TOP TEAM TRANSPORT

with Woodford Trailers

For nearly two years, we’ve had use of a top of the range race trailer to help transport our cars and kit to races and events.

It’s become an essential part of race logistics and an example of how our partners support us with essential products to keep us on the move and heading towards our goals.

The trailer is supplied by specialists Woodford Trailers – a leading player in the automotive trailer industry for more than 30 years. Based in Northamptonshire, the firm set out in 1989 to innovate the industry and now manufactures quality, adaptable trailers for customers in the industrial, sport and leisure markets.

We talk to managing director Jolanta Ozimek-Sopel about the business, why she decided to help us and her plans for the future.

How did you get introduced to Team BRIT?

Dave Player contacted me back in December 2019, asking if we might be able to help with the supply of a trailer and I didn’t have to think twice – I knew I wanted to help.

Why did you decide to support the team?

We love how Team BRIT demonstrates what can be achieved through motorsport without any boundaries. Everyone at Woodford is honoured to support the most inspirational team in motorsport.

What does helping the team mean to you and your staff?

We share the same ethos centred around teamwork. Just like Team BRIT we are dependent on a united approach from everyone at the factory to ensure every trailer is built to the very highest standard. We are so excited to be a small part of Team BRIT’s ambition to make racing history and take a team to the world famous Le Mans 24hr endurance race. You’ve been making trailers for a range of markets since 1989. What kind of products do you provide now and have these changed over the years?

We provide a unique range of open and fully covered professional vehicle transporters, trailer parts and accessories. We also offer a customisation service where clients can pick the colour of their trailer and other bespoke options. Over the last 30 years we’ve been constantly innovating new trailer models with the focus on being the lightest and strongest in the market. The latest additions to our range are the RL7000 and the Autocruiser.

What does 2022 look like for Woodford Trailers – do you have any news you wish to share?

Our ongoing success and growth means we are now expanding to a second workshop which will allow us to maintain the availability of our wonderful range of trailers as well as develop new ones so watch this space! We would love to thank all our customers for their ongoing support, especially through such an unprecedented time.

What do you think of Team BRIT’s performance this year?

It’s been great to witness how Team BRIT has been pushing the limits and seeing this recognised by driving awards and podium finishes.

Find out more about Woodford Trailers at

www.woodfordtrailers.com

Race Engineer Al Locke recently appointed a new member to the Team BRIT crew. 26-year-old Raquel Esteban from Madrid joined the team in July this year as a race mechanic and is bringing experience, insight and influence from a diverse motorsport background to the crew.

We find out more about her background and her thoughts on the importance of getting more women into the industry.

Have you always been a fan of motorsport?

I think I’ve somehow always been a fan, my dad used to watch races in the early 2000s and I think that awoke my interest. I would watch the races with him and we still enjoy watching them together today. I’ve also been surrounded by engineering in general, my grandad was a lorry mechanic and my dad is an engineer so I’m sure this all had a big influence on me.

Did you know from an early age that you wanted to work in the motorsport industry?

I’ve always liked cars, but I don’t think I wanted to turn it into a career until I started mechanical engineering at university.

I actually wanted to study aerospace engineering, but my grades weren’t good enough, so I chose mechanical instead. I met some incredible people that were into cars and motorsport and became friends with them. In Madrid there is a track, Circuito del Jarama, that was used for F1 in the late 90s, so we started going to events celebrated there every other weekend, from classic car racing to truck racing. I also joined ‘Formula Student’, which I was part of for four years and was involved in the design, manufacturing and competing of the first four prototype racing cars. This meant my hobby turned into passion. I then decided to move to the UK and study an MSc focused on motorsport that could give me more chances of getting my foot in the door. The rest is history.

What training / qualifications do you have?

I graduated in mechanical engineering at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, where I also completed an MSc in mechanical engineering. I have a second MSc in motorsport engineering from Oxford Brookes University.

What was your first motor / motorsport role?

Professionally, my role with Team BRIT is my first motorsport job. However, in Formula Student I started as aero and steering design assistant to the suspension and vehicle dynamics lead in my last season, and when I joined Oxford Brookes Racing, my position was vehicle dynamics lead. Some don’t consider university motorsport to be useful when it comes to real life roles, but it gives a lot of valuable experience and has been one of the most useful things I learnt at uni.

When did you move to the UK and why?

I first moved to the UK in September 2019 to study my masters, I lived in Oxford for almost a year before the pandemic happened and universities shut down, moving to online learning. I went back home in April 2020 before returning to the UK in September, to start working at a damper manufacturing company called Quantum Racing.

How did you find out about the role with Team BRIT?

While I was working at Quantum, I kept looking for a job in an actual team, because that was what I wanted to accomplish when I came to this country. I was determined to get involved with a team, but with the pandemic underway, teams were very limited on staff and not many came back to racing until very late in the season. I was then introduced to Al and I explained that I was looking for some trackside experience, so he invited me to one of the first testing sessions at Silverstone in early March. That testing session turned into a couple more and then into race weekends, before finaIly being offered a fulltime job as a race mechanic.

Describe your day to day role with Team BRIT?

At the workshop we get all cars ready to race for the next meeting, whether that’s an academy day, an official testing session or an actual race weekend. We check them over if they come from a track day and fix any issues they might have experienced, install updates to any of their systems and set them up for the race. I still have a lot to learn because I don’t have as much experience as the rest of the members of the team but I’m in a good place for it. Now that the current season is ending, we will do the same but looking towards some winter testing and next season for both BritCar and British GT.

What is it like for you on a race weekend?

My role during a race weekend is keep on top of what’s going on with the cars when they are on track, stay alert for when they come into the garage and get them ready to go back out. During the race I participate in pitstops, whether it is assisting with the refuelling, driver change or tyre change. We work on solving any issues that arrive during the race and have the car ready to go back out as soon as possible. I’m still in the learning process but it’s the part of the job that I definitely enjoy the most.

What are your career hopes?

The category that I’ve always dreamed of working in is endurance racing, although I’d like to work in as many motorsport categories as possible. I find it even more fascinating than F1 or any other motorsport league, because cars have to be able to last for more than just a certain amount of laps, as well as being competitive and quick. Reliability is key and that is something most motorsport categories could live without.

A Formula 1 car can come back to the workshop with 300km on the clock after one race and get new parts due to an engine failure, because the parts are not tough enough to last longer. In a 24h race, you can’t afford to have that kind of issue. It’s also very important to know how to make the most of the car you’re working with, because it’s not just you outside but 20 other cars going for the same goal, so performance is also a big part of it.

I also like the rush, the excitement and the challenge that comes with trackside roles, so in the future I’m hoping to become a race and performance engineer in the World Endurance Championship, particularly in the prototypes field (LMP1/2/3, LMDH).

Why do you think there are so few women in the industry? What would you say to another woman or girl who is keen to get involved?

My mum always says that I have a strong sense of fairness, and I think that can reflect in my perspective on this. Sadly, this whole world started as a male dominated industry for many different reasons, and human beings are really difficult to move on from habits! People have slowly started to realise that anyone can do anything, so as in other many

different roles (nursery for men, army for women, and so many other examples) motorsport is becoming more and more appealing and accessible to anyone that wants to get involved. Every day, more and more successful teams have women as a very important part of their structure, whether as a mechanic, a driver, an engineer or as part of the business team. Motorsport shouldn’t be a gender matter or a disability matter, but about whether you’re good enough for it or not. The industry is already competitive enough without building more barriers around it, so if you’re good for the job, you should be given the same chances as anyone else.

Equality is a two-way street, nothing is going to fall into your lap or be easier just because you belong to a certain collective. I believe motorsport should be as objective as it can be, because at the end of the day what we’re looking for is being the winning team. If I’m as good as any other to change a tyre or calculate a strategy, why shouldn’t I be given the opportunity to prove it, or even better, to prove that I can be better at it than someone already doing that job?

So, the most important message here is never be discouraged or afraid of chasing what you feel is right for you. If you really want it, you’ll put in the effort and the means to be where you want to be, and won’t let anyone tell you otherwise.