The Lesser Known... Nick Fry 02 Nov 2007
Honda Racing’s CEO Nick Fry has had one of the most difficult jobs on the grid this season. After claiming a spectacular win in last year’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the team had expected bigger and better things in ’07, but it didn’t quite work out that way.
So how does Fry maintain that famous smile in the face of such adversity? According to the man himself, he doesn’t! We discover a little more about the Englishman’s approach to team management…
Q: Best part of being a team principal?
Nick Fry: Being part of an outstanding global sport and representing a manufacturer with such a rich history in F1.
Q: The most annoying?
NF: Nothing! To complain about minor inconveniences would be churlish.
Q: Running a Formula One team is like…
NF: …walking a tightrope - a very narrow line between being in control and very public embarrassment!
Q: What would you be if you weren’t a team principal?
NF: I would probably be working for a road car company - which is where I came from.
Q: The first thing I do after a race is…
NF: Eat. I am usually too busy to eat before and I am starving by the end of the race.
Q: Winning a race means…
NF: Everything!
Q: What is your favourite place to relax?
NF: Anything active and outdoor - sailing, mountain biking, skiing, even gardening!
Q: Funniest thing you've read about yourself in the press?
NF: The fact that I smile all the time is oft repeated and makes my colleagues laugh - those that write it have not worked with me!
Q: The most difficult decision you had to make as a team principal?
NF: Replacing any driver with another.
Q: Best time during a race weekend?
NF: At the moment, if we get through to the final part of qualifying.
Q: Formula One and politics is like…
NF: …the art of the possible!
Q: Your best moment as a team principal?
NF: Hungary 2006 - our first win!
Q: Something you always wanted to do but never had the time?
NF: Sailing around the world.
Q: How was your first race as a team principal?
NF: As I was Managing Director for several seasons before becoming CEO, the operational side was not that different. The main difference between the two was the amount of media attention and the politics.
Q: Who would you like to be for one day? And why?
NF: Leonardo da Vinci. To understand how a really creative mind works.
Q: Does money change everything?
NF: Money changes many things, but not the most important things.
