Formulation 1 groups don’t simply arrive at a race weekend – they want individuals to ensure that flights are booked, paperwork is so as, and all the pieces else is roofed to allow them to deal with the duty at hand.
The logistics of shifting a whole lot of individuals 1000’s of miles around the globe (and ensuring all of them get to the place they’re occurring time) just isn’t one for the faint-hearted, so we spoke to Kate Mackenzie – Senior Journey Coordinator at Haas F1 Group – to seek out out extra.
What’s your position?
I’m the Senior Journey Coordinator at Haas F1 workforce and I handle all of the bookings for the race workforce, together with our Group Principal. Flights, resorts, airport transfers, vehicles, visas, immigration paperwork, passport renewals and through the pandemic, supporting with all essential paperwork.
How do you turn out to be a Senior Journey Coordinator?
I fell into this position accidentally. I began working in motorsport in 1999 for a Formulation 3000 workforce, as a race workforce secretary and I did a little bit of all the pieces there. My household doesn’t have a powerful curiosity in motorsport however a good friend informed me I ought to attempt it. I obtained sucked into it from there and have labored with many various groups since. I joined Haas F1 workforce in 2015 and I used to be one of many first workers to assist get the workforce set-up. At the moment, I wasn’t simply doing journey, I used to be serving to get the workplace set-up in Banbury and it was a extremely fascinating time to become involved with stuff you wouldn’t normally.
What {qualifications} do you want?
Personally, I don’t have any {qualifications} for this job because it’s all been concerning the life expertise and work expertise gained alongside the way in which. A normal curiosity and information within the journey trade clearly helps but it surely’s a job that may be taught as you go.
Haas F1 workforce pitstop coaching
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
What do you have to examine in class?
Having good written English for all journey itinerary and information of geography is sweet. I liked geography at college so there was a hyperlink.
What different abilities are helpful?
You must be 100% organised as you’re coping with a number of jobs on the identical time and it is advisable to be correct with the work you’re conducting. Being communicator is essential as you’re giving a variety of info to a lot of individuals, many who’re totally different nationalities. This has been significantly essential through the pandemic the place it is advisable to make all the pieces very clear.
How can I get work expertise?
I believe you must begin at smaller groups and smaller formulation; it doesn’t should be single-seaters or Formulation 1. Having a normal curiosity in motorsport will be helpful as it could possibly make it easier to interact with different individuals’s roles within the workforce. I’ve labored with individuals who have expertise in journey businesses as effectively and it does assist however it’s a very totally different job.
Do you get to go to races?
I’m doing extra travelling for the reason that pandemic as a result of it’s simpler being on the bottom to handle all of the paperwork wanted with so many modifications. Beforehand, I might go to ‘new’ races, which helps with the planning and logistics, as normally there could be recce’s beforehand. With back-to-back races, it’s higher to be on the bottom with the workforce than being again at base.
Nikita Mazepin, Haas VF-21, Mick Schumacher, Haas VF-21
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
What does a standard day at work seem like for you?
I don’t suppose there’s such a factor! It goes by phases – there are days the place you’re planning for future races however then abruptly, if there’s a change of employees or one thing pressing has come up, it is advisable to react to that.
What do you most love about your job?
The number of what we do and the truth that day by day is totally different. Regardless that I’ve completed the job for a very long time, I’m nonetheless studying. With everyone on the workforce, there’s such group of individuals right here and it has a household environment. It’s been nice to get to know what individuals’s roles are different than simply their job title. You’re studying and it makes you respect much more what individuals do.
This text was created in partnership with Motorsport Jobs. Discover the most recent jobs in motorsport, in addition to jobs with the Haas F1 Team, on the Motorsport Jobs web site.
