BEYOND THE GRID: Bernie Collins on strategy risks, racing rewards and the pressure of the pit wall

Bernie Collins didn’t set out to be a Grand Prix-winning Formula 1 strategist, but she raced to the very top. In this latest episode of Beyond The Grid she tells Tom Clarkson about her journey in the sport and the risks and rewards of race strategy.

Collins pulled the strings at Force India, Racing Point and Aston Martin – notably masterminding an emotional race win with Sergio Perez and guiding Sebastian Vettel to his final F1 podium.

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In the podcast she explains how she and her fellow strategists prepared for races, reacted to the on-track action, and balanced risk and reward to get the best result possible.

Collins also remembers her deep-end debut as a race strategist, how competing at the front of the field brings extra pressure and why working at one of F1’s smaller teams ‘made her career’. Additionally, she picks out what she learned from working with the likes of Perez, Vettel and Jenson Button.

She also explains how an interest in maths and physics led her to study mechanical engineering at university, before her move into motorsport and ultimately Formula 1.

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To listen to this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, simply hit go on the audio player above or click here to listen via your preferred podcasting platform.