than starting from a
chart and filling it, the right way for me
is starting from the competences of the
individuals and goal (because we want to
do something) and from the scope (how
to get there). Let's think to an IndyCar
team, in a series I know pretty well. The
IndyCar has some high-level competition
and that level is not yet understood by
the fans. An IndyCar team has the same
size of a team that manages a military
aircraft, 25-30 people. A smaller size is
not sufficient to carry-on complex tasks,
while a bigger size is not efficient
because the execution gets slowed down.
In an IndyCar team we typically find 10
mechanics (including fabricators and
gearbox experts), a Technical Director,
three engineers (including the track
engineer and a data analyst), two coach
drivers, a Team Manager, five people at
the shops that take care of the logistics,
supplies, the administration. Plus five
people dedicated to sponsor (in order to
find and maintain them) and two people
for press relations. A key role is played,
in my opinion, by the logistics and
supplies which are two very important
roles that tend to be underestimated.
Without them, the whole organization
does not work. Last but not least, the
people in a team reflect, in a very visible
way for the experienced eye, their
bosses' culture and they almost
completely conform to that culture.
Penske, Ganassi, Andretti, Cheever,
Herta, Foyt. It's a military culture, that
brings you to take full advantage of the
rules extent, attention to sponsors
(income), attention to marketing (sales)
attention to costs. Or it is a family team.
There are many styles, and many of
them work. The organizations are strong
and work long-term when they are put
to test with the lack of results...».
Here's is a question that is strictly
connected to what you say. The
argument between who thinks that
motorsport is an individual sport, and
the star is essentially the driver
himself, and who consider it a
collective sport where there's room for
team play. Which side do you pick?
«I've never seen win a driver that didn't
get along with the team, and the example
of Valentino Rossi and Ducati is clear to
everybody. As we said while reflecting in
the last few instalments, the driver is
"only" the most visible element of a team
(see picture). The concept of collective
sport in motor racing doesn't necessarily
mean team play between drivers, except if
the team have two or more of them. In
American racing (NASCAR or IndyCar)
every team has their dedicated drivers
and sponsors. So several teams can be
owned by the same person - and the
example is Andretti Autosport with Marco
Andretti, Ryan Hunter Reay and James
Hinchcliffe - but we usually see them tight
and exciting battles between them.
Because while the teams have the same
owners, the driver and the whole crew are
responsible of their performance towards
their sponsor. This is a difficult aspect to
understand and share for the European
The Heart of Racing
A TEAM IS LIKE A FAMILY
(OF PROFESSIONALS)
Welcome to the four instalment of our trip with Andrea
Toso through the wonderful world of Motor Racing.
Today we will discover what are the various roles inside a
team, the professional skills needed to be in motorsport
and how to acquire them. Also, the mistakes that must be
avoided. Passion and competence go hand in hand, and
also who wants to really enjoy the experience as a
spectator must be ready for a "full immersion" to avoid
having a passive approach.
22
Andrea Toso, in collaboration with Stefano Semeraro
