Bernie Collins: strategy risks, racing rewards + the pressure of the pitwall

F1: Beyond The Grid

karenellenbevan

Leisure, Sports, Technology, Automotive

4.8 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 November 2023

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

She didn’t set out to be a Grand Prix-winning Formula 1 strategist, but Bernie Collins raced to the very top. She pulled the strategy strings at Force India, Racing Point and Aston Martin, masterminded an emotional race win with Sergio Perez, and guided Sebastian Vettel to his final F1 podium.

Bernie tells Tom Clarkson how she and her fellow strategists prepared for races, reacted to the on-track action, and balanced risk and reward to get the best result possible. Bernie remembers her deep-end debut as a race strategist, how competing at the front of the field brings extra pressure, why working at one of F1’s smaller teams ‘made her career’ and what she learned working with Perez, Vettel and Jenson Button. Bernie also explains how an interest in maths and physics led her to study mechanical engineering at university, then to move into motorsport and, ultimately, reach Formula 1

This episode is sponsored by:

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Make This Christmas Special with a gift from Pandora.
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0:13.0	End 10th of December.
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0:17.0	while stocks last, terms and exclusion supply. F1 is a place for people who achieve things they once thought impossible.
0:29.0	Bernie Collins is one of those people.
0:32.0	When Formula One was being... Bernie Collins is one of those people.
0:33.5	When Formula One was being shown years ago,
0:36.3	they weren't showing the Pet Wall.
0:38.2	You were just thinking of the driver,
0:39.4	and I knew it wasn't going to be a driver,
0:40.8	so I just didn't really think about the jobs that were possible in Formula One.
0:44.4	I didn't imagine a strategist on the pit wall decided when the pit stops were happening.
0:48.8	You just didn't think about that.
0:50.4	Fast forward a few years and the unthinkable became a race-winning reality.
0:57.0	This is really happening. You are really watching Sergio Perez win Sequilla for his first ever Formula One
1:06.2	Grand Prix victory. We knew it was the fastest strategy. It's the easiest
1:11.8	decision I've ever had to be on the football.
1:14.0	I felt relief that we'd finally got the win for him. Hello and welcome to F1 Beyond the Grid with me Tom Clarkson.
1:31.6	At Force India Racing Point and Aston Martin, Bernie Collins pulled the strategy strings,
	...

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