Daniel Rudd makes a pit-stop at the British Touring Car Championship with BMW UK
Back in August, we told you about our brilliant Lloyd Cockermouth BMW Apprentice Technician Daniel Rudd and his superb distinction pass. To celebrate this fantastic achievement and his continued positive attitude towards his training, Daniel was recently given the honour of joining the BMW UK team in the pit during the British Touring Car Championship, held at the iconic Brands Hatch.
We caught up with him as he reflects on this exciting opportunity...
Hi Daniel, can talk us through your Brands Hatch experience?
"Both days began with having a team breakfast in the motor home at the circuit, which was a great way to introduce myself to the team. I was lucky enough to be selected to work with Jake Hill-the Championship winner’s team. On the Saturday for qualifying, I got the chance to meet some amazing people throughout the day and learned how incredible motorsport really is when you’re in the middle of all the action.
My role for the weekend was to be the 3rd mechanic, this meant it was my responsibilty to inspect and report back to the number 1 mechanic so he could liaise back to the Chief engineer on where to go next. I also helped with the removal and installation of parts, bleeding the brakes and wheel alignment after every session, as changing it can really affect the performance of the vehicle.
I was brought into the team with open arms and they looked after me exceptionally well, making me feel as if I was really part of the team. I had some great conversations with the Chief Engineer Craig, where I learnt how every weekend is typically set out and how they analyse data to ensure the performance of the car is at its finest."
What was your standout moment from the day?
“There were too many moments throughout the weekend that completely mesmerised me. I have been to multiple race weekends this year and being with the championship contender at the time was mind blowing. I met Mark Blundell (Ex F1 driver), he came into the pits and introduced himself to me and asked me about my career at BMW so far, which again I couldn’t wrap my head around that I was speaking to an F1 Driver!
But the moment that made my whole weekend was the final race of the day on the Sunday. 1st place in the championship was tied with points between Hill and Ingram. The anxiety everyone was feeling on the last couple laps was so strong. However, as Hill was coming around the last corner we all rushed over the pits and were hanging over the fence cheering him on past the finish line as he won his first championship. That point right there, celebrating with the team, really resonated with me how wonderful motorsport truly is.”
Can you explain what happens in a pit stop change?
"Pit stops work very differently to F1; you only have 2 people changing the tyres on the car. Since the regulations say only 2 can carry out the pitstop, all I could do was lay out the tyres correctly for them. However, I did get the chance to be in the car for the pit stop practice before the day began. That was really thrilling being sat in that car!"
Are you a F1 fan and if so, who is your favourite driver?
“I am definitely an F1 fan and a huge Red Bull supporter. My favourite driver of all time is Sebastian Vettel, and he was also a BMW driver early in his career.”
How do you feel that your in-house training prepared you for the challenge?
“Being there having done my BMW training was definitely helpful during the weekend. However, it may look like BMW 3 series, but it most certainly isn’t. The only thing that is BMW is the chassis and the lights. Everything else is race engineered by the WSR Team. Throughout the weekend I raised a lot of questions regarding the car and its setup and learnt a lot about Motorsport Vehicles.”
We are all delighted for Daniel to have been selected to be part of this extraordinary experience and his continued commitment to his technical career.
If like Daniel, a BMW Apprenticeship sounds like the perfect fit for you, browse our current apprenticeship schemes here.
