Marc Priestley is a veteran of F1, having worked in the sport as a pit crew member for a decade. Priestley worked for McLaren from 2000 to 2009 and had the privilege of working with some of the top drivers like Kimi Raikkonen, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, etc. Priestley mainly served as the Number Two mechanic for Raikkonen and the Number One Mechanic for McLaren’s test car. Back then, the F1 calendar had fewer races in a season unlike the record 24 races today. So, teams got chances to have some breaks. With the current grueling calendar, Priestley explained in an exclusive conversation with The SportsRush’ Tanish Chachra about why F1 isn’t a sport that everyone can cope with.
Priestley said, “[F1] it’s not for everybody”. The Briton cited that for anyone working in F1, it “takes a huge amount of personal sacrifice”. Be it the drivers, the pit crew, the engineers, or the media personnel, they have to commit to the demands of their roles for the majority of the year.
Hence, it naturally costs them a lot of their personal lives and is hard for many to cope with. Still, Priestley cited that he wouldn’t change his past career stint in F1, given how much he enjoyed it.
The 47-year-old highlighted how he has seen many people coming into F1, thinking that it is what they want. However, when they get into the sport, they realize the reality is quite different from their expectations. Precisely so, F1 demands a lot of sacrifice.
️️This week we are delighted to be joined by @f1elvis on the Business of Winning Podcast. Marc shares captivating behind-the-scenes stories from his career as an F1 race mechanic for McLaren Tap here to listen – https://t.co/63d0BuhEbO pic.twitter.com/GqUnmz26zq
— Performance Insights (@P1nsights) March 7, 2024
The Briton gave examples of how people may lose contact with their loved ones and friends while working in F1. Friend groups may stop inviting to their barbecues and parties when anyone is away working in the pinnacle of motorsport and that is part of the hurtful personal sacrifice.
Priestley summarized it perfectly in his conversation with The SportsRush as he said, “Your passion and desire to work in this sport and all of the benefits that come with it overrides the sacrifice that you have to be willing to make leave a normal life behind.”
Marc Priestley highlighted the traits of aspirants wanting to work in F1
Marc Priestley elaborated on how it is tough for anyone working in F1 to achieve a perfect balance with their personal lives. Aspirants should look to weigh up their passions and desire for the sport before deciding to take the tough call of sacrificing their personal lives.
Because at the end of the day, when they get to F1, they may not be able to stay away from home for prolonged periods. Some may struggle with the grueling demands of the F1 schedule and their role, be it as a pit crew member, an engineer, or a media reporter. While working in F1 is a much-desired job, the tough nature of it is not quite advertised.
Priestley then clarified that he did not want to demotivate aspirants or paint a bad picture of F1. Instead, he wished to give clarity about the ground reality of the after-effects of working in the sport.
Thus, the 47-year-old also highlighted in his exclusive conversation with The SportsRush what teams look for in aspiring team members. He gave the example of a pit crew member as his relevant reference point. Therefore, Priestley cited that teams look for “something extra. It’s the determination, it’s the passion. It’s the willingness to go the extra mile.”
This is perhaps applicable to every other job in F1, besides being apt for the tough role of the pit crew. While the traveling and accommodation of lovely hotels is an added benefit, the recurring nature of doing pit stops or studying data for 22-24 races a year may be quite draining mentally for any individual.
Thus the trait of going the extra mile is crucial for applicants wanting to be part of an F1 operation, as Priestley highlighted.
