Calum Nicholas talks about his life as an F1 mechanic

Calum Nicholas' book, Life in the Pitlane, will be released on February 27. In an interview ahead of the book's release, the chief technician responsible for assembling powertrains at Red Bull Racing explains what life as an F1 mechanic entails: a week of racing, the rest of the year, the challenges, and above all, the passion.

Calum Nicholas, senior engine assembly technician at Red Bull and author of Life in the Pitlane, recently spoke with The Guardian. He is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable mechanics in the paddock, and behind his distinctive braids lies a man whose mindset is perfectly suited to the demands of his job.

Who is Calum Nicholas?

After leaving school, Calum knew he wanted a hands-on career. A lifelong Lego fan, he loved building and taking things apart, which led him to work at a local garage. Competitive by nature, he was always looking for the next challenge. A friend working in Formula 2 suggested a university on the Silverstone campus, and in 2009, Calum attended the F1 Grand Prix held there. Watching the teams of mechanics, he realized that this was the path he wanted to follow. He cut his teeth in GP3 and LMP2 before his partnership with Red Bull made him famous. “I'm responsible for all the Red Bull components that connect the engine to the chassis,” he explains. Since joining the team in 2015, he has achieved many milestones: fastest pit stop, constructors' championship, drivers' championship…

Before a race weekend

The schedule for the week leading up to a Grand Prix varies depending on whether the event is taking place overseas (requiring air travel) or in Europe. “For European races, we usually fly out on Tuesday afternoon and start working in the garage on Wednesday,” explains Calum. Wednesday and Thursday are the busiest days: the car is assembled, spare parts are prepared, compliance checks are carried out, the engine is started, and all other necessary tests are performed. The first test pit stop takes place on Thursday afternoon and is usually the last task before the team leaves the circuit. These days can extend to around 12 hours of work. He welcomes the new regulations that limit daily working hours. “Friday evenings are much more enjoyable now. Before, Friday was the hardest day: we could be in the garage from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next day. After the second free practice session, the car has to be covered, which prevents us from making any further changes unless absolutely necessary.” The weather, accidents, and physics continue to play tricks on us, but when everything goes well, Saturdays can be relatively relaxed, especially after the early curfew, which allows the team to rest. Sunday has become the longest day of the weekend. Even though the cars are in parc fermé, there is still a lot to do: preparing the engines for the next race, managing the return of parts, and planning the dismantling after the race. “When the cars are dismantled overnight, we also have to pack the freight and empty the garage. It's intense, and we usually hit the road again on Monday morning.”

Work at the factory

During the season, Calum usually only spends one day at the factory between races, leaving him at least six days off after each event. Visits to the factory are devoted to practicing pit stops, meetings, and any other work that needs to be done before the next Grand Prix. Maintaining physical fitness is also a priority, as it has a direct impact on performance during pit stops.

Skills matter more than qualifications

Physical fitness isn't the only requirement. “Reading and interpreting technical drawings and performing technical tasks are the basics,” notes Calum. “What really makes the difference are interpersonal skills: communication, teamwork, and the ability to remain effective under pressure.” ” He emphasizes that the garage's success has more to do with the good rapport between team members than their formal qualifications. “We have a whole range of personalities: confidants who listen to their teammates' problems, jokers who defuse tension with a wisecrack. The balance between these roles creates a healthy atmosphere that offsets the stress inherent in the job.”

When you spend 200 days a year traveling with the same group, these interpersonal skills become essential to ensuring team cohesion, he adds. Pit stops “For us, pit stops are the most personal part of the job.” Calum was drawn to Formula 1 in part because he had the opportunity to participate in pit stops, even though it's not his primary role. “The rhythm of the wrenches tells me whether a stop was good or not: it's all in the music.” ” Calum Nicholas, the Red Bull mechanic whose life revolves around the pit lane, has become the unexpected spokesperson for the hidden human side of Formula 1. While the sport dazzles fans with its speed and technology, Nicholas says it's the people behind the cars who really make the difference, especially the pit crew whose sole focus is on making every pit stop perfect. “At Red Bull, we look for the right people for each position on the pit crew, because when they work well together, the whole operation runs like clockwork,” he explains. Family sacrifices and hard work When Nicholas was younger, he felt like he was the only one making personal sacrifices for racing. “It was my choice,” he recalls. Over the years, he has come to realize that his partner and daughter have been making the same sacrifices for six years, allowing him to pursue his passion. “Burnout is very real,” he warns. “We are highly skilled people who push ourselves to the limit every day. If we don't give ourselves a break, burnout will catch up with us.” His view contrasts sharply with that of former Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost, who called work-life balance “useless… for people who are too lazy to work.” Nicholas, however, is anything but lazy. The last time he took a real vacation was when his daughter was born; he missed three races to be with his family. Today, he is learning to alternate his schedule, convinced that it is better to plan a few breaks each year than to reach a point where exhaustion forces him to give up and a whole new team has to be trained. When asked which circuit he would like to see added to the calendar, he answers without hesitation: South Africa. Why this sport remains a love affair The grueling 24-race calendar may seem daunting, but for Nicholas, the appeal of the sport is irresistible. “You can't just say, ‘I've had enough.' Once you fall in love with F1, the sacrifices are part of the game.” His most memorable moment with Red Bull is the chaotic but triumphant 2018 Chinese Grand Prix, where Daniel Ricciardo took the win. The 2023 season culminated in Max Verstappen's third world title at the Qatar Grand Prix. “The garage was buzzing that weekend,” says Nicholas. “Even though we had already won, we stayed focused because everyone had done their job perfectly. ” The celebration was low-key: the race ended at 8 p.m. and the mechanics were still tidying up at 4 a.m. “I've never seen anything as close to perfection as what Max has achieved this year. He's a perfectionist at heart, obsessed with the smallest details.”

For Nicholas, the dynamic between the driver and the mechanics is unique. When Verstappen gets out of his car, he becomes just another member of the pit crew, deeply attached to the team that supports him. In a matter of seconds, he can revert to being the ruthless driver on the track. “His ability to switch between mindsets with such focus is extraordinary,” notes Nicholas. He adds that Verstappen has evolved from a raw talent into a driver who combines skill, big-picture thinking, and unwavering determination—qualities that have propelled him to the top of the sport.

The garage, the series, and the fans

Despite the drama of Netflix's Drive to Survive series, Nicholas insists that the paddock is a close-knit community. ” If everyone was constantly arguing, we would never perform well in the pits.” He acknowledges the series' role in promoting the sport to a wider audience and admits that he still enjoys watching it to get a fresh perspective on the season. Since the series began, he has been inundated with messages from fans telling him that his story has inspired them to take an interest in motorsport.

He opens up in his new book Nicholas' recent memoir offers a candid look at the issues closest to his heart. “I wanted to be completely honest and talk about the issues that are important to me,” he explains, hoping that his candor will resonate with all those who dream of a life in motor racing, even if the price to pay is measured in missed birthdays and sleepless nights. The mechanic didn't wait for Red Bull's approval before starting his book. “I knew that if I went to Red Bull and said, ‘I'm working on a project,' they might have said, ‘Okay, but we want something in return,' and I would have lost control of what I was doing, which I wasn't prepared to accept,” he told The Guardian. “I also realized that they might have said, ‘You can't do that while you're employed here.' So I took the risk and said, ‘I'm passionate about this project, I'm going to do it without permission, and I'll deal with the consequences later. If it goes wrong, I'll take responsibility for it.'”

The British mechanic has already received a thinly veiled warning from a Red Bull staff member about his growing social media presence. He was told that his influence came from his work with the team, he said. Nicholas replied: “To be honest, my visibility comes from the fact that you and Netflix are using my ethnicity to present a more diverse team. If the company wants to take credit for my popularity, is it also willing to take responsibility for the racist insults I face on a daily basis? You can't have your cake and eat it too, so what exactly is the deal?” ” Victim of racism Nicholas has been the target of countless racist remarks online, particularly in 2021 and 2022. He manages to keep these attacks at bay, in part thanks to his professional achievements. “When you've worked hard to get where you are, it's hard to ignore this nonsense. Direct insults? I've toughened up,” he says. He also reminds himself that these insults only exist in the virtual world: “No fan has ever confronted or insulted me at a racetrack, so it shouldn't tarnish my love for F1.”

Having decided to move on, Nicholas will leave his position as a mechanic with the team, but he will not completely cut ties with Red Bull. He is in fact about to become one of the brand's ambassadors. (Article written in collaboration with Alexandra Grimault.)