Tim Wright (engineer)
Encyclopedia
Tim Wright is a former Formula One
engineer.
Wright has a remarkable racing pedigree, dating back to the late 1970s when he worked at Bruce McLaren Motor Racing. His career then took him to Fittipaldi Automotive
as a senior design draughtsman and then to the Spirit
F1 team. In 1983
he returned to McLaren where he spent the next six seasons working with Alain Prost
, including Alain's two title-winning seasons in 1985
and 1986
.
When Prost left McLaren to join Ferrari
, Wright went to Peugeot
Talbot Sport and engineered Derek Warwick
to the 1992 World Sportscar Championship
. He also oversaw Warwick, Yannick Dalmas
and Mark Blundell
to victory for Peugeot in the Le Mans 24 Hours.
In April 1993 he was hired by Jordan
to work with Thierry Boutsen
, but he left the team at the end of the year and joined his old Peugeot boss André de Cortanze
at Sauber
.
For the 1995 Formula One season
he joined Benetton
where he engineered Johnny Herbert to his first GP win at the British Grand Prix. When Benetton was taken over by Renault, Wright continued to run the test team and then looked after the reliability of test and race cars. Wright left Renault early in 2009 and is now a race engineer with the revitalised Formula 2 run by Jonathan Palmer.
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
engineer.
Wright has a remarkable racing pedigree, dating back to the late 1970s when he worked at Bruce McLaren Motor Racing. His career then took him to Fittipaldi Automotive
Fittipaldi Automotive
Fittipaldi Automotive, sometimes called Copersucar after its first major sponsor, was the only Formula One motor racing team and constructor ever to be based in Brazil. It was formed during 1974 by racing driver Wilson Fittipaldi and his younger brother, double world champion Emerson, with money...
as a senior design draughtsman and then to the Spirit
Spirit (racing team)
Spirit Racing was a racing car constructor and racing team from Britain, who participated in 25 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix between and .Founded in 1981 by Gordon Coppuck and John Wickham, Spirit had a close relationship with Honda...
F1 team. In 1983
1983 Formula One season
The 1983 Formula One season included the 34th FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 13, and ended on October 15 after fifteen races. Nelson Piquet won the World Drivers' Championship, his second Formula One title and the first one ever won by a driver using a turbocharged engine...
he returned to McLaren where he spent the next six seasons working with Alain Prost
Alain Prost
Alain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...
, including Alain's two title-winning seasons in 1985
1985 Formula One season
The 1985 Formula One season was the 36th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1985 Formula 1 World Championship which commenced on 7 April 1985 and ended on 3 November 1985 after sixteen races. World Championship titles were awarded for both Drivers and Manufacturers.-Season...
and 1986
1986 Formula One season
The 1986 Formula One season was the 37th FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on March 23, 1986, and ended on October 26 after sixteen races....
.
When Prost left McLaren to join Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
, Wright went to Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
Talbot Sport and engineered Derek Warwick
Derek Warwick
Derek Stanley Arthur Warwick is a British former racing driver from England. He raced for many years in Formula One, but never won a Grand Prix. During the early 1980s he was thought more likely to achieve World Championship success than his contemporary Nigel Mansell, but a series of wrong...
to the 1992 World Sportscar Championship
1992 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1992 Sportscar World Championship season was the 40th and final FIA World Sportscar Championship season. It was a series of Group C formula sportscars separated into two classes, termed C1 and FIA Cup. It ran from April 26, 1992 to October 18, 1992, comprising 6 races.-Pre-Season:From the...
. He also oversaw Warwick, Yannick Dalmas
Yannick Dalmas
Yannick Dalmas is a former racing driver from France. He participated in 49 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 18 October 1987, but qualified for only 24 of them. His best result in F1 was a 5th place at the 1987 Australian Grand Prix, but he was not eligible for World Championship points at...
and Mark Blundell
Mark Blundell
Mark Blundell is a Formula One, sports car, and CART racing driver. He was a Formula One presenter for the British broadcaster ITV until the end of the 2008 season when the TV broadcasting rights switched to the BBC....
to victory for Peugeot in the Le Mans 24 Hours.
In April 1993 he was hired by Jordan
Jordan Grand Prix
Jordan Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. The team is named after Irish businessman and founder Eddie Jordan...
to work with Thierry Boutsen
Thierry Boutsen
Thierry Marc Boutsen is a former racing driver who raced for the Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan teams in Formula One.-Career:thumb|left|Boutsen driving for [[Arrows]] at the [[1984 Dallas Grand Prix]]....
, but he left the team at the end of the year and joined his old Peugeot boss André de Cortanze
André de Cortanze
-Career:De Cortanze graduated in 1967 with an engineering degree and joined Alpine, a car manufacturer, where he drove and designed racing cars.He also experienced success in Formula Three and Formula Two, and designed a test chassis for Renault's initial foray into Formula One.In the 1980s, he...
at Sauber
Sauber
Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....
.
For the 1995 Formula One season
1995 Formula One season
The 1995 Formula One season was the 46th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1995 FIA Formula One World Championship, which was contested over 17 races from March 26 to November 12, 1995. For the second year in succession, the Drivers' Championship was won by Michael Schumacher,...
he joined Benetton
Benetton Formula
Benetton Formula Ltd., commonly referred to simply as Benetton, was a Formula One constructor that participated from to . The team was owned by the Benetton family who run a worldwide chain of clothing stores of the same name. In 2000 the team was purchased by Renault, but competed as Benetton for...
where he engineered Johnny Herbert to his first GP win at the British Grand Prix. When Benetton was taken over by Renault, Wright continued to run the test team and then looked after the reliability of test and race cars. Wright left Renault early in 2009 and is now a race engineer with the revitalised Formula 2 run by Jonathan Palmer.