CHIEF JAMES HAS MERC ALL SORTED FOR E
TEAM Principal Ian James admits he is living a “childhood dream” as he leads Mercedes into a new era of motorsport.
F1 juggernauts Mercedes make their bow in Formula E at next week’s season-opener in Saudi Arabia, as they look to take their success from Grands Prix to E-Prix.
High Wycombe-born James has been something of an unsung hero in Mercedes motorsport.
He was instrumental in the reintroduction of the KERS energy recovery system into F1 in 2011, a move which contributed to Nico Rosberg’s win at the 2012 Chinese GP and Mercedes’ first since 1955.
James was also at the forefront of developing the power units that helped secure the 2014 and 2015 world titles for Lewis Hamilton.
But now James is coming out of the shadows to lead Mercedes into an exciting new electric world.
“It has been an incredibly varied career so far, but this is the culmination of a childhood dream,” he said.
“To get back into motorsport with something as exciting and cutting edge as Formula E, but also build a start-up organisation and bring the necessary ingredients together is something that comes along rarely.
“Cheesy as it sounds, it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
James, 42, has worked his way through the ranks in a 15-year career with Mercedes, which has seen him live in Germany – learning the language on the job – and Alabama in the USA.
The Coventry University graduate is now back in the UK with wife Claire and their children, 10-year-old Cameron and Chloe, eight.
But he knows there will be no home comforts as he faces the busiest period of his career.
Despite his new job title, James refuses to be known as the Toto Wolff of Formula E – because the F1 chief is on the end of the phone keeping tabs on him.
“Since I have come on board, we have struck quite a nice balance between him being there for advice when needed and really acting as a consultant for any of the key issues that we have,” added James
“But he has left me to my own devices and let me make my own mistakes along the way.
“I have no doubt that, on WhatsApp and other media, he will be keeping me on my toes!”