Team Principals
Managing Director - Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore first came into contact with the Benetton family in 1974, while working in the Milan Stock Exchange. In 1977, he established the Benetton clothing company in the U.S.A.. Eleven years later, he made his first ever visit to a grand prix in Adelaide, as a guest of Benetton, for the final race of the season. Something must have attracted him to the idea of Formula One racing, as for the the next nine years (1989-1997) he was in charge of running the team. Criticised for his lack of motor sport experience, he proved the paddock wrong by leading the team to victory in the Drivers' World Championship in 1994 and both Drivers' and Constructors' titles the following year. Those who claimed he only did it because Michael Schumacher was driving missed the point that Briatore had the foresight to sign him up at the start of his career.
When Renault pulled out of the sport, it sought to commercialise its engines in Formula One. Briatore was the man to do it, setting up Supertec Sport. Apart from supplying existing Renault clients, Williams and Benetton, he also signed up British American Racing for its debut 1999 season and Arrows in 2000. Then in March this year, Flavio returned to Benetton Formula to take charge of the team, after its sale to Renault. "I decided to return to tackle this new and very exciting task, working with Renault, a company which knows exactly what it takes to win in Formula One," said Briatore on his return.
Technical Director - Mike Gascoyne
A chance look through an engineering magazine gave Mike Gascoyne his break into Formula One. "I was working at Westlands Systems to earn some money whilst writing my thesis for my PhD," explains Gascoyne, "I was reading Flight Magazine one lunch time when I saw an ad for an aerodynamicist at McLaren. I applied more for the hell of it than anything else and was offered the job. Needless to say, my thesis was never finished. If I ever tire of F1, I suppose I could always go back!"
Gascoyne is not short of qualifications to class him at the top of his field. A Cambridge graduate from one of the university's most academic colleges, Churchill, he has progressed quickly in the world of Formula One. Aged 36 he joined Jordan Grand Prix in July 1998 as Chief Designer and was promoted to Technical Director in January 1999. The success of the Jordan Mugen-Honda 199, the first car to be designed under Gascoyne's leadership, won him the 1999 Autocar award for achievement to motor sport.
Gascoyne's rapid development, he readily admits, was helped greatly by Harvey Postlethwaite, with whom Gascoyne worked for seven years. "Yes, you could call him my mentor," says Gascoyne. "It was Harvey who allowed me to learn about the overall design of a Formula One car. I trained as an aerodynamicist but always wanted to look at the bigger picture. Harvey showed me the broad overview of Formula One engineering, and working under him for five years at Tyrrell gave me invaluable experience. His passing was a great loss to motor sport engineering."
To escape the world of F1, Gascoyne enjoys DIY, making furniture and watching sport. Living on a farm with his wife and two children does allow him some retreat. But his competitive nature and passion for team work makes Formula One the perfect vehicle upon which he can combine engineering with his favourite sport.
Executive Director of Engineering - Pat Symonds
Pat has an HND in Mechanical Engineering and Masters Degree in Automotive Engineering. He Joined Ford as an undergraduate apprentice. Between 1976 and 1977 he Chief Designer at Hawke. In 1978-80 he was Chief Designer at Royale. In 1981 Pat Joined Toleman (forerunner to Benetton Formula Ltd.) to work on R & D and run a Formula 2 project. By 1982 he was in charge of Engineering on F1 programme and running of wind tunnel programme.
Between the years 1982-86 Pat was the Race Engineer for various drivers, including Michael Schumacher in the 1994 and 1995 championship winning seasons. in 1991 he Spent one year as Director of Engineering on Reynard F1 project before returning to Benetton Formula Ltd, where he held the position of Technical Director from 1996 until late 2000 when he joined his current position as Executive Director of Engineering.
The Drivers
