Pat Symonds
Patrick Symonds | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 11, 1953 Bedford, England |
| Occupation | Motor racing engineer |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Known for | Chief Technical Officer at Williams Grand Prix Engineering; Chief Technical Officer of Formula One; executive engineering consultant for Andretti Cadillac Formula One initiative |
Patrick Bruce Reith Symonds (born 11 June 1953) is a British engineer specializing in motor racing, currently acting as the executive engineering consultant for the Andretti Cadillac Formula One initiative. From 2013 until 2016, he held the position of Chief Technical Officer at Williams Grand Prix Engineering. His previous experience includes technical roles with the Benetton, Renault, and Virgin Formula One teams. Up until May 2024, Symonds served as the Chief Technical Officer of Formula One. In September 2009, he stepped down from his role at the ING Renault F1 team following his involvement in the race manipulation incident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. After an investigation by the FIA, both Symonds and Renault’s Managing Director Flavio Briatore received indefinite bans from FIA-sanctioned events; these prohibitions were subsequently overturned by a French Tribunal de Grande Instance.
Early life and education
Symonds was born in Bedford, England, and received his schooling at Gresham's School in Holt, Norfolk. He pursued higher education at Oxford Polytechnic and later at Cranfield University, where he obtained a Master’s degree specializing in aerodynamics.
Career
Symonds began his professional journey in junior motorsport categories before joining Toleman during the early 1980s. As Toleman transitioned into Benetton Formula and eventually evolved into Renault F1, Symonds climbed through various technical positions. He worked closely with drivers such as Alessandro Nannini and Teo Fabi.
In 1991, after a short period involved with the unsuccessful Reynard F1 project alongside chief designer Rory Byrne, Symonds returned to Benetton. During the mid-1990s, he served as race engineer to Michael Schumacher and headed the team’s Research and Development department. Even after Schumacher left for Ferrari in 1996, Symonds remained at Benetton and succeeded Ross Brawn as Technical Director. With Mike Gascoyne joining in 2001, Symonds was elevated to executive director of Engineering, a position he maintained following Renault’s takeover in 2002.
Singapore crash
In July 2009, Nelson Piquet Jr. accused Symonds of instructing him to deliberately crash during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to benefit teammate Fernando Alonso. On 16 September 2009, the ING Renault F1 Team announced that Symonds had left the organization. He received a five-year suspension from Formula One events after expressing "eternal regret and shame" before the FIA World Motor Sport Council. However, on 5 January 2010, the French Tribunal de Grande Instance overturned this ban and awarded Symonds €5,000 in damages. Subsequently, in April, an out-of-court agreement between Symonds, Briatore, and the FIA permitted Symonds to resume consulting work within Formula One by 2013.
2009–2013
Symonds returned to Formula One as a consultant for the Virgin Racing team (later known as Manor F1) during their second season following a poor start. He conducted a strategic review which led to Virgin Racing parting ways with technical director Nick Wirth. Although still under suspension, Symonds effectively took over Wirth’s duties while maintaining consultant status.
Additionally, Symonds contributed articles to F1 Racing magazine and participated on the advisory committee for Cranfield University’s MSc program in Motorsport Engineering and Management, supporting advanced education and development within the motorsport sector.
Williams F1
In July 2013, Symonds took on the role of Chief Technical Officer at the Williams F1 Team, replacing Mike Coughlan. By December 2016, Williams announced that Symonds would depart upon the conclusion of his contract that year.
Sky Sports F1
Symonds became part of the Sky F1 broadcast team as a technical analyst in March 2017.
Formula 1 Chief Technical Officer
From March 2017 through May 2024, Symonds held the position of Chief Technical Officer for Formula 1.
Cadillac F1
In May 2024, Symonds joined Andretti Global's Formula One project, serving as executive engineering consultant for the Cadillac Formula One Team, which aims to enter the sport in 2026.