EXCLUSIVE: Hamilton engineer reveals top drivers' key characteristic

Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff at the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix — Photo: © IMAGO

GPFans Exclusive

EXCLUSIVE: Hamilton engineer reveals top drivers' key characteristic

Lewis Hamilton's former engineer has shed light on what makes the Brit so good

Jim Kimberley

Friday 29 March 2024 12:57

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Formula 1 has 20 of the world's top drivers, but why do some of these elite athletes always fill the top positions while others languish behind?

Few are better placed to answer that question than those few who have worked closely with F1's best, guiding them through a season to the title.

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One such person is ART Grand Prix's F2 manager Frederic Guyot who was Hamilton's race engineer for his triumphant 2006 GP2 season and who helped George Russell reach F1, too.

Speaking exclusively with GPFans, Guyot reflected on the characteristics of the top drivers that have driven at ART.

Best drivers bring the best results

Guyot begins by saying, "I'm happy that, in general, we have always good drivers... nearly always.

"The best ones and the ones we had the best results with are the ones who push us a lot; they are fully involved, spending time with us.

"One good example was George Russell. He was pushing everything to the limit for us, and it worked.

"In the end, he won GP3 and F2 with us in two years. He pushed us a lot, and this type of driver is a good example.

"You have to push us; we have to push you, but it has to be in both directions.

"You cannot just come in[to the team] thinking it will be easy because it's not only about being there.

"You have to push the team, the engineers, be nice with the mechanics, and make sure all the team is behind you, working 100% all the time, not just 95%."

ART on top

While car development dominates the pecking order in F1, the teams in the lower ranks have the same chassis, so the driver makes much more of a difference.

For Guyot and ART, they've found titles with Hamilton, Russell, plus Nico Hulkenberg, Stoffel Vandoorne, Nyck de Vries, and Theo Pourchaire in the second tier.

He reflects that those who immerse themselves in the team to push them further are a motivating factor.

"It makes a big change in general because we are human," continues Guyot, "and it's not always possible to be on top every day.

"When you have someone who is a very top driver, shows good results, and pushes the team, for sure, you do good results.

"The best ones we had were asking us a lot, putting us a bit under pressure.

"It's never easy; we are at the top level, and we all have the same car.

"You cannot have a 1.5-second difference between cars.

"It doesn't exist in F2 like in F1, so you need to go into every detail and be at 100% otherwise, you miss a bit."

George Russell F2