Formula One may seem a world apart from the cloisters of Cambridge, but these days it is a sophisticated industry, employing aerospace technology and attracting some of the very best engineering graduates from Cambridge and elsewhere.
Inspired by his older brother Michael (who is now Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College) Paddy developed a passion for all things mechanical from an early age. “I rebuilt my first bicycle before I learnt to ride it! As I got older, I progressed to lawnmowers, motorbikes and cars, gaining a reputation along the way for fixing friends’ machines.”
After studying Engineering at Cambridge, he landed a job at Williams who recognised that his skills and experience were exactly what they were desperate for. Over the following six years he helped Williams to become a pioneering force in all aspects of driver aids and associated electronics and hydraulics technology, a capability built up from scratch, culminating in the creation of the Williams FW14B, a car that through its revolutionary systems dominated the 1992 season in the talented hands of Nigel Mansell. This story was highlighted recently in the award-winning documentary film Senna.
On the back of this success, he was headhunted by McLaren and has worked there ever since, introducing a range of new developments to F1 including power steering, ‘brake-steer’, seamless gear changes and driver-in-loop simulators. During that time McLaren have won Championships with Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton.
Looking towards the future, Formula One faces some difficult challenges and conflicts concerning environmental responsibility and commercial sustainability. He says “I am optimistic that this industry can take a pioneering role in the generation and adoption of truly relevant technology for the automotive industry and I hope to play my part in that process.”
This event is open to all Cambridge Network members.
Find out more and book here.
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Behind the scenes at McLaren: Cambridge Network event
25 September 2012
Paddy Lowe, Technical Director at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes - the team in which Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button compete for the Formula One World Championship - is the speaker at the next Cambridge Network event at Churchill College on Wednesday October 17 (6 for 6.30pm).