"The truth is that marketing, with all this boom of Netflix and series, was greatly missing the figure of Team Principal." This is how the talk with Miguel Ángel De Castro, the Drivex Team Principal, begins. It is 11 in the morning and it is raining torrentially on the Circuit de Barcelona-CatalunyaCars are moved and tests are done. We did an interview to write this blog and with it, understand the role and responsibilities of this position that is so fashionable today in the motor world. "Formula 1 marks us all in this sport, only that once it is lowered in category, the roles become unified," he points out. Of course, in F4 - for example - many times the Team Principal does much more work than what we see in the world of Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen and company. "In Fórmula 1 you have many roles that depend on the Team Principal, engineering, aerodynamics, engine. Here that does not exist because we do not build cars. Yes, the role of the chief mechanic is key, because problems must be solved day to day. We do have a technical director, who is the one who coordinates and carries all the responsibility when it comes to being the one who coordinates the drivers' times and the team's strategies when trying certain things in the car, like what tires to use," adds De Castro, about the decisions they make in the run-up to and during a championship, which are only understood when we see the passion that drives Team Principal to pay attention to every detail.
But... What can be as exciting as driving an F4 car?Very few roles in this competition can match the adrenaline rush of feeling the speed at more than 230 km/h. But yes, there is another role during the race that can be the one who lives - up close - this experience that drives us crazy when it comes to counting second by second, thousandth by thousandth, who wins and who loses a title. Many, from different styles according to how they feel about this sport. "From my educational perspective as a driver, I have learned to see that there is one who wins, another who loses and the others participate, and I don't like that, I like to go out and win. I know that there are very tough rivals and I like that. "I like to choose drivers who allow me to go to the podium." De Castro closes, about the competitiveness that he feels in this competition.
In the motor world today they are very fashionable. Some are famous, they even present and sign their own books, like Guenther Steiner, the former team HaasF1 Team Principal. Others star in different television series, documentaries, reports and give endless press conferences, like Christian Horner, Team Principal in Redbull RacingFor all this, racing puts team managers on a level as important as that of the drivers. "As Team Principal, you have to exercise patience, self-control, and responsibility. In the race I try not to get too involved, yes, I like to make suggestions about macro situations, about the weather, traffic on the track, at an organizational level, and the global strategy. But I don't go into things that are more about race strategy, because unlike Formula 1 - which is more long-term - our competitions here are more about the talent and decision of the driver in the end. That's where I really like it and I want to choose me," says De Castro.
But let's go in parts. The first function of the team manager is to sign the drivers. Choosing them for their performance and speed in the race, for their projection, for their talent and personal reliability, De Castro goes further: "Haas cannot expect to have Alonso or HamiltonHere in F4 it changes, due to the age that drivers have, we draw a lot from Karting, we are like talent scouts, look for them, invest in that talent, be the first to discover it. And above all, in this type of championship, if you have a good driver, you do have a chance to win. win, so this does seem a bit like sport. And there is the role of the organization, in that there are options to win for everyone and in that, talent is key." This last point, for many team managers, is key, since signing an element of innate but conflictive talent can jeopardize the good atmosphere among teammates. Therefore, choosing taking into account all the details is key and is your main responsibility to find harmony and balance.
During the race, Team Principal will be sitting in front of the pit wall, in direct contact with everyone's audio channels. They have a direct role in decision-making when there are technical problems. Receive all the information from the mechanics and decide if any adjustments should be made to the car when there is a serious breakdown, discuss it with the technical-mechanical team and agree with the driver to make decisions if the accelerator should be pressed more or less. During your career, this is your main role and responsibility; Regarding this, the DrivexTeam Principal assures that in his case: "I do like being in the pits and pit-lane because I like this, so it is my style, punctual. It is the only way to know if you have a good or a bad team and you work well or not. There are other colleagues who have a different style and see everything more from above, globally." After the competition, when the results are good, they must empower and motivate the professionals, when they are negative, move pieces, fire, sign, replace, invest. It will be an added value to have been a pilot - as is the case of De Castro in Drivex - to know mechanics, psychology, physics and mathematics. It's all about numbers and passion.
Today, unlike other times, the role in front of the media is key. The team manager is a spokesperson and is responsible for facing criticism, assuming mistakes and failures. Also, he is the face in front of sponsors and investors. You must attend breakfast, lunch and dinner. You must be the public relations person and be informed about everything that has to do with marketing and social events. But... Do they have time for everything? "Sometimes in the middle of my career, I have to be in a marketing meeting and I don't like it, but I have had to accept and understand the business and my role today as Team Principal," says De Castro. The most successful team managers will know how to maneuver the same or better than a driver in a curve, the questions from the most acidic journalists and the most complex situations from the pit wall, for that and everything above, this highly responsible role is For many, like sitting behind the wheel of a car in F4.And if not, for some, it will be a very good experience to prepare a Podcast, a YouTube channel, or a documentary. Or -Why not?- a good book on how to be a team manager in F4. But with your own style, by how you take the curves and by how you manage your team, or as the great Juan Manuel Fangio“Tell me how you drive your car and I will tell you what you are like”.
