As the engines roar and the anticipation builds, there's no greater spectacle in the world of motorsport than the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne. This iconic event brings together speed, skill, and the fever-pitched excitement of fans from around the globe. We are gearing up to delve into every twist and turn on the track, exploring the precision of pit stops and the strategy behind every overtake.
This blog unveils the heart of F1 with insights from a stellar lineup of speakers. These legends and experts will bring you closer to the asphalt where the rubber meets raw speed, sharing stories and analyses that you won't find in the grandstands.
David Coulthard
One of the world’s most widely recognised sports personalities, David Coulthard is a renowned Formula 1 Grand Prix driver, television broadcaster, author and entrepreneur.
Born in Twynholm, Scotland, David began racing karts at the age of 11 and achieved significant success in the lower formulae of motor racing. This included victory in the prestigious Macau Grand Prix. He won the inaugural McLaren Autosport ‘Young Driver of the Year Award’ in 1989, leading to a test drive for the McLaren Formula 1 team.
He joined the Williams Formula 1 team in 1993 as a test driver, supporting Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in successive seasons. He made his Formula 1 World Championship debut for the team the following year, scoring his maiden victory at the 1995 Portuguese Grand Prix.
Marc Priestly
Marc Priestley is a successful speaker, broadcaster and author who spent a decade working at the forefront of Formula 1 as a senior mechanic for the highly successful McLaren team.
Today he co-presents the widely acclaimed Wheeler Dealers television show, is well-known to car enthusiasts worldwide, and is an expert commentator and pundit on Formula 1, Formula E and the wider motorsport industry. He also hosts his own podcast Pitlane Life Lessons detailing the lessons to be learned from the elite world of Formula 1.
Marc is ideally placed to speak about the values and behaviours which enable a successful Formula 1 team to achieve and sustain peak performance. He also speaks about the fully connected, data-driven environment of the sport and the way in which teams use marginal gains to help ensure continuous improvement day to day, race to race.
Claire Williams
Claire Williams OBE is the former Deputy Team Principal of the Williams Formula One racing team.
Claire grew up around Formula One, with her father, Sir Frank Williams, being the founder of the Williams Formula One racing team, winning nine Constructors’ Championships and seven Drivers’ Championships, whilst producing legendary drivers such as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Jenson Button.
Claire has been the most prominent and successful woman in Formula One in recent years, taking the team to successive third places in the Constructors’ Championships in just her second and third years in charge.
During her tenure, Claire was a keen advocate for greater diversity and inclusion within her own team and across the sport as a whole.
Mark Skaife
During his 22 years behind the wheel, Mark Skaife has accomplished unparalleled motorsport achievements - a five-time Championship winner, six Bathurst 1000 victories, and three Australian Drivers Championships.
On top of that, he broke the all-time record for Round/Race wins which stood for many years beyond his retirement.
Developing the concept and project managing the Supercars ‘Car of the Future' program, Mark has led an influx of new manufacturers into the Championship including Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. He served as the inaugural Chairman of the Supercars Commission until the end of 2013.
Molly Taylor
With both hands on the steering wheel and one foot firmly on the accelerator, motorsport champion Molly Taylor is living life in the fast lane – and showing no desire to hit the brakes anytime soon.
At a remarkably young age, Molly has amassed a swag of accolades, having won the Australian Rally Championship, European Ladies Championship and Peter Brock Medal, one of the most prestigious awards in Australian motorsports.
In a sport dominated by men, Molly is proud to be defying stereotypes. She was the first female driver to achieve a podium position in the Junior World Rally Championship, finished third in the illustrious Rally Finland – the fastest event in the WRC and two years later, became the first female and at the time, the youngest-ever driver to win the Australian Rally Championship.
Neil Martin
A pioneer in the use of data analytics in Formula 1 motor racing, Neil Martin has spent the last 25 years developing world-class solutions as a member of the senior technical leadership team at McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari.
Today he runs his own company, Random Logic, providing data analytics solutions to top-level motor racing and clients from across the industry, using deep knowledge gained from operating at the forefront of the data-driven Formula 1 environment.
The software which was originally designed and developed by Neil, or derived from his applications, is used by over half the Formula 1 grid today. As a result, he is one of the leaders in the field of data analytics and a highly experienced manager of complex motorsport programs.
Mika Haikkinen
Two-times Formula One Champion Mika Hakkinen scored world titles in 1998 and 1999 for the all-conquering McLaren-Mercedes Benz team. With 20 Formula One race victories and 51 top-three podium finishes to his credit, he ranks among the most successful drivers of all time and is widely regarded as one of the fastest drivers of the modern era. From his very first Formula One drive in an uncompetitive Lotus in Phoenix in March 1991, it was clear that Hakkinen possessed the talent to reach the top. The blond Finn was a graduate of karting, winning the British Formula 3 Championship in 1990.
