Career
10 Questions With… Gary Anderson
by Raceteq
8min read
‘10 Questions With’ is Raceteq’s new series that celebrates some of motorsport’s great personalities, who sharing share their lessons from years at the highest echelons of racing.
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Gary Anderson is one of the most respected technical minds in Formula 1 history, best known for his role as a designer and technical director at Jordan Grand Prix, where he worked from the team's inception in 1991 through to 1998.
While at Jordan Grand Prix Anderson designed highly competitive cars, including the acclaimed Jordan 191, with his tenure culminating in Damon Hill's 1998 Belgian Grand Prix victory. The Northern Irishman later designed the race-winning Stewart SF3 in 1999, and has since become a respected F1 technical analyst.
Here are his answers to Raceteq’s 10 Questions.
What is your greatest career success?
It has to be that first year of seeing my first Formula 1 car, the Jordan 191, competing in F1. That experience was nerve-wracking and swung between highs and lows all season. Yet, we ended up fighting in the world championship behind what was then the top four: McLaren, Ferrari, Williams and Benetton. On the odd occasion, getting one over them was the icing on the cake.
Aerodynamics. This is the be-all and end-all of F1 and indeed any motorsport package; anything that is travelling through the atmosphere at speed will induce forces. Knowing how to make them work for you, as opposed to working against you, is invaluable.
Gary Anderson
The 1991 Jordan 191 represents Gary Anderson’s career highlight and his favourite racing car
What advice would you give to someone who wants to do the job you did?
Stick with whatever you dream about. If you love it and you try hard enough, you can succeed; if you don’t, it’s no one else’s fault but your own.
What is the day-to-day of your job now?
I look at the current Formula 1 car designs and try to understand them, bringing that understanding to readers and enthusiasts. Hopefully with my years of experience, I have achieved that on more occasions than not.
What’s one example of a time when you made a mistake and bounced back?
I think I have made more than one. However, I suppose, my one example is the initial 1998 Jordan design. It was born with too many problems, they weren’t intentional, and I look at life differently as a result. We all make mistakes, but the clever part is recognising them quickly enough to rectify them before it’s too late. I have never been shy of admitting to my mistakes.
Gary Anderson’s F1 career was bookended with stints at the Jordan team
What’s your favourite motorsport innovation?
The Brabham BT46B’s rear fan, which generated downforce. It was really out there and quite a wacky-looking thing - yet the BT46B won its only F1 race in the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix.
The Brabham BT46B had a huge rear fan that sucked it to the ground
What’s your favourite motorsport vehicle?
The Jordan 191. It’s a car that was born from my heart, it didn't follow the current trend of what F1 cars were in that period, and it worked.
Who is one motorsport personality that you would love to have dinner with, and why?
I have had dinner at some time with all of my heroes, but one that I haven’t was Ayrton Senna. He just epitomised what I believe a racing driver should be. Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen fit that bill as well, but I have had dinner with Michael and, a while ago, with Max’s dad, Jos Verstappen.
Ayrton Senna won three Formula 1 drivers’ championships with trademark grit, aggression, and, of course, pace
Monza’s feverish atmosphere makes it a must-visit circuit
If you wanted every motorsport fan to understand one facet of motorsport, what would it be?
Aerodynamics. This is the be-all and end-all of F1 and indeed any motorsport package; anything that is travelling through the atmosphere at speed will induce forces. Knowing how to make them work for you, as opposed to working against you, is invaluable.
What’s one racing circuit you’d urge every motorsport fan to visit (at least) once in their life?
It has to be Monza, especially when Ferrari are on top of their game. To see the Ferrari fans and the team support is unbelievable - though it’s very different on a bad day.
What’s one big change you’d make to the F1 regulations?
Simplification, for the casual viewer and even the enthusiast. It seems to be getting ever more complicated, but we want to see racing drivers giving it their all, and we need to be able to understand why one is better than the other at racing by removing the artificial side of things.
